Here are 5 of my go-to exercises for durable and resilient hamstrings. If you are a runner, other athlete, or anybody really, these exercises will be very beneficial.
These are also great accessory exercises to deadlifts. Stay tuned as next week I’ll be sharing 5 of my top deadlifting/hip hinging variations!
#1) Roller Walks
This exercise, which is SO much tougher than it looks, strengthens the hamstrings and glutes, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Lie on the floor, and place your feet on a roller.
- You may keep your arms on the floor. Aim to use as little support from your arms as possible.
- In the starting position, your knees should be bent to roughly 90 degrees.
- Extend your hips by pressing through the back of your feeet and squeezing your glutes, NOT by arching your lower back and flaring your ribcage.
- In the top position, your body should form a straight(ish) line from your shoulders to knees. Maintain this position as best you can for the duration of the exercise.
- While keeping your torso, spine, and hips as still as possible, walk the roller forward with your feet. Use small and controlled ‘’walks.’’
- Once you reach your end range (a range where you are able to maintain proper form), perform the reverse movements and walk your feet back to the starting position.
- Do a proper ‘’reset’’ every time you return to the starting position. Many people skip this key step.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to collapse.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#2) Nordic Curls
This exercise improves the eccentric strength in the hamstrings.
Coaching Tips:
- In terms of anchoring your feet/ankles, there are several options. I am using an awesome piece of equipment that is for this exercise (and many other exercises). You can use the code ‘’MEGHAN1’’ to save 10% on this or on any of BASE BLOCKS awesome products.
- You can also have a partner hold onto your ankles, you can anchor your feet under a couch or a barbell, or you can kneel against a Bosu and can rest your feet against a wall.
- Get into a tall kneeling stance. Adopt your preferred knee width. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to knees.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- While keeping your body in a straight line from your head to knees, take 3-5 seconds and use your hamstrings to control the movement as you extend your knees and lower your body down to your full range.
- Use a range that allows you to maintain proper form.
- Once you’ve hit the bottom position use your upper body and press back to the starting position. Aim to keep your arms in a similar position to when you are performing push-ups.
- For the duration of the exercise, your body should remain in a straight(ish) line from your head to knees. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or weight to shift from knee to knee.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#3) Single Leg Towel Slide-Outs
This exercise strengthens the hamstrings, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability. Make this exercise easier by using a smaller range of motion, or by performing the eccentric only variation.
Coaching Tips:
- Lie on the floor, and place the back of your foot on a towel, slider pad, or a foam roller. Bend your non-working leg, and keep it tucked into your body. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
- In the starting position your shin should be in a vertical position.
- You may keep your arms on the floor. Aim to use as little support from your arms as possible.
- Extend your hips by pressing through the back of your foot and squeezing your glutes, NOT by arching your lower back and flaring your ribcage.
- In the top position, your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to knee.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- Now slowly extend your knee and slide your foot forward. Use your hamstrings to control the movement.
- Once you hit your end range (a range where you are able to maintain proper form), contract your hamstrings (perform a hamstring curl) and return your lower body to the starting position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hips to collapse.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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#4) Half Kneeling Hamstring Pulses
This exercise strengthens the hamstrings, and improves knee mobility.
In the first part of the video I’m pressing my hands against a wall. This removes the balance component and allows you to purely focus on the hamstrings. I also attached a light weight around my ankle, but start out using bodyweight only.
Coaching Tips:
- Get into a half kneeling position. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Extend your arms, and press your hands against a wall/surface. Maintain this press for the duration of the set.
- Place an object so it is in line with your back foot/ankle.
- While keeping your knee bent and on the floor, use your hamstrings to lift your foot and ankle over the object, then back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the target number of reps.
- Do not let your foot or leg strike the object.
- On the front foot, maintain a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor. This will really help with balance.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, hips to rotate, or hip to drop on one side.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#5) Half Kneeling Hamstring Slide-Outs
This exercise strengthens the hamstrings, and improves mobility.
This exercise is very difficult. When you are learning you can start out by holding onto something for the duration of the exercise. Inside a doorway or rack would work well.
Coaching Tips:
- Get into a half kneeling position. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Place the heel of your front foot on a towel/slider.
- efore each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now slowly extend your knee and slide your foot ahead to a range where you are able to maintain proper form/that feels comfortable. As you are extending your knee, squeeze your glutes and push your hips forward.
- Do not disengage your muscles at any point.
- Particularly if you are hypermobile, it’s incredibly important that you do not allow your knee to hyperextend.
- Perform the reverse movements and return to the starting position. Dig your heel into the towel, and ‘’curl’’ your leg/foot back.
- Perform 100% of the movements with control.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hip to drop on one side.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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