Ouch My Hammy

I am a big fan of Football and I can't believe how many hamstring injuries occur on a daily basis. I see anything from a hamstring strain all the way to a pull. Why is this happening so often? Especially at events like the NFL combine and pro day workouts. These guys are given the best experts money can buy according to their agents. If you look at the way some of these athletes warm-up and probably the way they had been using their hamstring prior to these events you might see why there are so many hamstring injuries. It drives me crazy to see athletes who have not put any effort into training for 4 years of college and then want to train like there is no tomorrow once they find out they have a chance to make some money at the NFL combine. I compiled a list of why athletes might experience these hamstring problems and I hope it helps athletes realize it takes more than a quick stretch to be injury free.

Why the hamstring injuries occur?

1) Tight hip flexors that may be caused by prolonged sitting or poor trianing

2) Poor Glute Activation

3) Poor Pelvic Position due to overuse of hamstring

4) Imbalance in Hip Dominant v.s. Quad Dominant exercises

5) Lengthened or weak abdominals especially the rectus abdominis and external obliques

How can you fix the hamstring problems?

1) Glute activation exercises ( Glute bridge, Bird dog, & fire hydrant)
2) Stretch your hip flexors
3) Planks, Reverse crunches
4) Stop sitting so much
5) Do a thorough dynamic warm up

This writing was heavily influenced by Mike Robertson,Brijesh Patel, and Eric Cressey