Bodybuilders: You’re In Trouble If You Neglect Your Hamstrings

“The Godfather of Bodybuilding” shares five leg-building tips

Even if you have quads that would bring tears of joy to a judge’s eye, you’re only as strong as your weakest link.

Unfortunately, many fitness enthusiasts dive deep into the quad-building waters, swimming seemingly endless laps in an effort to develop strong, muscular thighs. However, putting all of your eggs into one basket isn’t a sound strategy for endeavor, especially when it comes to constructing a well-balanced physique.

To drive home the importance of investing equal resources on your quads hamstrings, legendary trainer Charles Glass shared some of his favorite leg training tips in a video published on his YouTube channel on Oct. 30, 2024.

A Lesson in Balance From “the Godfather of Bodybuilding”

Forty years on the job gives you ample time to learn what to do, and more importantly, what not to do. And for “The Godfather of Bodybuilding,” it’s clear that spending much time and effort on one body part—your quads, in this case—comes at a cost.

What can happen when there’s a strength imbalance between your quads and hamstrings?

“You can see it because it starts to pull on the lower back,” Glass said.

That imbalance often leads to pulled hamstrings—a painfully annoying problem that can persist if not addressed properly.

• A 2008 study on female soccer players found that strength imbalances are a factor that increases the risk of a hamstring injury. However, restoring a normal strength profile decreases the chances of another incidence. (1)

Following in the footsteps of the pros may provide a safer, more effective means to effectively train both major muscle groups.

“Most of the top guys do hamstrings on a separate day,” Glass explained. “I want to be able to kill my quads and then come back, and it’ll be two days somewhere in between, now I have hamstrings and I can go again hard.”

Charles Glass’ Leg Training Tips

In addition to dissecting why you should dedicate different days for quad and hamstring exercises, Glass delivered a few more pearls of wisdom in his leg training video.

• For effective leg pressingpush your hips into the pad, maintain a tight core, and squeeze your glutes.
• To address muscular imbalancesperform single-leg versions of exercises, starting with the weak side first. This is known as unilateral training.
• Glass estimates that 70% of people are weaker on the inside of their thighwhich makes changing the angle of your feet or legs important to target specific muscle groups.
• The hack squat offers two key benefits: it activates your glutes and allows you to maintain tension throughout the exercise.

Implementing these techniques and coaching cues aren’t guaranteed to turn you into the Quadfather or The Highness of Hamstrings, but they can help you make your leg day sessions more effective.

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References

1. Croisier JL, Ganteaume S, Binet J, Genty M, Ferret JM. Strength imbalances and prevention of hamstring injury in professional soccer players: a prospective study. Am J Sports Med. 2008 Aug;36(8):1469-75. doi: 10.1177/0363546508316764. Epub 2008 Apr 30. PMID: 18448578.