It is a common tendency for people to undertrain muscles on the back side of the body, and hamstring muscles are no exception.
When we talk about leg training, the majority of the emphasis goes on the quads. Yes, the quads are the biggest muscle of the leg, and it is important to train them. However, training hamstring muscles is also equally important.
Developing a solid set of hamstring muscles has its benefits. Like:
- Improved Stability:The hamstring muscles help us to stabilize our body and help our knees stabilize during different movements, which reduces the risk of injury.
- Enhance Athletic Performance:In different sports, like running or cycling, the hamstring plays a vital role. While our quads help us generate explosiveness, the hamstring helps us continue that momentum.
- Assist in different compound movements:A solid set of hamstring will help you perform heavy compound movements very efficiently. For example, when you are performing a deadlift, your hamstring plays a significant role in stabilizing the knees and helping generate enough power to lift the weight.
There are many benefits that you can cash in on if you have a good set of hamstrings.
When we talk about the hamstring, many people mistake it for just one long muscle at the back of our leg. The hamstring consists of 3 major muscles:
- Semimembranosus
- Semitendinosus
- Bicep Femoris (Long head bicep femoris and Short Head Bicep femoris)
Contents
Best exercises for developing your hamstrings
The main functions of hamstring muscles are:
- Knee Flexion and
- Hip Extension
Exercises in which your knees get bent over and in which your hips get extended trains your hamstring muscles. Our top picks for developing a good set of hamstring exercises are:
Lying Leg Curl
There are usually two types of leg curl machines you will see in gyms:
- lying leg curl machine
- Seated leg curl machine
Both machines are great for developing your hamstring. Lying leg curls are one of the most popular hamstring exercises and one of the old-school ones.
Performing it is straightforward, as the movement path is fixed. Beginners can easily incorporate the exercise into their routine as the learning curve is shallow.
How to Perform:
- Lay down on the machine, facing down.
- Align your knee with the machine’s rotator.
- Your feet should be hip-width apart.
- Place the pad of the machine on your Achilles tendon (Over your heel).
- Keep your back straight.
- Curl your leg till the pad touches your hips.
- Slowly descend the weight till your legs become entirely straightened.
Easy
4 Sets x 12 to 15 Reps
Leg Curl Machine
Stiff Leg Deadlift (SLDL)
SLDL is a great exercise for training your hamstring in an extended position. It not only helps strengthen the hamstring but also increases its flexibility.
You just need a pair of dumbbells or a barbell to perform this exercise. For beginners, it might be a bit difficult at first.
Our advice for beginners is to use light weights in this exercise and focus on the form more. If you can maintain the correct form of SLDL even with lighter weights, it will give you great gains.
How to Perform:
- Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Grab a pair of dumbbells or a barbell and grab them with an overhand grip (Palm facing toward your body)
- Embrace the core.
- Keep your legs straight and lean forward until you are parallel to the ground or until you feel you cannot go down without bending your back.
- Push your hips back while leaning forward
- Slowly raise your body by straightening your hips till you reach the standing position.
Hard
3 Sets x 10 to 12 Reps
Dumbbells or Barbell
Bulgarian Split Squat
One common question related to Bulgarian split squats is, “If Bulgarian split squats train quads, then why should you incorporate them into your hamstring training?”
Yes, the Bulgarian split squat helps to train our quads; however, if we tweak the leg positioning a bit, we can also train our hamstrings and glutes. If you keep your leg upright during the exercise, it will emphasize your hamstrings and glutes.
How to Perform:
- Grab one moderate-weight dumbbell.
- Sit on the bench, stretch one leg in front of you, and place the other leg on the bench (Your toes should only be on the bench).
- If you are doing the right leg first, grab the dumbbell with your left hand, and vice versa. You can grab dumbbells in both hands as well.
- Keep your body upright to get more tension on the hamstrings.
- Slowly go down while controlling the weight.
- Push the weight up using the power of your heel.
Moderate
3 Sets x 12 Reps (Each Leg)
Dumbbells and barbells
Seated Leg Curl
Seated leg curls fully enable you to stretch and contract your hamstring. If you place the pad correctly, your hamstring will always be in an active state, as there will be no rest position, which is a good thing for training your hamstring to failure.
How to Perform:
- Adjust the seat of the machine until your knee aligns with the machine’s rotator.
- Lean a bit forward and place the locking pad over your knees.
- Keep that lean position throughout the movement. You can grab the lock pad handle for stabilization.
- Place the curling pad over your heel.
- Curl the weight down fully.
- Slowly ascend the weight by controlling the weight.
Moderate
3 to 4 Sets x 12 to 15 Reps
Seated Leg Curl Machine
These are our top hamstring-building exercise picks. What is your favorite hamstring exercise, and how many times do you train your hamstring weekly? Let us know in the comments.