Abstract

A smart method to make sure you're exercising effectively and maintaining a healthy balance in your routine is to incorporate some hamstring workouts into your lower-body workout to get the most out of it. We've compiled a list of some excellent hamstring workouts for you below. Some of them require the use of external resistance, such as barbells, dumbbells, or even resistance bands, while others only require your body weight. So, keep reading!!

What are your hamstring muscles?

Large muscles called hamstrings are located on your posterior chain or the back of your body. The three muscles that make up your biceps femoris, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus are truly independent. They assist you in extending your hips and flexing your knees—movements that enable you to perform a variety of activities like standing erect and bending forward as well as walking, jogging, and leaping.

What are the benefits of building hamstring strength?

Powerful hamstrings are essential, especially during the previously described activities like sprints and jumps. Additionally, strengthening your hamstrings can help you achieve balanced strength, which is vital for both strength training and daily living.

What are the best hamstring exercises out there?

The ideal hamstring workouts involve movement patterns that involve extending your hip or flexing your knee. Squats and lunges, which are typically thought of as quad-dominant motions, can train your hamstrings. Your best bets for hamstring training would be variations like the sumo squat and the reverse lunge.

How can you incorporate hamstring moves into your workout program?

Add two or three of the following hamstring movements to each routine to achieve a well-balanced leg workout. Make sure you warm up correctly before beginning a hamstring workout. To get your blood pumping, that could entail a few minutes of incline treadmill walking, stair climbing, or bike riding. Then perform a few warm-up sets of the exercises you've chosen, either using bodyweight only or lighter weight than your working sets.

15 essential hamstring exercises to increase muscle and athleticism

Sumo Squat

  • Place your feet slightly wider than hip distance apart. Point your toes outward at a 45-degree angle. You'll turn your hips outward.
  • Extend your arms in front of you at shoulder level. If you're using weights, hold the dumbbells firmly at your shoulders or in front of your chest in a goblet stance.
  • Inhale deeply, tighten your abs, push your hips back, and lower yourself into a squat position.
  • Take a breath, pause at the bottom, and then push yourself back up to standing. Keep your midfoot and heel equally loaded.
  • Do 12 to 15 repetitions.

Kettlebell Swing

  • Hold onto the handles of the kettlebell and position it slightly in front of you. Hold your shoulders down and back.
  • Stand with your toes slightly pointed out and your feet somewhat broader than hip-width apart.
  • As you lift the kettlebell with both hands, maintain a straight spine with your shoulders, slightly bend your knees, send your hips back, and tip your torso forward.
  • Not a squat, this. Don't significantly bend your knees because the joint is a hip hinge.
  • With the kettlebell in your hands, roll your shoulders back, contract your abs, and start the exercise by tightening your glutes and hamstrings to extend your hips fully as you perform a reverse hip hinge (the hips stop right underneath your shoulders, not in front of them).
  • Raise the kettlebell above your chest. Keep your centre of gravity on your heels.
  • To continue, lower the kettlebell and swing your legs through.
  • Perform for a predetermined amount of time or perform 15 to 20 times.
  • Verify that you are hinging your hips rather than squatting. You may target the hamstrings and glutes by using the hinge action.

Single-Leg Deadlift

  • With a slight knee bend, stand on your right leg. Your right hand should be holding a kettlebell. The left foot will be raised off the ground.
  • Lean forward by bending at the hips and shifting your weight to the floor. Hold your chest high. Straight behind you, extend your left leg. As far as you can go before experiencing right hamstring tension
  • Return to the starting position while standing back straight and contracting your glutes.
  • Finish all of the repetitions on the right leg before switching to the left.
  • Execute 8 to 10 reps on each leg.

Basic bridge

  • Lay a workout mat on the ground. Your feet should be level on the floor approximately a foot away from your butt as you lay on your back with your knees bent. Your arms ought to be at your sides.
  • Once your body is straight from your shoulders to your knees, tighten your glutes and abdominal muscles, press your heels into the ground, and lift your hips off the floor. Ensure that you squeeze your hamstrings.
  • Hold this posture for 10–20 seconds.
  • Reverse the motion and lower it to the starting position.
  • Perform 10 times.

Single-Leg Bridge

  • Lay a workout mat on the ground. Your feet should be level on the floor approximately a foot away from your butt as you lay on your back with your knees bent. Your arms ought to be at your sides.
  • Once your body is straight from your shoulders to your knees, tighten your glutes and abdominal muscles, press your heels into the ground, and lift your hips off the floor. Ensure that you squeeze your hamstrings.
  • Lift and extend your left leg while maintaining a level and elevated pelvis. Your right foot remains firmly on the ground.
  • Take a little pause before setting your bottom back on the ground. Maintain a lifted and extended left leg.
  • After performing the exercise with the left leg up, return to the starting position and switch to the right leg.
  • Perform 10 reps on each leg.

