Glute Ham Raise

In my opinion, the glute ham raise is the best assistance exercise for the posterior chain.  It effectively trains hip extension and knee flexion together and hits the hamstrings, glutes, calves, and low back.  This is how the body works with pretty much any physical activity, such as when you jump, squat, deadlift, and run. 

This makes the glute ham raise much better and more effective then a plain ole leg curl, which only trains knee flexion and has limited ability for carryover to other activities compared to a ghr.  I am not saying there is never a time for a leg curl variation (I like to use single band leg curls from time to time), but in most cases, ghr's are the way to go if you want the most bang for your buck.

For some reason,  a lot of gyms still don't have a glute ham raise.  (Maybe because most gyms and trainers still don't have a clue and are living in the 1970's.)  There is really no reason why there should not be a glute ham raise in every gym around; so hopefully those that don't will sooner or later come around and get equipment that will actually help their members instead of hurt them like a lot of the machines that are currently found in many places.

Have an awesome weekend!