For several years now, I've done mostly bodyweight exercises (lots of pushups, pullups, lunges, etc), and run sprints (both hills and flat, forward and backwards).  My workout has me in great shape and it's fun, but I am looking for some exercises that would balance my leg work, as I feel like I get a lot of quad work compared to hamstring work.  Any ideas for a non-gym-rat type?  -- Hamless in Hackensack

First, good for you for even paying attention to the hamstrings.  Few guys give this neglected area the attention it deserves, and the women that do typically only care about burning off the cellulite.  But as the frequency of career-crippling hamstring tears and pulls in professional sports indicates, you neglect those suckers at your peril. 

Mike Boyle's thoughts on hamstring training, outlined in Functional Training For Sports, went a long way towards shaping my own philosophy on training the hammies.  Boyle points out that the hamstrings work across both the knee and the hip joints, helping both to flex the knee and to extend the hip.  Most hamstring-training machines--any leg-curling device, be it prone, standing, or seated--work the hamstrings in their knee-flexing function but not in their hip-extending function.  Boyle contends--and I've come to agree--that this is a mistake.

So the movements that I usually use to work a client's hamstrings are pretty basic exercises in which the hips extend under load:  step-ups, deadlifts of all kinds, hyperextensions (though most clients feel this movement primarily in the lower-back), reverse hyperextensions, and--the newest one on me--the hip thrust, which you can see described and demonstrated in this article. 

The step-up, the hip thrust and the single-leg, stiff-leg deadlift (which I go over at some length here), both can be done without a gym, though you may need to arrange some chairs and maybe some pillows in your house in order to do the hip thrust comfortably.  Ideally, you'd add load to these movements, but you can also progress them by doing more reps, performing the movements explosively, or a combination of both.  Try, for instance, getting as many power step-ups into a minute as you can.  I wouldn't advise going explosive on your single-leg stiff-leg deadlifts, however--that exercise, in which the hamstrings are stretched significantly, works best in a relatively controlled manner.

If you're not adverse to acquiring a little equipment, the Swiss-ball leg curl is a good one for teaching you to contract your hamstrings fully under load, though most poeple get the hang of it pretty fast and, short of a really, really heavy weighted vest, it's hard to add load to that one, which is why, at the risk of sounding like a bandwagon wonk, I like the TRX version, which allows you to control the amount of resistance based on your body position relative to the anchor point.  

(Another hamstring exercise.  Alternate attire recommended.)

Two final random thoughts:  sprinting--especially uphill sprinting, which you're already doing--is great hamstring work.  And take care to do some targeted hamstring stretches on a regular basis.  Speaking as a guy who has had severe Charlie horses in the middle of dinner parties know, when you neglect your hamstring flexibility, they'll let you know it.

I lift about 4-5 times a week and seem to go through my lifting gloves pretty quickly. Also, I am not also satisfied with the amount of grip. I get from my gloves. Is there a certain glove you recommend to people, with maximum grip and durability? I do pretty standard exercises like curls, cleans, bench, etc, but I have to switch gloves every couple months. Thanks a lot, I appreciate any input anyone can offer.

Here's my quick answer:  don't use gloves.  Seriously.  Those things were big in the '80's, when everyone from George Michael to the local bike messenger was sporting the fingerless version--but I just don't think they add much to a workout.  They promise to improve your grip on the weights, but I find the opposite to be true.  To my mind, like the bumper sticker on the F-250 says, nothing beats raw flesh for a firm grip.

So I'm no help on the glove search.  Any concert pianists or hand surgeons out there with a real answer?