Glute Ham Raise
Kneeling on the pad of a glute ham raise machine with your ankles locked under the footplate, you lower your torso forward and down under control, then pull yourself back up mainly by contracting your hamstrings. Unlike most hamstring exercises, which train hip extension, the glute ham raise trains knee flexion, the hamstring's other job, making it one of the more direct hamstring builders in the gym.
Why it works
Most hamstring work, like a deadlift or a hip thrust, trains the hamstrings through hip extension: straightening the hip against resistance. The glute ham raise instead asks the hamstrings to bend the knee against resistance, which is the muscle's other primary function and one that gets far less direct attention in typical training. Because your ankles are anchored and your knees stay roughly fixed in place, almost the entire pulling motion has to come from your hamstrings contracting to bend your knees and bring your torso back upright, with your glutes and lower back assisting rather than leading. That distinction matters for anyone who's strong in a deadlift but still struggles with this movement, since the two exercises train genuinely different parts of the hamstring's job.
Set up
- Adjust the machine so your knees rest just behind the pad and your ankles are secured under the footplate.
- Kneel with your torso upright and your body in a straight line from knees to head.
- Brace your core lightly before beginning the first rep.
How to do it
- Lower your torso forward and down slowly, keeping your hips extended and your body in a straight line as long as possible.
- Let your knees bend naturally as you descend, resisting the fall with your hamstrings rather than dropping quickly.
- Once you reach the point where your hamstrings alone can't control the descent, allow your torso to continue down under control.
- Reverse the motion by contracting your hamstrings to pull your knees back into a bent position, bringing your torso upright.
- Finish the rep with your body back in the straight starting position.
- Reset your brace before starting the next rep.
Form cues
- Hips stay extended, no folding at the waist.
- Knees bend to pull you back up, not your lower back arching.
- Lower slowly, resist the whole way down.
- Straight line from knee to head at the top.
Breathing: Inhale as you lower your torso down, exhale as you pull yourself back up.
Common mistakes
Bending at the hips instead of the knees, turning the movement into a back extension.
Fix: Keep your hips extended and locked in a straight line with your torso; the bending should happen at your knees, not your waist.
Dropping quickly through the lowering phase instead of resisting it.
Fix: Slow the descent down deliberately; the eccentric lowering phase is where a large part of this exercise's benefit comes from.
Arching the lower back excessively to help pull the torso back up.
Fix: Focus the pulling effort on bending your knees rather than extending your spine; a slight arch is normal, but the lower back shouldn't be doing the main work.
How to program it
- Two or three sets of five to ten reps is a demanding but reasonable range, since this movement is harder than it looks for most people the first several times.
- Once a week is plenty when you're new to it; the eccentric demand on the hamstrings tends to create more soreness than expected.
- If a full rep isn't achievable yet, partial range reps, only lowering as far as you can pull back from, still build real hamstring strength toward the full movement.
- Pair it with a hip-extension hamstring exercise like a Romanian deadlift on a different day to cover both hamstring functions across your week.
Safety notes
- Stop the descent at whatever depth you can still pull yourself back from; falling past that point without control can strain the hamstring.
- New lifters should expect significant muscle soreness after the first few sessions and should scale volume down accordingly rather than pushing through it.
- Keep your knees properly aligned with the pad throughout the movement to avoid uneven strain on one leg.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Pull
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Category
- powerlifting
Frequently asked questions
How many reps of glute ham raises should beginners do?
Two or three sets of five to ten reps, once a week, is a sensible starting point. This exercise tends to cause more soreness than expected the first few times, so it's worth being conservative early on.
Why is the glute ham raise so much harder than it looks?
It asks your hamstrings to bend your knee against resistance, which is a function most hamstring exercises like deadlifts don't train directly. Many people are much weaker in this specific movement than their overall hamstring strength would suggest.
What if I can't complete a full glute ham raise yet?
Only lower as far as you can control and pull yourself back from. Building the range gradually over weeks is normal and still trains real hamstring strength.
Can I do a glute ham raise without a GHR machine?
A natural glute ham raise, with a partner or sturdy anchor holding your ankles while you kneel on a padded surface, trains the same knee-flexion pattern without a dedicated machine.