The Best Hamstring Exercises
Exercise Guides and Videos
Top Exercises
Single-Leg Seated Leg Curls
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Seated Leg Curl
1. Sit on the machine and position one leg under the padded lever, below your calf.
2. Grasp the handles for stability.
3. Engage your hamstrings and curl the pad down by bending your knee.
4. Slowly extend your leg back to the starting position.
5. Complete the set and alternate sides.
Seated Leg Curls
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Seated Leg Curl
1. Sit on the machine with your knees aligned to the pivot point and the pad below your calves.
2. Grasp the handles on the sides of the seat for stability.
3. Engage your hamstrings and curl the pad down by bending your knees.
4. Slowly extend your legs back to the starting position.
Smith Machine Romanian Deadlifts
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Smith Machine
1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the bar across the front of your thighs with an overhand grip.
2. Hinge at your hips, keeping your back flat as you lower the bar down your legs.
3. Lower the bar until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
4. Push through your heels to stand, extending your hips at the top.
Medical. Ball Deadlifts
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Wall Ball
1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and hold a ball at hip height with your arms straight.
2. Throw the ball down to the ground in front of you.
3. Hinge at your hips, bend your knees, and keep your back flat as you reach for the ball.
4. Drive through your heels, extending your hips to lift the ball back to hip height.
Barbell Romanian Deadlifts
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Barbell
1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and hold a barbell with an overhand grip in front of your thighs.
2. Push your hips back while keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent.
3. Lower the barbell slowly along your legs, keeping it close to your body.
4. Continue lowering the barbell until it reaches just below your knees.
5. Push your hips forward to return to the starting position.
Barbell Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Barbell
1. Stand on your right leg with a slight bend in the knee.
2. Rest your left toes lightly on the ground behind you for balance.
3. Hold a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip.
4. Hinge at your hips, lowering the barbell close to your body.
5. When your torso is parallel to the floor, push your hips forward to return to the starting position.
Half-split
Beginner
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Hamstring
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1. Start in a Low Lunge, left foot forward and right knee resting on the floor behind you.
2. Slowly shift your hips back, straightening your left leg forward.
3. Flex your left foot, bringing your toes towards your shin.
4. Rest your right knee on the mat, aligned with your hips.
5. Slowly lower your chest toward your left thigh.
Dancer Pose
Beginner
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Hamstring
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1. Start standing straight and tall, feet together.
2. Bend your left knee, lifting your left heel to your backside.
3. Grasp your left ankle with your left hand.
4. Raise your right arm above shoulder-height and lean forward.
5. Extend your left leg behind you, kicking the foot into your hand to straighten.
Forward Fold
Beginner
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Hamstring
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1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, arms relaxed by your sides.
2. Exhale and bend at your hips, lowering your head towards the floor.
3. Shift your weight to your toes.
4. Relax in the pose.
3-Legged Dog
Beginner
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Hamstring
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1. Start in Three-Legged Downward Dog, with your hands firmly planted shoulder-width apart.
2. Bend your right knee, open your hip, and bring your right heel towards your glutes.
3. Rotate your right hip in a circular motion, making small, controlled circles with your knee.
4. Lower your gaze, lengthen your spine and extend through the crown of your head.
5. After completing a few reps, change direction.
Standing Hand-to-Big-Toe
Beginner
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Hamstring
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1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your arms relaxed by your sides.
2. Grab your right big toe or ankle with your right hand.
3. Slowly extend your right leg forward.
4. Straighten it as much as possible while maintaining your balance.
Seated Forward Fold
Beginner
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Hamstring
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1. Sit comfortably on a mat with legs extended in front of you, feet together.
2. Inhale and raise your arms overhead, reaching towards the ceiling.
3. Exhale to hinge your hips and reach your hands forward to lower your chest to the floor.
4. Lower as far as comfortable while keeping your back flat, aiming to touch your toes or shins.
Wide-Legged Forward Bend
Beginner
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Hamstring
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1. Stand tall with your feet wide apart, toes pointing slightly inward.
