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The gluteal augmentation is a compound exercise that targets the posterior chain, but it can be challenging to perform. Using a glute ham raise bench is the safest way to perform it, but makeshift options are possible. Maintaining proper form is crucial for achieving the exercise’s benefits.
The gluteal augmentation, or GHR, is a compound exercise that works every part of the posterior chain, including the lower back, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. With the feet secured, the athlete begins by lying on their stomach, usually with some form of padding just above the knees. Then, bending only at the knee, he or she rises from this horizontal position to a vertical one. Then it goes back down to the original horizontal position.
While the movement that the glute ham requires is quite simple, the exercise is quite challenging, and many inexperienced athletes find it difficult to perform at first. This is because the only joint that moves is the knee, so the posterior muscles are lifting almost the entire body at once. If an athlete struggles with this exercise, he can do two things to make it easier. The first is to start from an upright position and slowly lower yourself down without getting to the point where getting back up is too difficult. Another option is to perform the exercise on the floor and start with a pushup to build momentum to help the posterior muscles lift the body into an upright position.
Another challenge of gluteal ham raises is finding the necessary equipment. The safest way to perform them is by using a glute ham raise bench. This device will lock your feet in place and has an adjustable knee pad. For athletes who do not have access to a glute ham augmentation bench, a natural glute ham augmentation is possible. This involves placing some form of padding over the knee and having someone hold the foot in place. The athlete then performs the exercise just as they would if using a glute raise bench. When no one is available to hold the feet, the athlete can use any number of makeshift items to secure them in place, but this is not as secure as the other two options.
Despite the difficulties involved in performing glute ham raises, they are an extremely beneficial exercise. They target the lower back, glutes, hamstrings, and calves at the same time, so they can provide a very intense workout in one exercise. Plus, they train the hamstrings at both the hip and knee joints, which strengthens the muscles much more than exercises that target just one of those joints, like leg curls. Targeting both joints reduces the risk of injury, especially hamstring pulls.
To achieve these benefits, it is imperative that the athlete maintain proper form throughout the exercise. Athletes unfamiliar with buttock augmentation will often bend at the waist while moving between horizontal and vertical positions. This reduces benefits and can cause injury. However, once the athlete has mastered the correct form, he can begin to increase the resistance by holding a weight against his chest during the exercise.
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