The glute-ham raise is a knee-flexion movement done on a dedicated pad, where you lower your torso toward the floor against your hamstrings and pull yourself back up. It loads the hamstrings at both joints at once, and it is brutally hard unassisted — most people need a band or a push off the floor for months before a clean rep.
How to do it
- Knees on the pad, ankles secured, and lower under control like a Nordic curl.
- Push the toes into the plate to bring the calves in and help you back up.
Common mistakes
- Bending at the hip to make it easier, which turns it into a back extension.
What it trains
- Hamstrings
- bend the knee to haul you back up — the prime mover, and working at both the knee and the hip at once
- Glutes
- hold the hips extended so the movement stays at the knee rather than folding at the waist
- Calves
- assist at the knee more than people expect, which is why they cramp on this one
- Lower back
- keeps the torso in line from the shoulders to the knees throughout
Variations and alternatives
Common questions
I cannot do a single glute-ham raise — how do I start?
Loop a band over the top of the pad and hold it, or push off the floor with your hands at the bottom of each rep. Both take a fixed chunk of the work away and let you train the full range now; shorten the band or take one hand away as you get stronger.
Is a glute-ham raise the same as a Nordic curl?
Close, but not the same. A Nordic curl fixes your hips straight and is pure knee flexion; the GHR machine supports your hips on a pad and lets you hinge slightly, which makes it easier and lets you train a longer range. If you have the machine, use it — the Nordic is the version for when you do not.
Why do my calves cramp during glute-ham raises?
Because the calf crosses the knee joint and joins in when the hamstrings are near their limit. Setting the footplate so your ankle is not forced into a hard point, and stopping the set before the hamstrings are entirely gone, both cut it down.
In StackUp. Logged as reps per set. Add weight if you use a belt or a dumbbell and StackUp progresses it like any other lift. Get the app.
Glutes