Lying Leg Curl

  • Position the roller pad above the heels. This step should be illustrated in the machine's instructions with images.
  • The roller pad should be placed on your lower calves as you lay on your stomach. Ensure that your legs are completely extended. Take hold of the machine's grips on either side.
  • Flex your knees, lift your feet while keeping your hips firmly planted on the bench, and draw your ankles up toward your glutes.
  • After pausing for a brief while, carefully return your leg to its initial position.
  • Perform 10 to 15 times.

Leg Press on the Ball

  • Take a seat on a huge exercise ball.
  • Extend your feet till you are seated on a ball with your body inclined. Your focus will be off the task at hand. Avoid gazing up or down, and maintain a natural neck position. With your arms by your sides.
  • As though you were going to squat, bend your knees. To get back to the starting posture, squeeze through the heels while concentrating on tightening the hamstrings.
  • Perform 10 to 15 times.

Reverse Plank

  • Lay a workout mat on the ground. Your legs should be out in front of you as you sit down.
  • Position your hands behind you, fingers spread wide, palms down. Each hand should be in line with your shoulders and outside of your hips.
  • Squeeze your hands together and raise your hips and upper body upward. From your head to your heels, your body should be in a straight line. Take a look up at the ceiling.
  • Hold this position by tightening your hamstrings, glutes, and core for 15 to 30 seconds.
  • Retract to the initial position.
  • To 10 repetitions are done.

Traditional Squat

  • Place your feet slightly farther apart than shoulder-width apart. If you're using weight, either hold yourself in a goblet squat stance or hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms at your sides.
  • Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor by contracting your abdominal muscles and slowly bending your legs. Raise your arms in front as you squat down, using only your body weight.
  • Maintain a straight-ahead gaze and keep your head high.
  • After a brief period of holding the bottom posture, return to the starting position by exhaling and pushing through the heels.
  • Do 12 to 15 repetitions.

Romanian Deadlift

  • Hold a dumbbell in each hand while standing with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, and arms at your sides near the front of your quads. This is where everything begins.
  • Push your butt back while hunching forward at the hips and slightly bending your knees. Slowly drop the weight along your shins while keeping your back flat. Your torso should be nearly perpendicular to the ground.
  • Push through your heels to stand up straight and go back to the beginning position while maintaining an engaged core. As you pull, keep the weight near your shins.
  • Take a moment to squeeze your butt at the top. It's one rep.

Weighted Glute Bridge

  • Place your feet hip-width apart on the floor with your knees bent. Each hand should be holding a dumbbell that is placed directly beneath your hip bones. This is where everything begins.
  • Lift your hips a few inches off the ground with the help of your glutes, core, and heels until your body is in a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
  • After a brief moment of holding, carefully lower your hips to the beginning position. That is one rep.

Good Morning

  • Place your hands at your ears and stand with your feet hip-width apart. You can support a weighted bar or barbell on your back for additional difficulty.
  • Maintaining a slight bend in your knees, fold your body forward while pushing your butt back and hinging forward at the hips. When your torso is just slightly above parallel to the ground, stop.
  • As you bring your torso back up and return to the beginning posture, drive your hips forward. At the top, squeeze your glutes. That is one rep.

Marching Glute Bridge

  • Lie faceup with your feet hip-width apart and your knees bent.
  • Make sure your low back is pressing firmly against the floor. Lift your hips while maintaining this engaged stance, squeezing your glutes at the top. pause here
  • Raise your right foot off the ground, bringing your knee to your chest, and stopping until your right hip is approximately 90 degrees out from your left.
  • Place your foot back on the ground, then lift your left foot off the ground and do the same with your other foot.
  • Keep your hips raised while you march on, switching feet every few steps.

Single-Leg Glute Bridge

  • Hands at your sides, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and lying face up on the floor. Put your low back against the floor by activating your core.
  • Lift your right foot off the ground in this posture, then extend your right leg.
  • Lift your hips and perform a glute bridge as you push off your left foot, contract your abs, and clench your glutes.
  • Bring your hips back down to the floor gradually. It's one rep.
  • Perform each repetition on one side, then switch to the other.

Barbell Hip Thrust

  • With your back to a bench, take a seat on the floor. Your feet should be hip-distance apart and flat on the ground. Bend your knees. As you carefully rise or slide the bar over your legs and place it in the crease of your hips, place your upper back on the edge of the bench. If you're using plates, they ought to be laying on the ground.
  • While maintaining your upper back firmly planted on the bench, drive through your heels to raise your hips upward.
  • At the top, pause and contract your glutes.
  • Lower your butt back toward the earth in a calm, controlled motion. That is one rep.

Conclusion

Your legs' strength, mobility, and muscle endurance will improve with hamstring exercises. The aforementioned hamstring workouts can be performed in a gym or at home. Choose a handful to complete each session or try them all at once. Incorporate some of these into your weekly schedule. To ensure perfect form, ask a personal trainer for advice if necessary.

‍

Related tags
Related tags :
Fitness
Fitness Cardio
Whey protein