Tight Hammies? Maybe Not!

Are you someone who has long believed that your hamstrings (the three muscles in the back of your upper leg) are "tight" because you can't touch your toes?  Perhaps they truly are.  But maybe you've been barking up the wrong tree by stretching the heck out of them.  Here's why.

The hamstrings work to flex (bend) your knee and extend your hip.  But the big hip extensors are your glutes.  I like to refer to the glutes as the "lead singers" in hip extension production, with the hammies as the "back ups".  The hamstrings should work synergistically with the gluteals.  However, if the glutes are under performing, those back-ups will take the lead mic.  In effect, they're "singing" louder and longer than they ought to be.  They're "turned" on more than they should be.  This phenomenon may also be perceived at "tightness" in your hamstrings.  Your hamstrings have become synergistically dominant.  You want them to be manning those back-up mics, not leading the band.

Here are two quick ways to assess if you have truly tight hamstrings.  Try bending forward to touch your toes with your knees straight.  If you can't, now sit on the floor and reach out to touch your toes.  If you can, then perhaps those hammies aren't as tight as you thought.  After all, aren't these essentially the same movements?  The only difference is that the standing maneuver requires more spine-loaded motor control than the seated version.  Another key sign that your hamstrings may be working too hard is if they are prone to cramping.  Try this.  Lie on your back and perform a glute bridge.  Feet flat on the floor with your knees bent, lift your butt off the floor to make yourself straight through the thighs and trunk by driving your hips to the ceiling.  This SHOULD be a glute-dominant action. However, if you find that your hamstrings begin to cramp while doing this move, then it's a sign that your hamstrings are working overtime on that lead mic.

Here's a quick (if not high-quality) clip of my 5 and 3 year old doing an unsupported (arms in the air) glute bridge.  Maybe not perfect form, but if my kids can bust out a bridge on a Friday night (yes, this is what I do on the weekend these days), so too should you.

So, think again whether your hamstrings are truly tight or not.  And if you find that your hamstrings have been unfairly blamed all these years, and that your weak, under performing glutes are the real culprit, get to work.  Make sure these powerful hip extensors are up to the task.  Your low back will thank you for it!

James W. Horn, MSPT