Another strength training question for a woman

How long have you been lifting now?

Leg Ext = Quad exercise / Leg Curl = Hamstring exercise.

I like the idea of Deadlifts but it's still more quad dominant than hamstring dominant and you still need more direct hamstring work, however; there are better hamstring exercises than Leg Curls. The one and easiest that comes to mine are Romanian Deadlifts, very good at targeting your hamstrings and glutes. The Power Clean although a great exercise does not accomplish hitting the hamstrings and helping you maintain muscle balance. Not to mention, if you're a very new lifter the Clean is one of the most technical exercises to do correctly; I'd recommend against this for now.

If you feel nothing at all it's likely time to up the intensity. Use a weight for your exercises that is hard to finish the last rep in a range of 10-12.
Once you can do more than 12, up the weight by 5 to 10 lbs. Less o the small muscle groups more on the large compound exercises.
That way you are always progressing and preventing any plateaus.
don't worry about "bulking up" either. As a woman it won't happen.
Great job so far though, it's great to see you incorporating weights into your workout.
Muscle is the key to metabolism.

I think a clean to an over head press uses every part of your body. I'd help with balance and muscle balance alot more than isolative exercises.

I'm not talking a clean to immediate over the head press. This. but you finish off with an over head press.


She could do straight legs deads if she really needs hamstring work.

She was looking at leg work specifically. I've used Cleans plenty and I'm not against that exercise or compound exercises by any means but there needs to be some muscle balance.

Squats, Dead's, and Cleans are great exercises and they use multiple muscle groups but as far as the legs are concerned they are more quad dominant than hamstring dominant. The only caveat to do this would be the Sumo Deadlift which tends to involve the hamstrings a bit more due to the width of the stance although would still be considered quad dominant.

She's already squatting and might pickup your recommendation for deadlifts, so she has plenty of quad dominant movements. To help balance this out she needs some hamstring and posterior chain work. Doing something like RDL's or Good Mornings will help accomplish this and help improve the Squat and Deadlift.

Secondly, she's been working out a week (not a knock we all start somewhere) but doing a proper Clean is pretty technical. She already needs to learn how to Squat, DL, and Bench properly and those are all fairly technical in nature too. The Clean isn't really adding any additional value to her workouts. This could be learned and added later.

Squats and deads work the hamstrings if you get your butt down low enough to engage them.

I'd almost argue that she should start with the power cleans before anything else. Another all body variation is a power clean to a front squat, finishing to an overhead press.

Go find some work by Dave Tate, Louis Simmons, Jim Wendler, or Joe DeFranco. They are all accomplish powerlifters and trainers of athletes. They have all their clients do at least one quad specific movement and one hamstring specific movement in addition to the main movement (Squat / Deadlift).

I don't know why you'd have a rookie lifter start with Power Cleans. She's just now gaining strength and learning the ropes. I know my Power Clean form is pretty damn good but I've been doing them for a while and have learned as I'm sure you have. She's brand new to lifting, keep it simple.

A Clean and Press is more like a Clean to Push Press, it's really two movements.

I don't like the machine movements because they are too isolative. Unless she has all the time in the world.

Do straiight legged deads if you think she needs ham work. When I'm done with my squats/deads/power cleans, I can feel my hamstrings. Can't you?

I used to powerlift years ago. I know the routine. It takes time to lean compound movements. Sooner you start, the sooner you will learn them. Just use ultra light weight if necessary.

By no means am I suggesting she stick with the machines, I don't use any for my legs either. One caveat would be if I'm trying to hit my hamstrings really hard when I know I'm going on vacation. Then I'll throw in leg curls after my RDL's and really exhaust them.

Sure I do but not as much as I do after 3 or 4 sets of RDL's. Being that you know the routine, you know she needs to address her posterior chain, right?

A strength training group you may like:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/771-women-strength-training

Squats and deads work the hamstrings if you get your butt down low enough to engage them.

I'd almost argue that she should start with the power cleans before anything else. Another all body variation is a power clean to a front squat, finishing to an overhead press.

She probably isn't going to learn the power clean properly. It's far more intricate than the squat and deadlift, which are butchered all over North America on a regular basis.

She definately won't learn it if she never starts doing them, that's for sure.

Squats and deads work the hamstrings if you get your butt down low enough to engage them.

I'd almost argue that she should start with the power cleans before anything else. Another all body variation is a power clean to a front squat, finishing to an overhead press.

She probably isn't going to learn the power clean properly. It's far more intricate than the squat and deadlift, which are butchered all over North America on a regular basis.

She definately won't learn it if she never starts doing them, that's for sure.

I think the point is this is an exercise that is better learned from a trainer if you are new to lifting, not from instructions on the internet.

She probably isn't going to learn the power clean properly. It's far more intricate than the squat and deadlift, which are butchered all over North America on a regular basis.

Amen. Most of what I see are Power Forearm Curls.

Cut the leg curls and extensions and do some lunges and or squats and deadlifts. I HATE lunges, but they are great for working the whole lower body. I LOVE deadlifts, but make sure you are keeping the proper form - that is very, very important for all exercises.

Yup. I would actually reverse that a little and say do Squats or Deadlifts (1 one day & 1 the other day) and always do Lunges but either way is probably fine. I've especially found Walking Lunges to really hit the Glutes and Hammies, aside from the Quads, if you take a long deep stride while doing them.

I think the point is this is an exercise that is better learned from a trainer if you are new to lifting, not from instructions on the internet.

Maybe you're just lucky and actually have good trainers. I'd actually say she's more apt to learn it from the Internet or a talented lifter in the gym. My gym's trainers are terribad!