9 Best Glute Ham Raise Alternatives (Training Program)

The kettlebell swing is a movement that targets your glutes, hamstrings, and core.

To do a Kettlebell Swing:

• Hold a kettlebell using a two-hand grip.
• Bend forward at your hips, allowing the kettlebell to swing back through your legs.
• At the peak of the swing, the kettlebell should reach chest height, and your body should be in a standing plank position with your arms extended.
• Forcefully drive your hips forward to swing the kettlebell up to shoulder height.
• Maintain control and repeat the movement, ensuring your hips drive the kettlebell upward in each swing.

Kettlebell Workout Articles:

• Single Kettlebell Workouts
• Dumbbell and Kettlebell Workouts
• Kettlebell and Bodyweight Workouts

Romanian Deadlift

To my clients, I often recommend the Romanian deadlift, a traditional barbell exercise that effectively strengthens the posterior chain muscles, including the erector spinae, gluteus maximus, hamstrings, shoulder blades, and adductors.

To do a Romanian Deadlift:

• Hold a dumbbell or a barbell in front of you.
• Hinge at the hips.
• Lower the weights while keeping your knees bent and your back straight.

If you're having issues performing this, you can try alternative deadlift exercises.

The stability ball leg curl aims at the hamstrings, engaging your glutes and lower back.

This promotes balanced muscle development and core stability.

To do a ball leg curl:

• Lay on your back using a stability ball to support your heels.
• Lift your hips and pull your heels towards your glutes.

Related Article: Leg Curl Alternatives

Good Mornings

The good morning exercise effectively targets the muscles in your posterior chain, like, your hamstring muscles, glute activation, core strength, and lower back.

To do a Good Morning:

• Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart. With an overhand grip, position a barbell across your upper back, not on your neck.
• Ensure the bar is stable before you start.
• Activate your core, maintain a straight posture, and keep your sight forward. This is the starting position.
• Slowly hinge at your hips, pushing them back while maintaining a slight knee bend.
• Lower your torso forward until it's almost parallel to the floor.
• Keep your back and core engaged throughout the motion. The movement should feel like a stretch along the back of your legs.
• Push forward to return to the starting position. This completes one rep.

Whether performed on a reverse hyperextension machine or a stability ball, this exercise heavily trains your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings.

To perform reverse hyperextensions:

• Position on a reverse hyperextension machine or a suitable substitute, like a high flat bench.
• Lie face down and grip the handles or edges for support.
• Align your hips with the bench’s edge so that your legs can move freely beneath you.
• Start with your legs hanging straight down towards the floor.
• Lift your legs using your glutes and hamstrings until they parallel the floor or slightly higher. You should feel a contraction in your lower back and glutes.
• Slowly lower your legs back, ensuring you maintain control throughout the movement.

Glute Bridge Walkouts

Glute bridge walkouts is one of the best glute ham raise alternatives on this list; this exercise targets the glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles.

To perform glute bridge walkouts:

• Recline on a mat with knees bent and feet on the floor. Your feet should be hip-width apart with arms at your side.
• Apply force to raise your hips from the floor until your knees, hips, and shoulders align in a straight line.
• Walk your feet as far as possible without dropping your hips or arching your back. Once you've reached that point, come back into the starting position.

This variant of the traditional squat emphasizes your posterior chain, specifically targeting the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.

The reverse position helps to distribute the load more evenly across these muscle groups, enhancing strength, stability, and power.

To perform reverse hack squats:

• Position on a hack squat machine. Stand with your chest against the pads and your back facing out. Secure your shoulders under and grab the handles.
• Set your feet on the platform. Ensure they are spaced shoulder-width apart.
• Extend your legs to lift the weight, but don't lock your knees.
• Lower yourself by bending at the knees while keeping your back and hips stable against the pad.
• Continue until your thighs are parallel to the footplate or as far as comfortable.
• Engage your quads and press through your heels to return to the starting position.

Before training with glute ham raises, start with 5-10 minutes of light cardio. You can walk or use a treadmill to raise your heart rate and jumpstart circulation.

Transition to dynamic stretches and mobility exercises focusing on the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. Some exercises you can do are leg swings and hip circles.

Perform a couple of sets of bodyweight glute ham raises to engage and activate muscle memory.

Ensure a proper warm-up before starting a workout routine to avoid injuries.

Why Should You Find a Glute Ham Raise Alternative?

You should find a glute ham raise alternative to avoid muscle adaptation and stimulate your body with every new exercise you try.

Variations still target the same muscle groups effectively, but, according to ResearchGate, you allow your body to experience workouts in different ways [3].

You also have to consider the possibility of not having a GHR machine. An alternative is a great exercise to avoid unnecessary pauses during a workout.

“The glute-ham raise (GHR) is one of the essential exercises for the posterior chain, highly activating the hamstrings, calves, and glutes during knee flexion and hip extension, respectively. It also significantly strengthens the lower back and core.”

- Bret Contreras, PhD