2. Hinge at your hips to fold forward while keeping your spine straight.
3. Drop the crown of your head down, relaxing your neck.
4. With each exhale, sink deeper into the pose.
Straddle Pose
Beginner
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Hamstring
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1. Sit upright with your legs spread wide apart, toes pointing upward.
2. Place your forearms on the floor in front of you.
3. Slowly walk your hands further, bringing your chest closer to the ground.
4. Take a few deep breaths here, stretching deeper with each exhale.
5. Reverse the movement to slowly return to the starting position.
Straddle Side Bend
Beginner
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Hamstring
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1. Sit on a mat with your legs spread wide apart, toes pointing upward.
2. Inhale and raise your left arm overhead, reaching towards the ceiling.
3. Exhale and gently bend to the right, reaching your left arm over your head.
4. Keep your chest open and your spine elongated, feeling a stretch along your right side.
Head-to-Knee
Beginner
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Hamstring
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1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight in front of you.
2. Bend your left knee and bring the sole of your left foot to your right inner thigh.
3. As you exhale, lean forward over your right leg.
4. Keep your back straight and avoid rounding your spine.
Wide-Legged Side Stretch
Beginner
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Hamstring
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1. Stand tall with your feet wide apart, toes pointing slightly inward.
2. Hinge at your hips to fold forward while keeping your spine straight.
3. Drop the crown of your head down, relaxing your neck.
4. Walk your hands to your left foot, bringing your chest closer to your left thigh.
5. Breathe deeply, stretching the back of the left leg and hip, not the lower back.
Pyramid Pose
Beginner
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Hamstring
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1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Step your left foot back.
3. Forward fold over your right leg, keeping your hips squared.
4. Place your hands on the floor, on your shins or your ankles, depending on your flexibility.
Reclined Big Toe Pose
Beginner
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Hamstring
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1. Lie flat on your back with your legs extended.
