# Hammy curls, cramps, and crying.



## Scott O (Aug 5, 2004)

I'm on a new full body strength training regimen using bands and not doing any heavy weight at this point. I've got it broken down into 3 workouts on different days: upper body, shoulder (lots of isolations to deal with 1 bad arthritic shoulder) and lower body. So far so good with the exception of hamstring curls. Again, weighs are very low and I've been slowly progressing to more reps and weight. I warm up and stretch before all of these workout and so far no major issues except for the hammies.

Last week I bumped up the weight for hamstring curls just a little and immediately the muscles cramped as I completed the first few reps. So that day instead of reps I just held my feet in place halfway through the motion and resisted the weight before they cramped. Next time out I went way down with the weight. And then the next leg day (2-3 days later) I went back up to slightly more resistance and the cramps came back.

I don't think I'm dehydrated. Low potassium? Possibly. Tight hammies? Maybe, but interesting that that is the only muscle group that is not reacting well to the strength training. In the past I've had issues waking up at night with the hamstrings cramping and in researching this it seems no one is sure why this happens to some people. I want to work this muscle group as I assume we use our quads much more while biking and I want to make sure I'm balancing things out.

Anyone else have this issue? Any suggestions? Buying a new bike(s), cutting off my legs, and/or shaving my legs

This may or may not be a pic of a recent workout....








are not feasible at this point. Thanks.


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

do you take magnesium ? if not, do it

do you use a roller massage stick -always- before bed ?

after workout or riding, and taking a shower...do you use COLD water on the legs ? [should do it]

if no to either, try them....works for me when this thing happens


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

I've never had a cramp in my life, I don't know what they are. I have friends that deal with them though. Hydration aside, I would tend to agree, it's at least in part a mineral issue...very likely magnesium. I'd be sure you're not drinking osmosistized (is that a word?) or otherwise stripped water and add a comprehensive multi-mineral supplement to your life. 

Beyond that I'd forgo hamstring curls altogether as it's a very unnatural weight bearing exercise. Instead do stiff legged deadlifts. These will also target your hamstrings but in a much more kinesiological natural movement. 

Sent from my moto g(6) forge using Tapatalk


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## huckleberry hound (Feb 27, 2015)

I agree with the magnesium suggestion. I was getting cramps on rides over 18 miles and since I started taking magnesium it hasn't been an issue.


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## codahale (Oct 6, 2018)

The phase you're looking for is "active insufficiency". The hamstring curl is a classic example and a common response to active insufficiency is cramping. If you're on a leg curl machine there's not a whole lot you can do, but it might be worth trying a different toe angle or using a pad to increase or decrease the degree of hip flexion. The cramping may go away as your body acclimates to the new exercise - lord knows it's easy to wreck your hamstrings if you haven't been doing dedicated training for a while - but it may also be the case that hamstring curls are just gonna cramp you up. That wouldn't be uncommon. You can also try switching it between seated, lying, or standing (e.g. with a cable) and see if that makes a difference.

That said, there are plenty of ways to blast those hammies which don't carry the same cramping risks. Romanian deadlifts, stiff-legged deadlifts, regular deadlifts, good mornings, and back raises are all awesome. Those are all solid compound movements which will have the additional benefit of training your hip hinge, which has a huge amount of carryover to mountain biking.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

Maybe just mountain bike more and drink more beer. This is what me and everybody else does.

By the way, who are you and what have you done with Scott O? The ingenious & humorous irreverence... it's not here. And it's the whole reason I tuned in to this thread. Sheesh.

Now if I could just find the tragically disappointed emoji... wait, oh here 
=sParty


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## Scott O (Aug 5, 2004)

Sparticus said:


> Maybe just mountain bike more and drink more beer. This is what me and everybody else does.
> 
> By the way, who are you and what have you done with Scott O? The ingenious & humorous irreverence... it's not here. And it's the whole reason I tuned in to this thread. Sheesh.
> 
> ...


My crying is not ingenious enough for your? The pic of my ripped quads and iced up knees does not qualify as humorous irreverence???? Are you telling me magnesium is not the Andrew Dice Clay of all nutritious supplements??? (I'll give the magnesium and standing curls a try, thanks guys).

In terms of more biking and beer I've given them both up for the new year. One by choice and the other due to braking **** and sending them back for warranty.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

I want to hit “like” — but can’t. 
All kidding aside, best of luck, Scott. 
=sParty


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## cyclelicious (Oct 7, 2008)

Your legs look like they're filled with bowling balls!. Cut out the 'roids my dude.


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## GKelley (Sep 4, 2018)

WHALENARD said:


> Beyond that I'd forgo hamstring curls altogether as it's a very unnatural weight bearing exercise. Instead do stiff legged deadlifts. These will also target your hamstrings but in a much more kinesiological natural movement.


This right here.

Stiff Legged Deadlifts and Romanian Deadlifts are the most natural and mechanically correct way to hit your hamstrings. The eccentric portions of Squats and Lunges will proportianaly condition your hamstrings as well.

There is no reason to do concentrated hamstring curls.


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## codahale (Oct 6, 2018)

GKelley said:


> The eccentric portions of Squats and Lunges will proportianaly condition your hamstrings as well.


Squats really don't do much for your hamstrings, and lunges aren't much better. For exercises which heavily involve knee extension, the hamstrings help transfer knee extension force to hip extension via isometric contraction (i.e. Lombard's paradox). Squats and lunges have high involvement of the gluteus as well as the adductor magnus, but not the hamstrings.

Hamstring curls are a great exercise for high specific hypertrophic stimulus with low systemic fatigue. That'd be the reason someone would do them. Not everything needs to be a compound barbell movement.


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## quite.right (Sep 29, 2016)

Take Magnesium, preferable Magnesiumorotat.
Do leg curls in different ways as suggested above. Hamstrings are activated 20% only when doing Deadlifts. Try single leg deadlifts also. The ratio of squats and leg curls should be 1:10. Don't forget squats.
Stretch the hamstrings intensively even before exercise. Your hamstrings seem to be shortened and neglected. 
Be really careful when doing exercises for shoulders with resistant bands. The shoulders can be hurt immediately. Try an exercise like 6-ways with water bottles instead.


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## GKelley (Sep 4, 2018)

codahale said:


> Hamstring curls are a great exercise for high specific hypertrophic stimulus with low systemic fatigue. That'd be the reason someone would do them. Not everything needs to be a compound barbell movement.


All functional movements are compound movements. Our muscles are designed to work in concert with each other, not to be isolated.


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## GlowBoy (Jan 3, 2004)

I remember a handful of extremely painful hamstring cramp-up incidents years ago. I was relatively new to clipless pedals, and thought I would follow the advice I'd heard to pedal in circles, pull up on the upstroke and not just push down. I hadn't even done it that vigorously or that long, but boy did my hamstrings rebel.

So I haven't really tried to pedal circles since then, and it hasn't happened again. I still ride clipless much of the time, but for bike control, not so I can pull up on the pedals.


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