Reverse Hyper vs Glute-Ham Raise

[Jack Rusher]

For reference, reverse hyper:

YouTube - PB reverse hyper

GHR:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYUg1zMg6CQ

Any of you guys tried both and developed opinions about them? I'm considering building some kind of rig to add reverse hypers to my ab/lower back routine.

Thanks in advance.

[Kentucky Fried Chokin]

I know a strongman competitor that swears by the reverse hyper. I myself, don't like machines much and there are hardly any gyms that have them anyway, so I just stick this the ham raise.

The problem with the ham raise, is that it's such a hard exercise you usually have to assist yourself up.

[TheRuss]

Yeah, I've never had access to a reverse hyper machine. I'd have loved to try it, though.

You ever considered straight-leg deadlifts?

[Jack Rusher]

The problem with the ham raise, is that it's such a hard exercise you usually have to assist yourself up

I don't have such a hard time with them, probably because deadlifts have given me a fairly strong posterior chain.

You ever considered straight-leg deadlifts?

I d03s th3m. I've been looking to diversify my lower back routine because the conditioning program at Alliance NYC has a huge emphasis on abs without an equivalent focus on lower back, which worries me from a balance perspective.

[Yohan]

i've done them both - we have 3 RH machines at the fitness gyms. I try to alternate between GHR's and RH's for my posterior chain. They are both fine exercises. The reverse hypers are actually kinda harder than the GHR's when you get up to your full weight and do them properly. It's supposed to be a great exercise for running. I personally do the reverse hypers with one leg in instead of two.

[Teh El Macho]

Lou Simmons swears by reverse hypers and, indeed, he attributes to them a fast recovery he experienced from a herniated disk (something about the movement that gets the disks to move in a manner that accelerates healing.)

-- edit --

I've never had access to them, but I've used ham raises instead. For pple that have trouble with them, just work with a limited range of motion, increasing it little by little.

Or go all the way assisting yourself with a resistance band or a cable machine. I can't use youtube from work, but I'll see if I can find some vids about these options when I get home.

[Teh El Macho]

Ahhh, I found them.

In this one, the lady in the video is controlling the eccentric, and upon failure, just let's herself rebound back with a push up.

YouTube - glute ham raise female volleyball athlete post chain

And this video shows how to do them with the assistance of resistance bands and cables:

YouTube - POOR MAN'S GLUTE HAM RAISE: BEGINNER'S EXERCISES

And this dude made his own GHR station:

YouTube - Home made glute ham raise

[Kentucky Fried Chokin]

My main problem with the ham raise is that the only place I can do it is on one of those sit up boards that has a bar at the top so everytime I get to end of a rep I almost sodomize myself.

[Tactical Nut.]

I bought both of them a while back and am a big fan of each of them. When I went to purchase, the guys at Elite FTS actually recommended the GHR more strongly which surprised me, but it is a very versatile machine (GHR's, Back Raises, Abs, etc).

I try to use both a few times each week, the GHR for contractile strength and the Reverse Hyper for pre-hab and stretch as much as strength. Now that BJJ is my primary focus and not powerlifting I get more use out of the reverse hyper as I like how it decompresses my lower back.

Like any machine / exercise, in time I found that I adapted to them and they played less of a roll in my training...but they are always present one way or another.

[Bullwhip]

That's some lucky guy holding that girl, while she does Glute Ham Raises. I wonder what is going through his mind.

Also TE Macho, my chiropractor told me a few times to do situps and not hypers for herniated disk. I trust your opinion more though.