15 Best Bodyweight Hamstring Exercises for All Levels

Many people prefer training at home or in a park. The good news is that you can develop muscle mass, strength, and fitness almost anywhere via calisthenic or bodyweight training.

While the hamstrings are involved in most compound leg exercises, their engagement is relatively restricted (1). Therefore, you can’t rely on squats and lunges to build your hamstrings.

For this reason, if you want stronger, more muscular hamstrings, you must perform exercises targeting the back of your upper legs. The good news is that there are plenty of bodyweight hamstring exercises you can do to build jacked hammies.

With over 35 years of experience as a personal trainer, I’ve guided countless individuals to sculpt powerful hamstrings right from their living rooms, using nothing but their own body weight.

In this article, I reveal those exercises and how to do them to get the best bang for your buck. Plus, I’ve got a great bodyweight-only hamstring workout for you to try.

15 Best Bodyweight Hamstring Exercises

Here are the best bodyweight exercises for this often-underdeveloped muscle group:

1. Prisoner good morning
2. Bodyweight Romanian deadlift
3. Gymnastic ring leg curl
4. Sliding leg curl
5. Stability ball leg curl
6. Nordic curls
7. Donkey kicks
8. 45-degree back extensions
9. Reverse hyperextension
10. Glute bridge (bent legs)
11. Glute bridge (straight legs)
12. Single-leg glute bridge
13. Glute bridge marches
14. Pilates leg kick
15. Overcoming isometric leg curl

1. Prisoner good morning

Sets & Reps	3 x 8-12
Equipment Needed	None (bodyweight)
Target Muscles	Hamstrings, erector spinae, gluteus maximus

Good mornings are usually done with a barbell resting on your upper back. No barbell? No problem! You can work your hamstrings just fine with nothing but your body weight. 

“Keep your chest proud and shoulder blades depressed and retracted to limit lower back strain during this exercise,” says Saini.

Steps:

1. Stand with your feet roughly hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Place your fingertips on your temples and push your elbows back to open your chest.
2. Push your butt back and lean forward from your hips, taking care not to round your lower back. Feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
3. Drive your hips forward to stand back up, and then repeat.

Benefits:

• An excellent antidote to prolonged sitting.
• Good for improving hamstring and hip mobility and flexibility.

Coach Tips:

• Place the balls of your feet on one-inch blocks to increase hamstring recruitment.
• Increase your range of motion as your hamstring flexibility improves.

Difficulty	Beginner
Progression	Barbell Good Morning
Regression	Glute bridge

2. Bodyweight Romanian deadlift

Sets & Reps	3 x 10-15
Equipment Needed	None (bodyweight)
Target Muscles	Hamstrings, gluteus maximus, erector spinae

The Romanian deadlift is another exercise that’s usually performed with a barbell or dumbbells. However, that doesn’t mean you have to do it that way! In fact, it works perfectly well as a bodyweight exercise and may be more comfortable than prisoner good mornings, especially if you have tight pecs and struggle to keep your arms back.

Bodyweight good morning and RDLs can look quite similar to the untrained eye, claims Saini. You must push your hips back and imagine trying to touch a wall behind you with your glutes during the RDLs to maximize hamstring engagement.

Steps:

1. Stand with your feet roughly hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Cross your hands over your chest or hold your arms by your sides as preferred.
2. Push your butt back and lean forward from your hips, taking care not to round your lower back. Feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
3. Drive your hips forward to stand back up, and then repeat.

Benefits:

• Good for developing hamstring strength and flexibility.
• A helpful back and hip mobilizer after prolonged sitting.

Coach Tips:

• Keep your weight on your heels to maximize hamstring engagement.
• Progress to single-leg Romanian deadlifts when this exercise is no longer challenging.

Difficulty	Beginner
Progression	Dumbbell RDL
Regression	Hip Hinge with Dowel

3. Gymnastic ring leg curl

Sets & Reps	3 x 8-12 (or to failure)
Equipment Needed	Gymnastic rings
Target Muscles	Hamstrings, lower abdominals

Leg curls are a popular gym exercise. However, bodyweight training doesn’t mean you can’t do this type of movement. In fact, all you need is some cheap gymnastic rings or a suspension trainer for this very effective hamstring exercise.

