When constructing a decrease physique worthy of shock and awe, the hamstrings usually play second fiddle to the quads. As a result of who doesn’t like a very good quad teardrop flex? Nevertheless, performing hamstring workouts are essential for athletic efficiency, damage prevention, and elementary human motion. They’re accountable for hip extension, knee flexion, and stabilizing the pelvis, making them important to coach for improved energy, sexiness, and efficiency.
Right here, we’ll discover the highest 10 hamstring workouts to enhance energy, measurement, and efficiency. Whether or not you’re an athlete seeking to improve efficiency or a lifter aiming to construct a robust decrease physique, these workouts will present the variability and problem your hamstrings must develop stronger and sexier.
However earlier than attending to the great things, right here is how the record was chosen.
Why These Hamstring Workouts are the Finest
The first focus is on the actions and features of the hamstrings: hip extension and knee flexion. Sure, the glutes are concerned, however as a result of they’re stronger than your hammies, they permit you to goal the hamstrings more durable and heavier.
To make sure enhanced muscle growth, I prioritized workouts that:
- Targeted On Hamstring Engagement: Every train targets the hamstrings, guaranteeing they’re one of many main muscle mass skilled.
- Permit for Progressive Overload: Progressive overload is important for muscle development and energy positive aspects. To problem the hamstrings, you possibly can simply regulate the workouts under with extra weight, reps, or variations.
- Embrace Each Unilateral and Bilateral Workouts: Balanced hamstring growth is essential to keep away from muscle imbalances, which may result in damage. Incorporating each ensures improved energy and symmetry.
And it goes with out saying (however I’ll anyway) that these workouts are nice for hamstring energy and measurement. Now, let’s get to the great things.
10 Should Do Hamstring Workouts
We’re bringing hamstrings again, and the quads don’t know the best way to act. Nicely, sure, they do, however I couldn’t resist the Timberlake reference. Anyway, let’s get to constructing a unbelievable set of hamstrings.
Stiff-Legged Deadlift
Whereas the Stiff-Legged Deadlift and the Romanian Deadlift (RDL) are glorious for the hamstrings, the Stiff-Legged Deadlift locations even larger concentrate on the hamstrings by eliminating most knee flexion. And that’s the way it beat the previous favourite. This variation requires you to take care of straighter legs all through, resulting in a deeper stretch and elevated pressure on the hamstrings.
This makes it efficient for isolating and strengthening the hamstrings, particularly when hamstring muscle is the aim.
Recommended Rep Ranges: For energy, goal for 3 to five units of three to six reps. For hypertrophy, 3 to 4 units of 8 to fifteen reps work nicely.
Nordic Hamstring Curl
The Nordic Hamstring Curl is a complicated body weight train emphasizing the hamstrings’ eccentric (lengthening) energy. This train enhances hamstring energy, making it a favourite amongst lifters seeking to forestall accidents whereas enhancing their measurement and energy. The concentrate on eccentric loading helps strengthen the muscle mass and connective tissues, decreasing the danger of the dreaded hamstring pressure.
Recommended Rep Ranges: Begin with 3 to 4 units of 4-6 reps, as this train can create a little bit of soreness.
Glute-Ham Elevate (GHR)
The Glute-Ham Elevate requires specialised tools; in case your health club has it, your hamstrings will be glad about it. GHR is great for constructing each hamstring energy and measurement. It additionally enhances decrease again stability, making it an outstanding train for the complete posterior chain. This train engages the hamstrings by a full vary of movement, concentrating on the muscle’s concentric and eccentric contractions. What does that each one imply? It means positive aspects.
Recommended Rep Ranges: Carry out 3 to 4 units of 6-12 reps, specializing in management to maximise muscle pressure.
Landmine Single-Leg Deadlift
If you’re upset concerning the RDL being unnoticed, that is for you; the Landmine Single-Leg Deadlift (RDL) is an amazing unilateral hamstring train as a result of the setup supplies higher stability, permitting you to hit the hamstrings closely and exhausting. It emphasizes steadiness and hamstring muscle pressure, making it preferrred for strengthening muscle imbalances and enhancing muscular growth between legs.
Recommended Rep Ranges: 3 to 4 units of 6 to 12 reps per facet.
Stability Ball Single-Leg Hamstring Curl
The Stability Ball Single-Leg Hamstring curl is a sneaky train. You do a couple of reps and suppose, “That is straightforward; I bought this,” after which your hamstrings begin screaming at you. Why? The ball’s instability forces your hamstrings and core to work collectively whereas performing slowly due to its difficult nature. This train isolates the hamstrings, improves time underneath pressure, and challenges your core energy, making it a wonderful three-in-one train.
Recommended Rep Ranges: Carry out 3 units of 6-10 reps per facet.
Barbell Good Morning
The Good Morning is a pure hip hinge train. When carried out nicely, it targets the hamstrings, glutes, and decrease again, making it a wonderful alternative for strengthening these three muscle mass. Sure, additionally it is a glute and decrease again train, however the barbell’s stability mixed along with your glute energy lets you hit the hammies exhausting and heavy.
Recommended Rep Ranges: For energy, carry out 3 to five units of 3-5 reps.
For muscle, carry out 3 to 4 units of 6-12 reps.
Mendacity Leg Curl
The Mendacity Leg Curl shouldn’t be the sexiest or most difficult hamstring train, however it’s efficient. Why? This train isolates the hamstrings, primarily concentrating on the muscle’s knee flexion motion. The soundness of mendacity down improves hamstring pressure, making it unbelievable for constructing hamstring measurement and energy with out utilizing the glutes and decrease again.
Recommended Rep Ranges: Carry out 3 to 4 units of 8-15 reps, utilizing a managed tempo to maximise pressure.
Cable Pull-Via
The Cable Pull-Via is much like the kettlebell swing and RDL variations with out spinal loading. As a result of it’s a pure hip hinge, it lets you focus extra on the hips and hamstrings. The prolonged ROM will present a muscle pre-stretch earlier than the lockout, and mixed with a managed tempo, it should gentle up your hamstrings. Simply guarantee you don’t make eye contact with anybody.
Recommended Rep Ranges: 3 to 4 units of 10-15 reps, specializing in a strong hip extension on the motion’s high.
Reverse Hyperextension
The Reverse Hyperextension is usually carried out on a machine, however you possibly can improvise with a weight bench or stability ball. I used to be torn between this and the 45-degree again extension. Nevertheless, reverse hyperextension emphasizes the glutes and hamstrings extra because of the greater vary of movement and the physique’s place, permitting for a extra important hamstring stretch and contraction. What does that imply? Candy, candy hamstring positive aspects.
Recommended Rep Ranges: 3 to 4 units of 10-15 reps, specializing in controlling the tempo and avoiding momentum.
Hamstring Slider Curl
The Hamstring Slider Curl is a difficult body weight train that isolates the hamstrings whereas emphasizing eccentric contraction, which is essential for muscle development and damage prevention. In contrast to different workouts that depend on heavy weights or tools, this motion makes use of your physique weight and friction as resistance. The concentrate on stability, management, and eccentric energy makes it a wonderful alternative for these seeking to construct bulletproof their hamstrings.
Recommended Rep Ranges: Carry out 3 to 4 units of 8-12 reps, guaranteeing you keep management all through the train.
