Want STRONG Hamstrings? Do These 5 Exercises! -

Here are 5 of my go-to hamstring strengthening exercises. These exercises will help you build strong and resilient hamstrings!

Many of these exercises require a fairly minimal amount of equipment so they can be done at home or the gym.

#1) Single Leg Assisted Deadlifts

This exercise strengthens the posterior chain muscles. This single leg deadlift variation is awesome as it requires less balance than regular single leg deadlifts. So you can use more weight, and/or do more reps! This exercise also has a great carryover to learning unassisted single leg deadlifts.

Coaching Tips:

Stand fairly close to a stable surface like a squat rack, door frame, etc. Lightly rest your hand on this surface. The entire time, you’ll lightly glide your hand down and up the surface as you perform the exercise. Use as little assistance from your upper body as possible.

Stand on one foot, and have a slight bend in your knee. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.

Form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor.

On the non-working side, keep your knee bent at approximately a 90 degree angle, and close to the midline of your body. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise. Flex your glutes and hamstrings on this side.

Keep your arm rigid, lats engaged, and pretend you are trying to crush an orange in your armpit. This will help keep your arm and the weight from swinging.

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 lightly close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt like you would during a dead bug.

Now hinge/push your hips backwards. Pretend a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall.

When you are hinging, pretend you are “pulling” your body back/down with your posterior chain muscles. Don’t just mindlessly drop down.

Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position.

When you reach your full range, engage your posterior chain muscles and press your body away from the surface and back to the top/starting position. Use a range where you can maintain proper form.

Perform the lockout by using your glutes and hamstrings and extend your hips, and extend your knee.

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, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, excessively round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hip to drop on one side.

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Do 2-3 sets of 6-12 reps per side.

#2) Hamstring Walk-Outs

This exercise, which is SO much tougher than it looks, strengthens the hamstrings and glutes, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability.⁣ ⁣⁣

Coaching Tips:

As this exercise is incredibly difficult (particularly in terms of anti-rotation), you may keep your upper arms on the floor. Aim to use as little support from your upper body as possible. ⁣ ⁣⁣⁣

Lie on the floor, and place your feet on a roller. If you don’t have a roller you may keep your feet on towels or slider pads.⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

In the starting position, your knees should be bent to roughly 90 degrees.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Extend your hips by 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 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.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

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), and squeeze/flex your glutes. ⁣⁣

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Do 2-3 sets of 3-6 reps per side. 1 rep = 2-4 walks out and 2-4 walks in.

#3) 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). Learn more about this below. 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 (I’ve posted this variation on here).⁣⁣ ⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

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/flex your glutes.⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣

While keeping your body in a straight(ash) 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 head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, 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.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Do 2-3 sets of 5-12 reps.

I’m using a Base Bench from Base Blocks. You can use my link to save 10%. Learn more.

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#4) Long Lever Kickstand Hamstring Bridges

This exercise strengthens the hamstrings and glutes, and helps bridge the gap between double leg and single leg hamstring bridges.

Coaching Tips:

Lie on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.

Bend both knees to roughly a 90 degree angle. Your feet should be roughly hip width apart.

On the working side, place your foot so it is roughly in line with your outer hip. Don’t cheat by placing your foot so it is well inside your hips. Many people do this to compensate!

Now walk one foot forward so your knee is close to fully extended. This will be the working side. The larger the knee angle, the more difficult the exercise will be.

Use as little or as much assistance from the back/supporting side as needed. Ideally, your working side should be doing 75% or more of the work.

Keep your arms on the floor, and point your forearms up towards the ceiling. Or if you are using weight, keep your upper arms on the floor, and lightly support the weight using your hands. Aim to use as little support from your upper body as possible.

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 lightly close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt like you would during a dead bug.

Extend your hips by pressing through the back of your foot and using your posterior chain muscles (largely your hamstrings), 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 knee.

Pause for 1-2 seconds and really flex your hamstrings and glutes.

Return to the starting position with control.

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, 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, or hips to rotate.

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Do 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps per side.

#5) Half Kneeling Hamstring Pulses

This exercise strengthens the hamstrings, and improves knee mobility.

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.

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.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps per side.

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