“Initiate the curl by tilting your pelvis posteriorly (tucking your tailbone under) to pre-activate the hamstrings,” says Saini.

Steps:

1. Set up your rings/trainer handles, so they’re a few inches above the floor. Lie on your back and place your heels in the rings/handles. The straps should be vertical.
2. Lift your hips, so your body is straight. Feel the tension in your glutes and hamstrings.
3. Bend your legs and push your hips up toward the ceiling. Contract your hammies as hard as possible.
4. Extend your legs but don’t lower your butt. Keep the tension on the target muscles.
5. Repeat until your hamstrings are begging for mercy!

Benefits:

• A very challenging exercise for the hamstrings.
• One of the few bodyweight hamstring isolation exercises.
• A very lower back-friendly movement.

Coach Tips:

• Try this exercise using an alternating leg action for an even more intense workout.
• End each set with a 15 to 20-second isometric hold to really light up your hamstrings.

Difficulty	Advanced
Progression	Weighted Ring Leg Curl
Regression	Stability Ball Leg Curl

4. Sliding leg curl

Sets & Reps	3 x 10-15
Equipment Needed	Sliding discs or towels, smooth surface
Target Muscles	Hamstrings

No gymnastic rings or suspension trainer? Don’t worry — you can do leg curls with a towel and a smooth floor. Or, if you prefer, you can use sliders, which are a popular bodyweight training tool. Regardless of how you do them, this is an intense hamstring exercise.

Keep your core engaged and glutes off the ground to maintain a neutral spine and prevent your hips from sagging, advises Saini.

Steps:

1. Lie on the floor with your legs bent and feet flat. Place your towel/sliders beneath your feet.
2. Push your hips up toward the ceiling and contract your hamstrings.
3. Slide your feet away from you until your legs are almost straight and your butt is a couple of inches above the floor.
4. Use your hammies to pull your heels back in toward your butt as you simultaneously lift your hips.

Benefits:

• Provides an intense hamstring workout using just your body weight.
• An excellent alternative to machine leg curls.
• Ideal for stronger, more advanced exercisers.

Coach Tips:

• Pull your toes up toward your shins to maximize hamstring engagement.
• Do this exercise with one leg for an even more intense hamstring workout.

Difficulty	Beginner
Progression	Hamstring Curl Machine
Regression	Stability Ball Leg Curl

5. Stability ball leg curl

Sets & Reps	3 x 10-15
Equipment Needed	Stability ball
Target Muscles	Hamstrings, core

Most people associate stability balls with abs training, but you can use them for so much more than that, including hammering your hamstrings. This challenging exercise is very low-back friendly and delivers an awesome glute and rear thigh workout with just your body weight. 

Saini prescribes actively driving your heels into the stability ball throughout the range of motion (ROM) to deepen your mind-muscle connection.

Steps:

1. Lie on your back with your legs straight and your heels resting on a stability ball. Lift your hips up, so your body is straight. Brace your abs.
2. Bend your legs and, using your hamstrings, roll the ball toward your butt as you push your hips up to the ceiling.
3. Extend your legs and repeat.

Benefits:

• Trains knee flexion and hip extension at the same time, which are both functions of the hamstrings.
• A challenging exercise that’s ideal for more experienced exercisers.

Coach Tips:

• The smaller the ball, the more challenging this exercise will be.
• Keep your hips off the floor between reps to maintain muscle engagement.
• Press your arms into the floor by your sides to prevent unwanted lateral movements.
• Use one leg for a more intense hamstring workout.

Difficulty	Beginner
Progression	Gymnastic Ring Leg Curl
Regression	Sliding Leg Curl

6. Nordic curls

Sets & Reps	3 x 6-10 (or to failure)
Equipment Needed	Partner or anchor for feet
Target Muscles	Hamstrings

The Nordic curl is one of the most popular bodyweight hamstring exercises for athletes. That’s because it’s also one of the hardest! So, don’t worry if you can’t do Nordic curls immediately. Persevere, and one day, you’ll be strong enough to do them.

“Control the descent by flexing your hamstrings,” says Saini. The lowering phase is where most muscle damage occurs, leading to greater hypertrophy.

