ProgreviaGlute-ham raise: proper form, muscles worked and common mistakes
Home › Exercises › Hamstrings › Glute-ham raise
How to do it
With the feet anchored, lower the torso forward controlling with the hamstrings and glutes, and rise by contracting them. Very demanding eccentrically; assist yourself if you can't complete the range.
Muscles worked
Main muscle: hamstrings. Also worked: glutes. When it plans weekly volume, the generator counts each set of this exercise as one full set for hamstrings and half a set for each secondary muscle (what is known as fractional counting).
Glute-ham raise vs. Romanian deadlift: when the knee moves too
In the Romanian deadlift the knees barely bend: it's a pure hip hinge with a barbell you can load heavily. In the glute-ham raise, your feet are fixed on a platform and the pad supports your thighs, so the knee and hip work at the same time. The hamstrings, which cross both joints, drive the movement at each one, and the glutes help. The load is your own body weight on a long lever, so it feels heavier than it looks and can't be adjusted in small steps like a barbell.
It's a good option for someone who already masters the Romanian deadlift and wants a different complement, or for anyone with access to the machine who wants to train the hamstrings more specifically. If you can't complete the range yet, adjust the platform height or use band assistance. Place it after deadlifts, in sets of 5 to 12 well-controlled reps.
Set the pad so the crease of your hip is free and you can fold there, not through your back. At the top, finish with your body aligned and without arching your lower back. To progress, start with band assistance, then move to body weight with your arms crossed over your chest and, later, hold a plate against your chest.
Technical sheet
- Movement pattern
- Hip hinge
- Minimum level
- Advanced
- Technical demand
- Advanced
- Fatigue it generates
- High (1.4 out of 2.2)
- Risk if technique breaks down
- Medium
- Peak tension in the stretched position
These are the values the generator uses to decide where the exercise goes within the session.
Recommended sets and reps
As a compound lift, it fits in 3–5 sets of 5–12 reps leaving 1–3 reps in reserve (RIR). Prioritize it at the start of the session, when you're fresh.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Bending at the hips on the way down: your body should fall in a straight line from the knees so the hamstrings do the braking.
- Not adjusting the seat and pads to your body: your joint should line up with the machine's pivot.
- Cutting short the part of the range where the muscle is stretched: that is exactly where this exercise gives the most stimulus.
What the research says
Because it is a multi-joint lift, the 2021 review of the repetition continuum by Schoenfeld and colleagues leaves room to choose: both heavy and moderate sets build muscle if they finish near failure, but maximal strength needs some heavy work.
Its peak tension comes with the muscle stretched, and that matters: in the trial by Maeo and colleagues (2021), seated leg curls, which stretch the hamstrings more, built more muscle than lying curls, and Pedrosa and colleagues (2022) saw something similar in the quads when training the long end of the range.
On how hard to push: the meta-analysis by Refalo and colleagues (2023) found no clear advantage in going to failure over stopping just short of it. That is why the generator programs it with reps in reserve (RIR) instead of asking for failure on every set.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Van Every DW, Plotkin DL. Loading recommendations for muscle strength, hypertrophy, and local endurance: a re-examination of the repetition continuum. Sports. 2021;9(2):32.
- Maeo S, Huang M, Wu Y, et al. Greater hamstrings muscle hypertrophy but similar damage protection after training at long versus short muscle lengths. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2021;53(4):825-837.
- Pedrosa GF, Lima FV, Schoenfeld BJ, et al. Partial range of motion training elicits favorable improvements in muscular adaptations when carried out at long muscle lengths. European Journal of Sport Science. 2022;22(8):1250-1260.
- Refalo MC, Helms ER, Trexler ET, Hamilton DL, Fyfe JJ. Influence of resistance training proximity-to-failure on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine. 2023;53(3):649-665.
How Glute-ham raise compares with other hamstrings exercises
Of the 9 hamstrings exercises in the catalogue, ranked from least to most fatiguing by the values the generator uses, Glute-ham raise is number 8.
With that fatigue it is best placed early in the session, while you are fresh, without stacking equally demanding exercises for the same group after it.
With different equipment, the same movement pattern offers 3 alternatives, such as Band Romanian deadlift, Single-leg RDL and Romanian deadlift.
| Exercise | Equipment | Fatigue | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band Romanian deadlift | resistance band | Moderate (0.9 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
| Single-leg RDL | dumbbells | High (1.2 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
| Glute-ham raise | machine | High (1.4 out of 2.2) | Advanced |
| Romanian deadlift | barbell | High (1.6 out of 2.2) | Needs coaching |
Tension with the muscle stretched. Glute-ham raise loads the muscle when it is longest. In the review by Kassiano et al. (2023), across eleven studies, full range of motion and partials performed in the initial part of the movement — with the muscle long — produced more growth than partials performed at the end.
On a machine. In the meta-analysis by Haugen et al. (2023), with thirteen studies and 1,016 participants, there were no significant differences in muscle growth between training on machines and with free weights.
- Kassiano W, Costa B, Nunes JP, Ribeiro AS, Schoenfeld BJ, Cyrino ES. Which ROMs lead to Rome? A systematic review of the effects of range of motion on muscle hypertrophy. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2023;37(5):1135-1144.
- Haugen ME, Vårvik FT, Larsen S, Haugen AS, van den Tillaar R, Bjørnsen T. Effect of free-weight vs. machine-based strength training on maximal strength, hypertrophy and jump performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2023;15(1):103.
Related guide
Best leg exercises for the gym and at home
Alternative exercises
More hip hinge exercises
Add it to your routine
Progrevia can generate a personalized routine that includes Glute-ham raise based on your level, goal and available days.
Build your hamstrings workout
Generate a full routine with the emphasis on hamstrings and Glute-ham raise among your preferred exercises. Free, no sign-up.
Not sure what to pick? The setup assistant walks you through it, one question at a time. Open the assistant
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does Glute-ham raise work?
Glute-ham raise mainly works the hamstrings muscle group, plus synergist and stabilizer muscles depending on the variation.
How many sets of Glute-ham raise should I do?
Between 3 and 5 sets per session, adjusting the total weekly volume for hamstrings to your level (about 10–20 sets per muscle per week).
Is the glute-ham raise harder than the Romanian deadlift?
They're hard to compare. The Romanian deadlift lets you move heavy loads and add them gradually, while the glute-ham raise uses your body weight on a long lever that demands a lot from the hamstrings even with no plates on a bar. For most people, starting without assistance is tough.
Progrevia builds gym routines from your own data: periodization, RIR and week-by-week progression. Free, no card.