wellness
Give your hamstrings some TLC
By Catrina Yohay
•
Published Oct 18, 2023
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Ah, hamstrings: the middle child of muscle groups. While they might not be the sexiest parts of our bodies, strong hamstrings play a vital role in our overall strength and stability. To learn more about the importance of working this overlooked muscle group, we checked in with LA-based celebrity trainer Danny Saltos for his top tips and favorite hamstring exercises.
Meet the Expert
Danny Saltos is a NASM-certified personal trainer and health coach, specializing in strength training and cardio. With 17 years of experience, Saltos has been training clients since 2006, both in person and virtually via his app, Train+ BY DANNY SALTOS.
How to Use This Hamstring Exercise Guide at Home
Pick three to five hamstring exercises from the list below and complete three rounds using the recommended rep amount. We suggest starting with the trainer's go-to moves—good mornings, single-leg Romanian deadlifts and stability ball hamstring extensions. The best part? These can all be done from the comfort of your living room with only a few pieces of equipment, including one lightweight set of dumbbells and a stability ball. Once you've finished your final set, don't forget to kickstart recovery with a protein smoothie and some static hamstring stretches.
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1. Good Mornings
*This is a great move to warm up your hamstrings. For an added challenge, grab two dumbbells and rest them on the backs of your shoulders behind your head.
Step 1: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and place your hands behind your head with your elbows open wide.
Step 2: Keeping your knees slightly bent, hinge forward at the hips until your chest is almost parallel to the floor. Press your hips back while keeping your spine neutral and abs engaged.
Step 3: Squeeze your hamstrings and glutes to push your hips forward and rise up, returning to the starting position. This is one rep.
Step 4: Complete 10 reps. Rest and repeat.
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2. Romanian Deadlift
Step 1: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding one dumbbell in each hand. Position the dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing your body.
Step 2: Keeping your knees slightly bent, press your hips back as you hinge forward at the waist and lower the weights to about mid-shin height.
Step 3: Squeeze your hamstrings and glutes to push your hips forward and rise up, returning to the starting position. This is one rep.
Step 4: Complete 10 reps. Rest and repeat.
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3. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
Step 1: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding one dumbbell in each hand.
Step 2: Keeping your right knee slightly bent, send your left leg back while hinging forward at the waist, lowering the weights to about mid-shin height.
Step 3: Squeeze your right hamstring and glute to lift your chest and lower your left leg, returning to the starting position. This is one rep.
Step 4: Complete 10 reps on each side. Rest and repeat.
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4. Single-Leg Glute Bridge
Step 1: Lie on your back with your arms out to your sides, palms facing down. Bend your knees until your feet are flat on the floor, about hip-width apart.
Step 2: Keeping your thighs aligned, straighten your left leg so that your toes are pointed up. Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings to lift your hips up evenly off the floor. Engage your triceps to push your arms into the ground to help lift your lower half as high as possible.
Step 3: Lower back down to the ground to return to the starting position, keeping your left leg lifted. This is one rep.
Step 4: Complete 10 reps on each side. Rest and repeat.
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5. Glute Bridge March
Step 1: Lie on your back with your arms out to your sides, palms facing down. Bend your knees until your feet are flat on the floor, about hip-width apart.
Step 2: Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings to lift your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Engaging your core, lift your right leg up off the ground and straighten, keeping your thighs aligned.
Step 3: Lower your right leg and repeat on the other side while keeping your hips lifted as high as you can. This is one rep.
Step 4: Complete 10 reps. Rest and repeat.
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6. Weighted Donkey Kicks
Step 1: Begin on all fours with your hands and knees shoulder-width apart. Place one lightweight dumbbell in the crease of the back of your right knee until it’s securely positioned.
Step 2: Keeping your knee bent at a 90-degree angle, lift your right leg back with your right foot kicking up toward the ceiling until your knee is in line with your hip. Engage your core to keep your back from arching.
