Robb and Jo,

Thanks for the information, book references and links.  I will incorporate
them into my workout.  I am very interested in the deadlifts.  I also found
this site http://www.golfonline.com/fitness/stretching/hamstretch.html
about isolating and stretching the hamstring without injuring the lower
back which was the problem I had encountered.

Thanks for the help,
Marylee


Robert Wolf wrote:
>
> Straing leg deadlifts are great for both strengthening and stretching the
> hamstrings...but they can be a bit difficult to learn initially.   go to
> http://www.olympus.net/personal/cablebar/RL.htm for a great description of
> the romanian dead lift or to http://www.drsquat.com/articles/exer.htm for a
> description of the actual stiff leg deadlift.  Tomas kurz has a great book
> "Stretching Scientificly" which is not overly technical and works gret.
> Most importantly stretch when yo are VERY warm.  Wear tights and sweats, get
> your body temperature up and then stretch.  You get much better results when
> the muscles are warm and pliable, from there one can use many different
> techniques to make the stretching more productive.  There may be some free
> sites around the net, I'm not sure.  Try working outside the smith machine
> and really emphasize form.  the front squat (found on the same site as the
> romanian deadlift article) could be a good option.  Tinker with this stuff
> and let me know how it goes!
> Robb


Jo Yoshida wrote:
>
> Hi Mary Lee - in addition to the links already provided, please check out:
>
> http://www.hardgainer.com
>
> Stuart McRobert's Beyond Brawn and the companion book on exercise
> technique are great resources for someone looking to build a solid
> foundation in strength training. I can't recommend them highly enough.
>
> Cheers,
> Jo