Glute-Ham Raise
How to Do a Glute-Ham Raise
Adjust the GHD so the feet are secure and the knees can move freely near or just behind the front edge of the pad.
Begin tall with the torso controlled, ribs down, core braced, and hips extended.
Slowly extend the knees and lower the body forward while keeping the hips controlled.
Continue until the torso approaches parallel with the floor; stronger lifters can use a small controlled hip hinge to increase range if spinal position remains neutral.
Reverse the movement by extending the hips as needed and then strongly flexing the knees to pull the body back upward.
Drive the feet into the footplate and keep the torso rigid rather than finishing by arching the lower back.
Return to the upright start and reset the brace before the next repetition.
Form Check & Technique
DO THIS (Technique Tips)
- Secure the feet before each set.
- Keep ribs down and core braced.
- Control the lowering phase.
- Use the hamstrings to pull the body up.
- Drive the feet into the footplate.
- Use assistance before sacrificing trunk position.
- Add load only after bodyweight reps are repeatable.
AVOID THIS (Common Mistakes)
- Hyperextending the Lower Back — Fix: keep the ribs down and finish with hip and knee action rather than lumbar arching.
- Piking at the Hips Unintentionally — Fix: control the pelvis and only use hip flexion when it is part of the planned range.
- Using Momentum — Fix: slow the descent and let the hamstrings control both directions.
- Poor GHD Setup — Fix: adjust the footplate and pad until the knees can move comfortably and the feet remain secure.
- Locking the Knees Hard at the Bottom — Fix: maintain muscular tension instead of snapping into passive lockout.
- Adding Weight Before Bodyweight Control — Fix: own consistent bodyweight reps before holding a plate.
About Glute-Ham Raise
The glute-ham raise is a posterior-chain exercise performed on a glute-ham developer (GHD). It primarily trains the hamstrings while the glutes, calves, core, and spinal stabilizers assist. A proper repetition combines strong knee flexion with controlled hip position, allowing the hamstrings to work across both the knee and hip instead of functioning only as a machine-style leg curl.
Glute-Ham Raise Muscles Worked
The hamstrings are the main target and contribute through knee flexion and hip extension.
- The glutes assist hip extension, the gastrocnemius assists knee flexion, and the core and spinal stabilizers keep the pelvis and trunk from collapsing as the lever changes.
Sets & Reps Guidance
Technique / Learning
Technique: 2–4 sets of 4–8 assisted or eccentric-only reps while learning the GHD setup and body line.
Strength Focus
Strength: 3–5 sets of 5–8 reps; add a small external load only after bodyweight repetitions are consistent.
Muscle Growth (Hypertrophy)
Muscle growth: 3–4 sets of 8–12 controlled bodyweight or lightly loaded reps.
General training baseline. Need.fit automatically adjusts exact sets, reps, and working weight based on your individual fitness level, recovery, and progress over time.
Exercise Variations & Alternatives
Nordic Hamstring Curl
Floor-anchored knee-flexion exercise with a straighter body lever.
Razor Curl
GHD variation using more hip flexion and a shorter effective lever.
Slider Leg Curl
Floor-based regression using sliders to train hamstring knee flexion.
Romanian Deadlift
Loaded hip hinge emphasizing hamstring and glute hip extension.
Barbell Back Squat
Learn barbell back squat form, muscles worked, rack setup, stance, bracing, squat depth, common mistakes, variations, and practical sets and reps.
Lying Leg Curl
Learn lying leg curl form, muscles worked, hip & knee setup, pad placement, common mistakes, lying vs seated leg curl, and optimal sets and reps.
Glute-Ham Raise vs Nordic Curl
Both train the hamstrings with bodyweight, but the equipment and mechanics differ.
- The Nordic curl usually keeps the body rigid from knees to shoulders while the ankles are anchored near the floor.
- The GHR uses a curved pad and footplate that allow more hip motion and a different leverage profile.
Why the Glute-Ham Raise Trains Two Hamstring Functions
The hamstrings cross the hip and knee, so they help extend the hip and flex the knee. Onnit emphasizes that the GHR can challenge both functions in one sequence, unlike an RDL that focuses mainly on hip extension or a machine leg curl that focuses mainly on knee flexion.
How to Set Up the GHD
The exact machine adjustment depends on pad shape and limb length.
- Your feet should be secure, the knees should not be painfully compressed into the pad, and you should be able to lower without sliding.
- Test the setup with assisted reps before committing to a full set.
How to Regress the Glute-Ham Raise
Use your hands on the large pad to assist the return, shorten the range, perform eccentric-only repetitions, or use a band for assistance. Muscle & Strength also suggests slider curls when neutral-spine control is not yet strong enough.
How to Progress Glute-Ham Raises
Once bodyweight repetitions are easy, hold a plate near the chest, use a resistance band for added tension, slow the eccentric, or add a pause at the hardest position. Maintain the same trunk and hip control as resistance increases.
Glute-Ham Raise vs Back Extension
A back extension is primarily a hip-extension exercise and may involve more spinal-erector work depending on technique. A true glute-ham raise adds substantial knee flexion, which creates a much stronger direct hamstring demand.
Where Glute-Ham Raises Fit in a Workout
They can serve as a primary bodyweight posterior-chain exercise or as an accessory after squats and deadlifts. Onnit suggests starting around 5–8 reps when the movement is difficult and expanding into moderate or high reps as bodyweight control improves.
Sources & References
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