I’ve noticed that hamstring exercises are rarely done, because most are not familiar with these special exercises. Everyone knows how to work the quadriceps since they are “show” muscles, and the most common move is the leg press. Hamstrings are the large muscles than are along the back of the upper leg and move the hip backwards and bend the knee. Just like the chest to the back and biceps to the triceps, the quadriceps and hamstrings have a relationship. Specifically, the hamstrings act as antagonist muscles to the quadriceps. If you work only the quads, you will develop an imbalance and eventually will not be able to lean forward enough to touch your toes (if you can’t now it will be even harder, because your quadriceps will be so tight).
If you are an athlete your legs are most important as they are responsible for starting any movement and stabilizing your body after that movement.
As stated in a 2008 study at University of Washington sports medicine of NFL players, hamstring injuries are the body parts second most prone to injury. See, LIVESTRONG after the link. In fact, the Week 4 Injury Report posted by the NFL shows three teams reporting players with hamstring injuries severe enough to limit the player’s participation in practice or make them questionable for the team’s next game. So, knowing that, it’s important to make them stronger and more resilient to injury!
How do you work your hammies? Most leg exercises are compound, which means they involve both the quadriceps and hamstrings. But there are several exercises that focus more on the hamstrings. Generally, if you want to gain strength, you will want to train with higher weight loads and lower rep ranges. However if you are just starting to train your hamstrings, begin by going for 70-80% of your max weight for 10-12 reps for the first two months as your body gets used to the activity and you get familiar with the form of each exercise. This will avoid high risk of injury. Also very important is to do a warm up set of low weight for 15-20 reps for EVERY exercise, which does not count as one of the sets.
Here are my top ten hamstring exercises:
1. Forward and backward lunge – Standing in place, lunging forward works the whole leg but the further you step out the more it works the hamstrings. 2 sets x 6-10 on each leg, 60 seconds rest. See, Trent Richardson Cleveland Browns:
2. Standard Dead lift – This compound move works quadriceps, low back and hamstrings. 3 sets x 10-12 reps with 60-90 seconds rest. See, Josh Cribbs Cleveland Browns:
3. Romanian dead lift – This works your lower back and hamstrings primarily more than the standard dead lift. Hold a barbell shoulder width grip keeping your back flat for the ENTIRE movement. Bend at the hips to lower the barbell in front of you until you feel a good stretch in your hamstrings, which is probably about halfway down your shin. Then reverse the motion and repeat. It is very important to keep your back straight through the entire motion and knees slightly bent. 3 sets x 10 reps with about 60-90 seconds rest. See the video below:
4. Walking lunge –This is a great exercise because you have to coordinate movement and balance on one leg. The further you step forward, the more it works hamstrings. 3 sets of 15-20 lunges, alternate each leg every rep with 1 minute rest between each set. First do body weight so holding nothing then hold light dumbbells in each hand (5-10 lbs). Reasons lunges are great for athletes:
~ football and most other sports require your stance to be dynamic, or spontaneous, so lunges are great because they simulate that movement.
~ your lower body generates torque out of your hands which is crucial in most sports.
See the video below:
5. Side lunge – standing in place, this works the quadriceps on the leg used to raise the body and works hamstrings on the leg that stretches as you lunge to the side. 2 sets x 8-10 reps each side 60 seconds rest after both sides are done.
6. Reverse hamstring extension (glute-ham raise GHR) – even though it is all body weight it is very demanding. 2 or 3 sets x 5-8 reps 120 seconds rest. See, my demonstration of GHR below:
7. Squat – You can do an air squat with no weights, holding dumbbells or on a smith machine for resistance. Squats works quads primary but hamstring secondary. Make sure to always keep your core flexed for stability and come down keeping your speed controlled and constant and have knees make a right angle. DO NOT use your back to position yourself, use your legs. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart and your back slightly arched for the entire movement. You should never lock your knees out at the top of the movement because that makes it easier, and easier is less gains. If you have knee pain that is more of a reason not to lock your legs out. 3 sets x 12 repetitions 60-90 seconds rest. See, Antonio Gates Squat below:
8. Bench bridge – minimal equipment is needed and my new favorite for working hamstrings because it really makes the hamstrings work on their own without the quads helping. Start by laying with the back of your shoulder blades on the floor and pick your feet up and place your heels on the bench. Slowly raise your glutes and low back off the floor, without using your abdominals or upper body. The bench bridge works the entire posterior chain, which is the back of the body (calves, hamstrings, glutes, and low back). The posterior chain is very important for athletes as it defines speed and the body’s ability to initiate movement. To make this exercise harder, instead of using two legs, take one leg out of the equation by straightening it or place a weight plate on your abdominal while you do this. The higher up the weight is on your torso, the easier it is. 3X8-10 reps each leg with 60 seconds rest. See the video after the link: http://www.muscleandfitness.com/videos/mf-raw/raw-training/mf-raw-85-bench-bridge
9. Leg Curl Butt Blaster – This is mainly a glute exercise but works the hamstrings a lot. Get on all fours on the ground in front of a leg curl machine with your rear facing the machine. Put one calf under the calf cushion while the other let and knee remains stationary on the floor. Use your glutes and hamstrings to push upward and back. 3X 8-10 each leg, 60 seconds rest.
10. Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat – This move is mostly a quadriceps exercise but it is very compound, so it involves the hamstrings also. The fact that you have to balance on one leg, because its unilateral, engages your core and hip flexor as well. Unilateral also means more calories burned! Stand in lunge position in front of a bench with your front foot on the floor and your back foot elevated with your toes on the bench. Lunge forward and bend at the knee but if you look down, your knee should not go past your toes on the leg that is forward. Go as far as you can without your back knee touching the floor. You should do body weight first then as you get comfortable with the movement then hold light dumbbells in each hand. 3 sets of 8 repetitions 120 seconds rest between each set. See, the NFL Combine Split Squat video below:
These set numbers are for beginners or those who want to introduce leg work but as time goes on, increase the sets to 3 then 4. You can either do these exercises all the same day (be warned if you never work legs it will really take its toll on you the next day because they will be very very sore) or you can split it up.
And remember, it’s all about training not complaining!
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