Here are 5 of my go-to exercises for stronger and more resilient hamstrings. Many of these exercises require a fairly minimal amount of equipment so they can be done at home or the gym.
#1) Front Foot Elevated Staggered Stance RDL/Reverse Lunge Combo
This exercise combines a staggered stance RDL and a reverse lunge. Starting from the elevated surface largely reduces the amount of assistance the supporting leg provides.
Coaching Tips:
- Start on a stable elevated surface like a weight plate. The elevation should be very moderate.
- Start with your feet in a square stance. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- On the foot of the planted/working leg, 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 ground/surface for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the surface.
- Keep your arms rigid, lats engaged, and pretend you are crushing something in your armpits.
- Now step backwards like you are going to do a reverse lunge, and simultaneously 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. This ‘’lunging’’ side will serve as a “kickstand,” and will provide minimal assistance.
- Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position.
- When you reach your full range (a range where YOU can maintain form/feels good), engage your posterior chain muscles and press your body away from the floor and back to the top/starting position.
- Perform the lockout by squeezing 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, 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.
#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.
- 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, 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) 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 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.
I’m using a Base Bench from Base Blocks. You can use my code MEGHAN to save 10%. Learn more.
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#4) Band Resisted Hamstring Eccentrics
This exercise improves the eccentric strength in the hamstrings, and serves as a great hamstring ‘’stretch.’’
Coaching Tips:
- Attach a resistance band around a secure surface and loop it around your ankle (more than once so the band doesn’t slide). I fastened the band around a heavy dumbbell. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.
- Lie on your back. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Extend your leg so it is in a vertical position. Extend your other leg and keep it relatively flat to the floor.
- Now actively lower your leg towards the floor using your hamstrings.
- Once you reach a range where you are able to maintain proper form, use the hamstrings to control the movement and take 3-5 seconds to return your leg to the starting position.
- This eccentric component is the most important part of the exercise.
- Aside from the moving leg, the rest of your body should remain in a fixed 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, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate. Your torso and hips should remain square to the ceiling, and flat on the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around the spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#5) 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, 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, 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.
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