11 Greatest Hamstring Workout routines to Supersize Your Leg Day

With regards to training legsthe hamstrings are critical heavy-hitters. Work them correctly and you may not solely add full-body strengthyou may construct athleticism and increase sporting efficiency. Stronger hamstrings may also increase efficiency – you can carry extra – in your squats and deadlifts.

Yep, your hamstrings are one in all, if not the most vital muscle teams, and performs an element in nearly of all your every day actions, from strolling, operating, leaping and, after all, your exercise. Latest research has even indicated that bigger hamstrings are straight correlated with quicker dash efficiency.

It is fairly clear that constructing stronger, extra explosive hamstrings will dramatically improve your efficiency out and in of the gymnasium.

Fortunately for you, we’ve acquired 11 of the very best strikes to strengthen, add measurement and improve the ability of your hamstrings. Throw a number of of those into your subsequent leg day.

However first, a fast anatomy lesson.

The place (and What) Are the Hamstrings?

The Hamstring Triad:

The hamstrings encompass a trio of muscle groups situated in the back of your thigh, operating from the again of your knees all the approach as much as your glutes. These muscle groups work synergistically to offer stability, generate explosive energy, and facilitate multi-directional motion.

Biceps Femoris

The celebrity of the hamstrings – the biceps femoris. This muscle, comprised of a protracted and quick head, dominates the outer posterior area of your thigh. The biceps femoris performs a key position in flexing the knee joint and increasing the hip joint, making it essential for operating, leaping, and explosive actions.

Semitendinosus

Subsequent up is the semitendinosus. With its tendon-like construction, this muscle offers important help for knee flexion and hip extension. Its exceptional flexibility and skill to generate power make it invaluable for a variety of actions, together with sprinting, deadlifting, and sustaining stability throughout decrease physique workouts.

Semimembranosus

Finishing the hamstring triad is the semimembranosus. Nestled beneath the semitendinosus, this muscle is chargeable for knee flexion, hip extension, and rotation. Its distinctive place and performance contribute to total hamstring energy and stability, enabling environment friendly motion and harm prevention

The Prime 11 Hamstring Actions for Any Objective

Conventional squats and deadlifts will undoubtedly add measurement and energy to your hamstrings. However you’re already doing these, proper? These actions give attention to the components of your legs that you would be able to’t see within the mirror. Whether or not you prepare in a fully-equipped gymnasium, with primary package at residence, or even just your own bodyweight— there’s a hamstring transfer right here for you.

Romanian Deadlift

Why: A slightly tweaked model of the normal deadlift. Preserving your knees at a set angle takes your quads out of the equation and means that you can get a full stretch within the hamstrings. In the event you battle with flexibility and end up rounding your again as a way to get the bar or dumbbells again to the bottom, carry out your first rep as a conventional deadlift, then solely decrease your weights so far as your mobility permits— pushing your hips again till you’re feeling a deep stretch in your hamstrings.

Kind test: Lift a barbell or a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells to hip top, ft at shoulder-width and glutes tensed (A). With a slight bend within the knees, push your hips again and slowly decrease the bar in the direction of the bottom (B), pinching your shoulders again and sustaining a flat again. Whenever you really feel a stretch in your hamstrings, pause and carry to the beginning place. Preserve every rep gradual and managed, when you start to really feel soreness in your decrease again, finish the set and relaxation.

Kettlebell Swings

Why: Kettlebell swings might not mean you can use as a lot weight as deadlifts and squats, however what you lose in weight you make up for in pace. A significantly explosive motion that trains your hamstrings to speed up at warp pace, earlier than bracing and decelerating. Excellent for constructing the kind of athleticism that carries over to only about each sport.

Kind test: Hinge down with a flat again and take a kettlebell from the ground in entrance of your physique. ‘Hike’ the bell again between your legs, excessive between your thighs (A). Drive your hips ahead, bringing your torso as much as standing and use the momentum to explosively blast the bell as much as eye stage (B). Squeeze your glutes and abs, exhausting, within the high place earlier than letting the momentum return you again into the hinge place and straight into the subsequent rep. Preserve your torso flat and knees gentle all through.

Good Morning

Why: Considerably of a variation of the Romanian deadlift that takes your grip energy out of the equation whereas including emphasis to the spinal erector muscle groups, one other important muscle group within the ‘posterior chain’.

Kind test: With a barbell sitting throughout your higher again as when you’re about to carry out a squat and a slight bend within the knees, (A) push your hips again and slowly decrease your torso in the direction of the bottom till it’s parallel (B), pinching your shoulders again and sustaining a flat again all through. Whenever you really feel a stretch in your hamstrings, pause and reverse the motion to the beginning place. Preserve every rep gradual and managed, when you start to really feel soreness in your decrease again, cease and reassess your kind.

You Squat

Why: The hybrid love-child of the squat and the nice morning, the kang squat is about as brutal because it sounds, but it surely’s additionally brutally efficient. You gained’t have the ability to use as a lot weight as you may in a conventional squat, however your hamstrings will definitely really feel the burn. As you start so as to add extra weight, you may merely arise out of the underside of the squat as a substitute of pushing your hips up first into morning place. This can allow you to make use of extra load on the ‘eccentric’ portion that targets the hamstrings.

