Looking for a replacement excercise for hamstring curl/glute ham raise

Question

I'm in the process of transitioning to a new powerlifting routine that prescribes either hamstring curls or glute-ham-raises as an accessory exercise. Those make perfect sense and would address some deficits I do have. But the routine assumes I'm working out in the gym, while I actually work out at home 99% of the time. I don't have access to a hamstring curl machine and please believe me when I say that GHR (and natural GHR variant) are not an option, even though I got really creative with my furniture.

So I'm looking for a replacement excersise that I can do with the constraints I'm facing at home.

My equipment:

• A bench with variable incline angle
• A squat rack
• Dumbbells, a barbell and more weight to put on than I can deadlift
• Stuff you can expect to find in a regular first-world flat. Tables, chairs, broomsticks, beer crates, fresh vegetables,...

Constraints for the replacement excercise:

• The prescription calls for 3 sets, 12 reps @RPE 8. I guess that rules out many bodyweight-only excercises already.
• Must be easy and safe to overload with more weight (e.g. what this guy is doing looks really sketchy.)
• Should put as little stress as possible on my lower back. So, romanian deadlifts (or other DL variations) are not really an option.
• I'd rather compromise glute activation for a good hamstring workout than vice versa.

So the only exercise I found so far that seems to fit the bill is the barbell hip thrust. After a few workouts, I can say that it's an okay replacement, but I'd happily swap it for something more hamstring-focused.

Can you think of other, maybe better alternatives?

Answer 1

The barbell hip thrust is legitimately an amazing exercise for the glutes. I highly recommend you look into that, and try to get accustomed to it.

As for hamstrings, one of my favorite exercises is the Romanian Deadlift, but since you disqualified it, another good option is the Physio Ball Leg Curl. A good demonstration can be seen here. It allows for some variation as you can also do it with a single leg. It requires a lot more activation of the glute/hamstring area, but it's a nice way to progress.

Form-wise, you do sort of a hip thrust to begin with, then do the curl, release the curl, and optionally, disengage the bridge. But always have the bridge intact during the curl itself.

If you don't already have a physio ball, it should be pretty easy to get a hold of, and as far as home equipment goes, it's in the lower range with regards to price. An added benefit is that it's great for various types of mobility work and stretches. It's a pretty good tool for a lot of supplementary exercises. I'd go so far as to say that anyone who works out at home should have one, but that's just my opinion.

Those big rubber bands are another tool that can be very versatile here. Hook the band up to the bottom of a table leg, put your leg in it, and do a simple standing leg curl for the hamstring. You can also elevate the entire leg behind you for glute activation. It's one of the exercises that are really popular among girls that try to build a big booty, but there's actual merit to this one.

Rubber bands, I'd say, are another staple of any home gym. Cheap and very versatile. I had my employer buy some for the the office. I like to do some pull-aparts just to counteract the otherwise kyphotic posture of a software developer's lifestyle.

There are probably a bunch of other exercises that don't come to mind just now. I hope to see some other answers on this as well.

Answer 2

I've performed natural glute ham raises as a substitute. They're like GHRs but with a fall/push-up at the end. When I first did them I had a partner holding my ankles but after that, I also had to get creative.

I placed the barbell on the inside of the lowest power rack height setting. This places the barbell somewhere > 6" off the ground and then I loaded the bar so it wouldn't move. Then I placed my heels underneath it and grabbed a random rubber pad for my knees. It actually worked quite well.

This is a good video demonstrating what I mean. He has the bar on the outside of the rack but still on the hooks. In looking for a visual I also found this example with an exercise ball as an easier alternative, and it progresses into using an ab wheel. Exrx.net also shows it but they've called it a self-assisted inverse leg curl (on floor).

Given your restrictions, I think this could work depending on how low your squat rack goes. If not, you can load the barbell and place it on blocks while still using the rack as the lateral brace. You can't load the self-assisted/natural version but once you can complete an unassisted rep you can look at completing it while holding a dumbbell.