#hamstring exercises

The Worst & Best Hamstring Exercises

Not all hamstring exercises are created equal 🦵

And if you want to develop balanced and strong legs, you need to choose the right exercises.

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Building this muscle will not only give you amazing legs, it will also improve you on other lifts and prevent injury.

In this article, we show you the best hamstring exercises that you can do in the gym, so that you can properly work and strengthen this muscle.

But, before I show you the exercises, let's learn a little about the hamstrings.

This muscle is mainly responsible for knee flexion and hip extension.

When you perform hip extension exercises, the long head of the hamstring is emphasized. On the other hand, when you do knee flexion exercises, you emphasize the short head[

The hamstring is also activated by exercises like jumping jacks, as it is one of the muscles that slows down on the eccentric, before doing the explosive movement.

We have made this list, focusing on all the movements necessary for you to have a complete development.

Let's go with the exercises!

1. Seated Leg Curl

First on our list is the seated leg curl. This is one of the exercises with the highest activation of the hamstrings, but as we said before, the short head does most of the work.

According to studies, the seated version provides greater activation than the prone (or lying) version, making it the ideal choice to perform this exercise.

It is generally used after the heaviest exercises. However, if you feel that your hamstrings are weak, you can do this exercise as a pre-fatigue exercise and then perform the hip extension exercises.

2. Romanian Deadlift

The Romanian Deadlift is the version of the deadlift that targets the hamstrings more than the back or quadriceps.

This exercise is done with the legs half bent at 15 degrees, and you can use a bar or dumbbells.

You can also increase the range of motion by doing it one step higher. And if you want to correct muscular imbalances, you can do it unilaterally.

3. Nordic

Returning to the flexion exercises, we have the Nordic. This is an excellent ally to gain muscle mass because it emphasizes the eccentric phase, which is the one that provides us with greater muscle damage.

This is a slightly more advanced exercise, so if you're just starting out, you'll look better doing the other exercises on the list.

But if you want to start doing the Nordic, you can start with your hips flexed, which means the angle between your torso and the front part of the muscle is a little less.

As you progress, you can do it with the hips extended, which means the thighs are in line with the torso.

Another thing you can control is the range of motion: if you're just starting out, just start with part of the descent and just let yourself fall the other part. As you progress, you will be able to go lower and lower.

4. Back Lunge

An exercise that does not exclusively work the hamstrings, but can also build a lot of muscle, is the back lunge.

In addition, it is an excellent alternative to include at the beginning of your routine if you want to correct muscle imbalances.

So how do you go about strengthening your hamstrings more than your quadriceps? It's simple: you simply make your stride wider, thus emphasizing hip flexion/extension and minimizing knee flexion/extension.

5. Hip Thrust

The hip thrust is an excellent glute and hamstring trainer. The advantage of this exercise is that it is extremely easy to progress and in a short time you will be able to load a lot of weight.

What you need to perform this exercise is a mat for the bar and a weight bench. The mattress is extremely important because the bar goes into the pelvis and without protection you will not be able to hold the bar.

Another point to consider is the position of the feet. You have to position your feet so that when you go up, your legs are at a 90 degree angle.

If all this seems too cumbersome, you can practice this exercise with one leg, which you can also do without weight.

6. Deep Dive

We conclude our list with a plyometric exercise. The advantage of plyometrics is that they will help you improve your other lifts due to the higher power levels.

As we said before, when we slow down a jump or run, we need hamstring action, so this exercise is extremely effective. It can also help you avoid injuries.

Simply stand on a high surface, such as a bench or step, and let yourself fall, trying to land on both feet.

After landing, you can do a jump, which will give you more work. You can also combine the landing with a box jump using 2 boxes or 2 benches.

Hamstring injuries are common in athletes and often become a troublesome chronic condition. 

Hamstring injuries are common in athletes and often become a troublesome chronic condition. 

These injured muscles are more prone to re-injury, because of inadequate rehabilitation.