Kind test: With a barbell sitting throughout your higher again (A) push your hips again and slowly decrease your torso in the direction of the bottom ala the nice morning (B), pinching your shoulders again and sustaining a flat again. Whenever you really feel a stretch in your hamstrings, drop your hips till you’re within the backside of a squat place (C). Pause right here earlier than lifting your hips and reversing the motion again to standing.

Reverse Lunge

Why: Whereas most lunge variations work the hamstrings, the reverse lunge takes the emphasis off the quads and offers the again of the legs some critical stimulus. You possibly can load with a barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells or just use your body weight, however no matter you select, take your time on every rep and keep away from slamming your again knee from the bottom repeatedly. Not simply because this can goal the hamstrings extra effectively, however as a result of it’s a good suggestion.

Kind test: Stand tall holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides or a barbell in your again (A), take a protracted step backward with one leg, bending your entrance leg till your again knee gently touches the bottom (B). Arise and ahead explosively, pause and repeat with the other leg.

Glute Bridge

Why: A body weight motion that’s simple to miss however shouldn’t be underestimated. Bridges may be employed single-legged, with each legs, with added load, in holds and with legs raised so as to add some further oomph. Take your time on every rep and give attention to actually connecting with the hamstrings and squeezing them exhausting, all through.

Kind test: Lay flat on the bottom with bent knees, increase your ft on a bench or plates when you can. Raise one leg from the bottom, placing all your weight into the opposite (A). Press your foot down, lifting your hips from the bottom till they’re totally prolonged. Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings exhausting (B). Pause right here earlier than slowly reducing your hips again to the bottom.

Nordic Curl

A significantly humbling body weight motion that’s up there with a double body weight squat or deadlift by way of issue that may be simply regressed utilizing bands. Nordic curls construct energy by way of your hamstrings like nothing else, rising your leaping and sprinting prowess.

Kind test: Assume a tall kneeling place and safe the backs of your ankles underneath a pad, or a have companion maintain them (A). Preserving your torso upright, lean ahead, pivoting out of your knees and utilizing your hamstrings to withstand and decelerate the motion as you progress in the direction of the bottom. Pause within the backside place (B) earlier than flexing your hamstrings to tug you again to an upright place. Wrap a band round your chest and fasten it to one thing above your head for help, and use your palms to push your self away from the ground to assist.

Body weight Hamstring Curl

An upgraded model of the body weight bridge, however nonetheless lots simpler than the Nordic curl. You should utilize a Swiss ball, suspension coach, ground sliders and even the seat of a rowing machine so as to add a little bit of a lot wanted ‘knee flexion’ to your bridges, unlocking the body weight hamstring curl.

Kind test: Lay flat in your again and place one, or each ft within the handles of a suspension coach or atop a Swiss ball (A). Draw your heels again in the direction of your glutes, lifting your hips from the bottom (B). Squeeze your hamstrings and glutes as exhausting as attainable, earlier than slowly reversing the motion till your legs are straight.

Glute Ham Increase

The GHR might require some specialist tools (or some much more specialist DIY), but it surely’s a superb motion that works your hamstrings, glutes and decrease again, utilizing simply your body weight, making it nice for warm-ups or excessive rep finishers. You possibly can add load by merely holding a dumbbell or looping a resistance band round your neck.

Kind test: Safe your ft in a glute ham machine along with your knees on the pad and torso upright (A), decrease your higher physique whereas preserving your hips prolonged, sustaining a inflexible, straight line out of your shoulders to your knees. As soon as your torso is parallel to the bottom (B) contract your glutes and hamstrings to lift your physique again up.

Reverse Sled Drag

An actual grinder of a motion that may also increase your stamina and construct some critical ‘actual world’ energy. The sled drag has no ‘eccentric loading’ which basically means the ‘reducing portion’ of a carry – that is the place the vast majority of the (optimistic) muscle harm happens in most workouts. Be at liberty to stay in sled drags between leg days, to drive blood into your decrease physique and pace up restoration.

Kind test: Connect straps or a rope to your sled and grip with each palms (A). Explosively march backward with small however highly effective steps (B). Deal with the strain in your hamstrings as you stride backwards. It’s going to start out burning, however push (or pull) by way of.

Machine Hamstring Curl

This one most likely goes with out saying, however if you wish to goal your hamstrings, particularly, and you’ve got entry to a machine particularly designed to take action, you’d be remiss to not at the least attempt it. As with each different entry on this checklist, don’t rush your reps, give attention to squeezing your hamstrings exhausting and establishing a robust ‘thoughts/muscle connection’.

Kind test: Relying on the precise machine you’ve got entry to, chances are you’ll be seated or laying inclined. With straight legs safe the again of your ankles above (or under) the pads (A) and draw your ft in the direction of your glutes, so far as you may (B). Squeeze your hamstrings exhausting within the totally flexed place earlier than slowly reducing again to the beginning.

Greatest Hamstring Exercises to Add Power, Measurement and Energy