Glute-Ham Raise

What is the Glute-Ham Raise?

The glute-ham raise is a bodyweight posterior-chain movement performed on a GHD (glute-ham developer). It uniquely combines both hamstring functions (hip extension and knee flexion) in one rep, making it one of the most complete hamstring builders you can do without external load.

Muscles worked

Primary: Hamstrings

The hamstrings drive the whole movement across both of their jobs at once: extending the hips to raise the torso and then flexing the knees to pull you upright over the pad.

Secondary: Glutes, Back

The glutes assist hip extension through the first half of the raise, and the back, the spinal erectors, works isometrically to keep the torso rigid throughout.

How to perform the Glute-Ham Raise

1. Set the glute-ham developer so the feet press the plate and the thighs rest on the pad with knees just behind it.
2. Start with the torso upright, body straight from knees to head, hamstrings and glutes braced.
3. Lower the torso forward by extending at the knees under control until the body is roughly parallel to the floor.
4. Once the hamstrings reach their stretched limit, pull the heels hard into the plate to flex the knees.
5. Raise the torso back to vertical by driving knee flexion while keeping the hips fully extended throughout.
6. Keep the spine neutral the whole rep rather than rounding forward to make the raise easier.

Suggested working range: 6–12 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Mechanics

A bodyweight compound on the GHD that blends hip extension and knee flexion: from a horizontal or lowered position you extend the hips to bring the torso in line, then bend the knees to finish the rise. Because it loads both hamstring actions in sequence, it trains the muscle more completely than a curl or a hinge does alone.

Form cues

• •Set the foot plate and pad so your knees sit just behind the pad, giving the hamstrings leverage to pull.
• •Lower slowly under control, then raise by first extending the hips and then curling the knees. Feel the hand-off between the two.
• •Keep a straight line from knees to shoulders and avoid hinging at the hips to cheat the top of the rep.

Common mistakes

• •Turning the raise into a back extension by hinging at the hips instead of flexing the knees.
• •Using a fast drop and rebound rather than controlling the demanding eccentric portion.
• •Rounding the lower back to muscle out of the bottom when the hamstrings fatigue.
• •Setting the foot plate too far away so the knees cannot reach a strong flexed position.

Variations & alternatives

• •Nordic hamstring curl: the knee-flexion, eccentric-heavy portion in isolation when you have no GHD.
• •Lying leg curl: a machine knee-flexion movement to add hamstring volume with less fatigue per rep.
• •Romanian deadlift: a loaded hinge that trains the hip-extension half of the hamstring’s job with heavier weight.

Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings · Barbell

Leg Curl

Hamstrings · Machine

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings · Dumbbell

Single-Leg Curl

Hamstrings · Machine

Nordic Hamstring Curl

Hamstrings · Bodyweight

Programming: sets, reps & when to use it

Program the glute-ham raise for 6–12 reps as a hamstring builder that hits both functions at once. Start from a range you can control and add reps or a slow eccentric before adding load; it works well as a primary hamstring move on a posterior-chain day.

Frequently asked questions