Step 3: Lower the leg by reversing the movement to return to the starting position. This is one rep.
Step 4: Complete 10 reps on each side. Rest and repeat.
Catrina Yohay/PureWow
7. Glute Ham Raise (GHR)
*This popular hamstring exercise is usually done on a machine, but you can reap the same benefits by pairing up with a partner. If your workout buddy is preoccupied, don’t fret. You can also do this exercise alone by wedging your toes firmly under a couch. Have a heavy barbell lying around? You can tuck your ankles behind that, too.
Step 1: Begin on your knees with your arms crossed in front of your chest while your partner firmly presses down on the backs of your ankles.
Step 2: Slowly hinge forward at your knees, keeping your head, chest and thighs aligned. Squeezing your glutes and hamstrings, continue hinging forward until you feel like you’re about to fall. When you get to that point, uncross your arms and catch yourself in a push-up position on the floor.
Step 3: From here, push off through your arms and engage your hamstrings and glutes to pull yourself back up to the starting position. This is one rep.
Step 4: Complete 10 reps. Rest and repeat.
Catrina Yohay/PureWow
8. Stability Ball Hamstring Extension
Step 1: Lie on your back with your arms out to your sides, palms facing down. Bend your knees and place your feet up on the stability ball about hip-width apart.
Step 2: Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings to lift your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Engaging your core, extend your legs straight out, rolling the ball away from you.
Step 3: Bend your knees to roll the ball back in, all while keeping your hips lifted as high as you can. Lower your hips back down to the ground. This is one rep.
Step 4: Complete 10 reps. Rest and repeat.
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What Are the Benefits of Hamstring Exercises?
“We often prioritize muscles in the front of our body, like the quads, chest, biceps and abs,” Saltos explains. “But we can easily overlook the backside or posterior plane, like the glutes, the triceps and (you guessed it) the hamstrings.”
We know what you're thinking...who cares about the backs of my thighs?! Not so fast. Your body is one big beautiful interconnected structure made up of bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Working all parts of the body will not only help you look your best; you'll feel your best, too. “Everyone should do hamstring exercises to maintain proper muscular balance,” Saltos says. “If your quads are disproportionally stronger than your hamstrings, this could lead to injury, postural issues and improper body mechanics,” resulting in a bothersome back or debilitating knee pain. Your hamstrings work in tandem with your quads; they’re the pull to the push, so significant weakness in either part can result in an imbalance, ultimately leading to muscle pulls, tears or strains, as shown in one study conducted by the Journal of Physical Therapy Science.
What Are the Hamstring Functionalities in Everyday Life?
Aside from being the yin to your quadriceps’ yang, hamstrings play a part in a number of other daily activities. “Hamstrings are responsible for hip and knee stability, as well as hip positioning and stabilization,” Saltos explains. “In layman’s terms, the hamstrings are responsible for bending the knee and making sure our hips are stable and centered when we walk, run, sit, stand and even bend down to pick something up.” So every time you squat down to retrieve something—whether it’s a bag of groceries or your fidgety toddler—you can thank your hammies.
What Are the Best Hamstring Exercises?
Simply put, the best hamstring exercises are the ones you're able to do consistently and without pain. A healthy burn is what we're after with any workout, and if you notice your legs starting to shake, that just means your body is stimulating muscle growth (hello, gains!). But if you feel any sharp, sudden pains in the backs of your thighs, call it a day and talk to your medical provider before resuming any physical activity.
How Often Should We Incorporate Hamstring Exercises Into Our Fitness Routines?
Lucky for you, hamstrings are a low-maintenance muscle group and a little goes a long way. “I would limit training hamstrings to no more than two times per week,” Saltos says. “Otherwise, we have an increased risk of overtraining and injury.” Roger that, coach.
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Catrina Yohay
Executive Managing Editor
Catrina oversees content production across all PureWow verticals. When she's not managing editorial schedules, digital issues or newsletter production, you can find her...
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