10 Hamstring Workouts For Enhanced Muscle and Power
When constructing a decrease physique worthy of shock and awe, the hamstrings typically play second fiddle to the quads. As a result of who doesn’t like a superb quad teardrop flex? Nonetheless, performing hamstring workouts are essential for athletic efficiency, damage prevention, and elementary human motion. They’re accountable for hip extension, knee flexion, and stabilizing the pelvis, making them important to coach for improved power, sexiness, and efficiency.
Right here, we’ll discover the highest 10 hamstring workouts to enhance power, measurement, and efficiency. Whether or not you’re an athlete trying to improve efficiency or a lifter aiming to construct a powerful decrease physique, these workouts will present the range and problem your hamstrings have to develop stronger and sexier.
However earlier than attending to the good things, right here is how the listing was chosen.
Why These Hamstring Workouts are the Finest
The first focus is on the actions and capabilities of the hamstrings: hip extension and knee flexion. Sure, the glutes are concerned, however as a result of they’re stronger than your hammies, they let you goal the hamstrings more durable and heavier.
To make sure enhanced muscle growth, I prioritized workouts that:
- Centered On Hamstring Engagement: Every train targets the hamstrings, guaranteeing they’re one of many major muscle mass educated.
- Permit for Progressive Overload: Progressive overload is important for muscle development and power beneficial properties. To problem the hamstrings, you may simply alter the workouts beneath with extra weight, reps, or variations.
- Embrace Each Unilateral and Bilateral Workouts: Balanced hamstring growth is essential to keep away from muscle imbalances, which might result in damage. Incorporating each ensures improved power and symmetry.
And it goes with out saying (however I’ll anyway) that these workouts are nice for hamstring power and measurement. Now, let’s get to the good things.
10 Should Do Hamstring Workouts
We’re bringing hamstrings again, and the quads don’t know find out how to act. Effectively, sure, they do, however I couldn’t resist the Timberlake reference. Anyway, let’s get to constructing a unbelievable set of hamstrings.
Stiff-Legged Deadlift
Whereas the Stiff-Legged Deadlift and the Romanian Deadlift (RDL) are wonderful for the hamstrings, the Stiff-Legged Deadlift locations even higher deal with the hamstrings by eliminating most knee flexion. And that’s the way it beat the previous favourite. This variation requires you to keep up straighter legs all through, resulting in a deeper stretch and elevated rigidity on the hamstrings.
This makes it efficient for isolating and strengthening the hamstrings, particularly when hamstring muscle is the aim.
Steered Rep Ranges: For power, purpose for 3 to five units of three to six reps. For hypertrophy, 3 to 4 units of 8 to fifteen reps work properly.
Nordic Hamstring Curl
The Nordic Hamstring Curl is a complicated body weight train emphasizing the hamstrings’ eccentric (lengthening) power. This train enhances hamstring power, making it a favourite amongst lifters trying to stop accidents whereas enhancing their measurement and power. The deal with eccentric loading helps strengthen the muscle mass and connective tissues, decreasing the danger of the dreaded hamstring pressure.
Steered Rep Ranges: Begin with 3 to 4 units of 4-6 reps, as this train can create a little bit of soreness.
Glute-Ham Increase (GHR)
The Glute-Ham Increase requires specialised tools; in case your fitness center has it, your hamstrings will be glad about it. GHR is superb for constructing each hamstring power and measurement. It additionally enhances decrease again stability, making it an outstanding train for the complete posterior chain. This train engages the hamstrings by way of a full vary of movement, focusing on the muscle’s concentric and eccentric contractions. What does that each one imply? It means beneficial properties.
Steered Rep Ranges: Carry out 3 to 4 units of 6-12 reps, specializing in management to maximise muscle rigidity.
Landmine Single-Leg Deadlift
In case you are upset in regards to the RDL being unnoticed, that is for you; the Landmine Single-Leg Deadlift (RDL) is an amazing unilateral hamstring train as a result of the setup gives higher stability, permitting you to hit the hamstrings closely and exhausting. It emphasizes stability and hamstring muscle rigidity, making it perfect for strengthening muscle imbalances and enhancing muscular growth between legs.
Steered Rep Ranges: 3 to 4 units of 6 to 12 reps per facet.
Stability Ball Single-Leg Hamstring Curl
The Stability Ball Single-Leg Hamstring curl is a sneaky train. You do a couple of reps and assume, “That is straightforward; I obtained this,” after which your hamstrings begin screaming at you. Why? The ball’s instability forces your hamstrings and core to work collectively whereas performing slowly due to its difficult nature. This train isolates the hamstrings, improves time beneath rigidity, and challenges your core power, making it a superb three-in-one train.
Steered Rep Ranges: Carry out 3 units of 6-10 reps per facet.
Barbell Good Morning
The Good Morning is a pure hip hinge train. When carried out properly, it targets the hamstrings, glutes, and decrease again, making it a superb alternative for strengthening these three muscle mass. Sure, it’s also a glute and decrease again train, however the barbell’s stability mixed together with your glute power permits you to hit the hammies exhausting and heavy.
Steered Rep Ranges: For power, carry out 3 to five units of 3-5 reps.
For muscle, carry out 3 to 4 units of 6-12 reps.
Mendacity Leg Curl
The Mendacity Leg Curl is just not the sexiest or most difficult hamstring train, however it’s efficient. Why? This train isolates the hamstrings, primarily focusing on the muscle’s knee flexion motion. The steadiness of mendacity down improves hamstring rigidity, making it unbelievable for constructing hamstring measurement and power with out utilizing the glutes and decrease again.
Steered Rep Ranges: Carry out 3 to 4 units of 8-15 reps, utilizing a managed tempo to maximise rigidity.
Cable Pull-By means of
The Cable Pull-By means of is much like the kettlebell swing and RDL variations with out spinal loading. As a result of it’s a pure hip hinge, it permits you to focus extra on the hips and hamstrings. The prolonged ROM will present a muscle pre-stretch earlier than the lockout, and mixed with a managed tempo, it’ll gentle up your hamstrings. Simply guarantee you don’t make eye contact with anybody.
Steered Rep Ranges: 3 to 4 units of 10-15 reps, specializing in a robust hip extension on the motion’s prime.
Reverse Hyperextension
The Reverse Hyperextension is usually carried out on a machine, however you may improvise with a weight bench or stability ball. I used to be torn between this and the 45-degree again extension. Nonetheless, reverse hyperextension emphasizes the glutes and hamstrings extra as a result of larger vary of movement and the physique’s place, permitting for a extra vital hamstring stretch and contraction. What does that imply? Candy, candy hamstring beneficial properties.
Steered Rep Ranges: 3 to 4 units of 10-15 reps, specializing in controlling the tempo and avoiding momentum.
Hamstring Slider Curl
The Hamstring Slider Curl is a difficult body weight train that isolates the hamstrings whereas emphasizing eccentric contraction, which is essential for muscle development and damage prevention. In contrast to different workouts that depend on heavy weights or tools, this motion makes use of your physique weight and friction as resistance. The deal with stability, management, and eccentric power makes it a superb alternative for these trying to construct bulletproof their hamstrings.
Steered Rep Ranges: Carry out 3 to 4 units of 8-12 reps, guaranteeing you keep management all through the train.