2. Grab the big toe of your right foot with your right hand.
3. Extend the right leg towards the ceiling.
4. Use every exhale as a chance to go deeper into the stretch.
Sumo Deadlift
Intermediate
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Hamstring
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Barbell
Barbell Deadlift
Intermediate
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Hamstring
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Barbell
Leg Curls
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Leg Curl Machine
1. Lie face down on the leg curl machine, legs straight and the leg pad just above your heels.
2. Curl your legs towards your glutes.
3. Hold the curl for a moment.
4. Slowly extend your legs back to the starting position.
Band Single Leg Curls
Intermediate
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Hamstring
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Power Band
1. Stand with hands resting on the back of a chair, feet hip-width apart.
2. Place your left foot inside the band, right foot standing on the other end.
3. Kick the band back with your left leg, keeping your knee down and your thighs together.
4. Return the foot to the starting position, toe to ground.
Swiss Ball Hamstring Curls
Intermediate
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Hamstring
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Swiss Ball
1. Lie down on a mat with your feet on a ball, knees bent, arms at your sides.
2. Push down with your feet to lift your hips off the ground, keeping your shoulders flat.
3. Push the ball away from you with your heels to form a straight line from shoulders to feet.
4. Bend your knees lifted and use your heels to pull the ball to the starting position, keeping your hips.
Glute-Ham Raises
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Crunch Bench
1. Kneel and secure your ankles under a pad or bar with your knees just behind the pad.
2. Slowly lower your body forward from the knees, keeping your back straight.
3. Use your hamstrings to pull back up to the starting position.
4. Keep your back straight and core engaged throughout.
Sumo Deadlifts
Intermediate
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Hamstring
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Barbell
1. Start in a wide stance, bar in front of your shins, bend your knees and hinge your hips back to lower your torso.
2. Grasp the bar in an overhand grip, take a breath and brace your core.
3. Drive through your heels and extend your hips to lift the bar with a straight back and chest.
4. Lockout fully, driving your shoulders back and squeezing your glutes for a moment.
5. Reverse the movement to lower the bar back to the ground slowly with the same form.
Barbell Deadlifts
Intermediate
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Hamstring
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Barbell
1. Stand shoulder-width, barbell in front of you, and hinge your hips back to lower your torso.
2. Grip the bar and breathe into your stomach and brace your core.
3. Extend your hips and raise your chest to lift the bar.
4. Stand straight, bar in front of your thighs, and squeeze glutes to fully extend hips.
5. Hinge your hips back to lower the bar to the ground, slowly and with control.
Band Romanian Deadlifts
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Power Band
1. Stand on the middle of the band with your feet hip-width apart, holding with both hands.
2. Take a deep breath into your stomach and tighten to brace your core.
3. Bend your knees slightly and hinge at your hips by pushing your hips back.
4. Keep your back flat and your neck neutral.
5. Return to the starting position, driving through your heels.
Hamstring Foam Roll
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Roller
1. Sit with your right hamstring on the foam roller.
2. Support your weight with your hands and roll from knee to glute.
3. Cross your left leg over your right to increase pressure.
4. Pause on tight spots and gently roll back and forth.
Calf Foam Roll
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Roller
1. Place a foam roller on the ground.
2. Sit and place your right calf on the roller.
3. Roll your calf back and forth over the roller.
4. Apply pressure to tight spots.
Seated Side Stretch
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Yoga Mat
1. Sit on the floor with your legs wide apart, extending them as far as comfortably possible.
2. Sit up tall, keeping your spine straight. If needed, bend your knees.
3. Extend your right arm overhead, and lean to the left, reaching towards your left foot.
4. Hold this position, than slowly return to the center and switch sides.
Hamstring Stretch
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Yoga Mat
1. Sit on the floor with your right leg folded in and your left leg extended forward.
2. Reach towards your left foot with both hands, bending at the waist.
3. Breathe deeply and steadily, feeling a pull in your hamstring.
Sit-and-Reach
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Yoga Mat
1. Sit on the floor with legs straight in front of you, your toes pointing up.
2. Bend forward from your hips.
3. Reach towards your feet, trying to lengthen your spine.
4. Try to touch your toes or reach as far as possible.
5. With each exhale, try to go deeper.
Sit-and-Reach Legs Open
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Yoga Mat
1. Sit on the floor with legs open in a wide 'V' shape.
2. Extend your arms straight in front of you, reaching towards the floor between your legs.
3. Exhale and slowly bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.
4. Aim to bring your chest towards the floor.
Leg Swings
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Yoga Mat
1. Stand with your left leg back and balance on your right leg.
2. Swing your left leg forward and backward, focusing on smooth, controlled movements.
3. Keep your torso stable and facing forward.
Posture Kicks
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Yoga Mat
1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, and your hands extended for balance.
2. Shift your weight onto your left leg.
3. Lift your right leg straight in front of you as high as comfortably possible.
4. Let the leg swing back down and land behind your standing leg in the standing position.
Calf Raises
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Yoga Mat
1. Stand upright, feet hip-width apart.
2. Rise onto the balls of your feet.
3. Hold at the top for a moment.
4. Smoothly lower back to the ground.
Calf Bounces
Beginner
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Hamstring
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Yoga Mat
1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and your arms relaxed by your sides.
2. Press up rapidly with your calfs and extend your knees to lift onto the balls of your feet.
3. Lower back down at a slightly slower pace.
4. Perform several quick, small bounces.
Legs Romanian Deadlifts
Advanced
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Hamstring
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Dumbbell
1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, a weight held in front of your thighs.
2. Take a deep breath into your stomach and tighten to brace your core.
3. Hinge at hips, lower weight along legs, keep back flat, chest up.
4. Return to the starting position by driving through your heels.
5. Alternate sides.
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts
Intermediate
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Hamstring
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Dumbbell
1. Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells in front of your thighs.
2. Take a deep breath into your stomach and tighten to brace your core.
3. Hinge at the hips, keeping your knees slightly bent, back straight and neck in line with spine.
4. Lower the dumbbells close to your legs until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
5. Squeeze your glutes to return to the starting position, hips leading the movement.
Kettlebell Deadlifts
Intermediate
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Hamstring
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Kettlebell
1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, with a kettlebell held in front of your thighs.
2. Take a deep breath into your stomach and tighten to brace your core.
3. Bend at your hips and knees, lowering the kettlebell to the ground.
4. Push through heels to stand up straight, squeezing glutes at the top.
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