Glute Ham Raises

[chalky]

I've been doing these for a couple of months. As these machines are quite rare and we don't happen to have one at our gym, I've resorted to performing GHR's on a lat pulldown machine, where you basically face away from the lat pulldown, anchor your feet under the knee pad and place your knees on the seating pad. I was able to get 11.25kg for 3x5 the other day, but I've started to feel a bit of additional pressure on the knees.

If I recall in your book, you mention in your book how you shouldn't be placing your knees too close to the padding, and considering my knees are actually on the pad, am I playing a large amount of pressure on my knees? Should I actually stop performing these?

Hopefully they'll get an actually ghr machine, but I doubt they will.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Yes, stop doing these on the lat machine, for the reasons described in the book. You will fuck things up like this very soon.

[Domjo54]

Does this mean that doing partner-assited GHRs (known to many as "Ghetto GHRs") is a bad thing, since you are kneeling?

Like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKnaDtGGRrI

Obviously the guy is moving very slow and controlled (maybe even a little over-exaggerated), but hopefully this demonstrates what I was talking about when using a partner for GHRs...

[Mark Rippetoe]

And these are just negatives.

[chalky]

So I guess I'll be stopping these....though I have to say I was enjoying these a bit too much...

Would doing pull throughs through a cable machine be an 'ok' subsitute? Or would you rather see me doing SLDL?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Maybe you should just deadlift.

[Domjo54]

Rip, I realize that that video was just negatives, but I also make sure I try to pull myself up with my hamstrings/glutes as much as possible (I still have to break my "fall" a little bit on the later reps, but I try to pull myself up as much as possible). I do deadlift, in case that is your next question, but I feel like these could be a useful accessory exercise? Especially in the event that a program calls for GHRs and I have no way of doing them? Or no...?

[chalky]

I do though. I did post back some time ago, and you commented that I needed to gain weight (5'8 145), although I'm making progress on everything except bench, whilst maintaining my weight

I did max out last week at 320lbs for 1 rep, but for most weeks I do speed set deadlifts of 1 rep 60-70% for 8-12 sets.

I'm only looking to do these 'extra' exercises as assistance work.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I don't feel as though an exercise which has been proven to hurt your knees is a good assistance exercise. And why does a guy 5'8" at 145 who is merely maintaining his weight need assistance exercises?

[chalky]

To help increase my squats + deadlifts.

Anyway I've started a new routine, combining Texas Method, and doing speed sets (box squats and deadlifts on recovery day). Though I think I'll have to decrase the amount of sets on recovery day because it may be a bit too much for recovery. I'll be posting here i a few weeks to update my results in case anyone is interested.