Pro advice: if you want to build huge hamstrings, do what Dennis James says—and does

Muscle & Fitness, Dec, 2005 by Lara McGlashan

M & F: Speaking of pros, do you think bodybuilders can physically get any bigger than they are now without risking their health?

DENNIS: No, I really don't, and I hope the IFBB will not encourage guys to get any bigger. When I started out, the big guys were 240 pounds onstage. Now, the average weight of a pro bodybuilder is 240, and many guys are over 260. I think that's too heavy, and a lot of guys would look better if they weren't so big and thick. They could get harder and more defined instead of adding another 10 pounds and taking away from their symmetry.

M & F: How long do you think you'll stick around in this sport?

DENNIS: I'll continue to compete so long as I'm able to make improvements. When I have to fight to get into shape, I'll know it's time to quit.

BY LARA McGLASHAN, CPT

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BIRTHDATE May 31, 1969

BIRTHPLACE Heidelberg, Germany

CURRENT RESIDENCE Pattaya, Thailand

HEIGHT 5'8"

WEIGHT 295 pounds off-season; 255-265 pounds contest

RECENT PLACINGS 2003: Mr. Olympia, 4th; 2004: Mr. Olympia, 8th

TO CONTACT djames@dennis-james.com

RELATED ARTICLE: FRY YOUR HAMSTRINGS

1 I train hamstrings and quads on the same day, but leave 6-7 hours between sessions. If you do an intense quad/glute workout, you should have only enough energy left to crawl out of the gym. Rather than throw in an exercise or two at the end of the leg workout when I have no energy, I separate the workouts. A few meals and a nap later, and I'm recuperated enough to return and do hamstrings full-throttle.

2 Each workout, I do three exercises for hamstrings, alternating from week to week between dumbbell deadlifts and hack-squat good mornings. If I get crazy one day and do them in the same workout, I use the dumbbell deadlifts as a stretching exercise at the end, not a mass-building one. On days when I do only deadlifts, I use a barbell to make it a mass-building motion and really load it up, getting no more than 8-10 reps per set.

3 Many trainees do an exercise or two for hams, thinking that's enough. But the hams are antagonists to the quads, which get so much activation in a good leg workout. To protect the integrity of your joints and build well-rounded rear-thigh muscles, give your hamstrings a dedicated workout.

4 The hack-squat good morning can mechanically be done only on an incline hack-squat machine. It should also be done only be people with healthy, strong backs and necks who have at least 1-2 years of training behind them. This is absolutely not a beginner exercise, and I'd never advise someone without adequate strength and ability to try this one at all.

5 Instead of standing around between sets, I stretch my hamstrings, which can become tight from all the intense training. Stretching helps increase the blood flow to the muscles, increases range of motion and speeds up recovery between sets.

HACK-SQUAT GOOD MORNING

START: Face a hack-squat machine and stand erect with your toes on the floor and your heels on the platform, knees slightly bent, back flat. Wedge your delts underneath the front part of the shoulder padding and place your forehead on the headrest.