So I had this conversation with a client the other day, and it really stuck with me. I won’t call her out. However, she claims she struggles with hamstring exercises because her hamstrings are weak. Some days she even says they feel tight. This immediately sent my brain into puzzle-solving mode. Tight and weak don’t typically go together, but that’s a conversation for another day. Upon seeing her stretch her hamstrings, I instantly know they weren’t tight, she is hypermobile, and because of this activating her hamstrings are a challenge.
Allow me to quickly describe hypermobility, picture a rubberband, most people going through an exercise will almost instantly feel tension somewhere. Again, conversation for another day if it is not in the muscle we are targeting. For a hypermobile person, they may never feel tension in the target muscle. This can certainly lead to injury if they try to increase range of motion, or increase the load more and more in hopes that will do the trick. Yes, just because you are hypermobile, it does not mean that you will avoid injury.
Instead, this person needs to learn how to create tension in the target muscle before completing a rep of an exercise. In her case: setting the hips in proper position, squeezing the hamstrings before movement, and keeping the core engaged with a neutral spine are great cues. This does require more thinking on her part, but it is possible. To address the “they are so weak” comment, when she performs a leg curl correctly, she won’t need as much weight because the hamstrings are not used to the tension created. With training, they can get stronger, stay mobile, and not be a point of concern for her.
Stretching is a great tool and is certainly underutilized. For people who are hypermobile, stretching can actually do more harm than good. Those muscles do not need more mobility drills, they need activation in the form of resistance training. For her: leg curls, RDLs, legs extended glute bridges, and holds will have huge benefits.