Steps:

1. Kneel down, so your thighs are perpendicular to the floor. Anchor your feet, or have someone hold them down. Contract your glutes and hamstrings and brace your core.
2. Using your hamstrings to control your descent, keep your body straight and lower yourself down to the floor. Put your hands out in front of you to avoid doing a face plant!
3. Using your arms for assistance if necessary, pull yourself back up to the starting position and repeat.

Benefits:

• One of the most intense and challenging hamstring exercises.
• Good for building muscle strength and size.
• A very functional exercise.

Coach Tips:

• Place a folded exercise mat under your knees or kneel on a foam pad for comfort.
• Use your arms less as your hamstrings get stronger.

Difficulty	Advanced
Progression	Banded Nordic Curls
Regression	Eccentric Nordic Curls (assisted)

7. Donkey kicks

Sets & Reps	3 x 15-20 per leg
Equipment Needed	None (bodyweight) or resistance band
Target Muscles	Hamstrings, gluteus maximus

Donkey kicks are often thought of as a glute exercise when they also work the hamstrings. This relatively straightforward exercise is good for beginners and can be used whenever you want an easier hamstring exercise, e.g., warming up.

Saini recommends keeping your toes pointed throughout the exercise and driving your foot at a 90-degree angle on the concentric phase for greater hamstring engagement.

Steps:

1. Kneel on all fours with your shoulders over your hands and your hips over your knees. Brace your abs.
2. Keeping your leg bent, extend your hip and push your heel back and up toward the ceiling, taking care not to hyperextend your back.
3. Lower your leg and repeat.
4. Do the same number of reps on each leg.

Benefits:

• A low-stress exercise that’s ideal for beginners.
• A great glute and hamstring exercise.
• Very low-back friendly.

Coach Tips:

• You can also do this exercise while lying prone on the floor. The range of motion is shorter, but it’s easier to balance.

Difficulty	Beginner
Progression	Cable Donkey Kicks
Regression	Glute Bridge

8. 45-degree back extensions

Sets & Reps	3 x 10-15
Equipment Needed	45-degree back extension bench
Target Muscles	Erector spinae, gluteus maximus, hamstrings

The 45-degree back extension is a popular bodyweight gym exercise. Back extensions work your back but also challenge your glutes and hamstrings, which is how they made it onto our list!

“Keep your back slightly rounded throughout the ROM to limit lower back engagement and load the hamstrings,” Saini said.

Steps:

1. Place your feet on the footplate and rest your hips on the leg pad. Bend your knees slightly to take the stress off your joints. Put your hands across your chest, on your temples, or behind your head.
2. Hinge forward from the hips and lower your upper body toward the floor. Try not to round your lower back.
3. Push your hips into the pad and raise your upper body until your body is straight. 

Benefits:

• Most training facilities have this machine.
• Easy to learn.
• An effective posterior chain exercise.

Coach Tips:

• Flex your knees slightly as you lift your upper body to increase hamstring engagement. Imagine you are doing a short-range leg curl.
• Adjust the machine, so the pad is level with the top of your pelvis. This will make the exercise more effective and more comfortable.
• Make this exercise harder by holding weights in your hands.

Difficulty	Beginner
Progression	Weighted Back Extensions
Regression	Bird Dog

9. Reverse hyperextension

Sets & Reps	3 x 12-15
Equipment Needed	Reverse hyper machine or bench
Target Muscles	Erector spinae, gluteus maximus, hamstrings

The reverse hyper is a popular accessory exercise in powerlifting. It’s typically done using weights on a special machine. Still, you can also do it with your body weight for resistance and using a regular exercise bench.

“As you lift your legs, imagine trying to touch the ceiling with your heels,” cues Saini.

Steps:

1. Lie face down on a flat exercise bench, so your chest is supported, and your hips are over the edge.
2. Your legs should be straight, and your toes should touch the floor.
3. Hold the bench to keep your upper body stationary.
4. Flex your glutes and hamstrings, and lift your legs up, so they’re parallel to the floor.
5. Keep your knees straight.
6. Take care not to hyperextend your lumbar spine.
7. Lower your toes back to the floor and repeat.

Benefits:

• A lower back-friendly exercise.
• An efficient posterior chain exercise.
• No special equipment required.

Coach Tips:

• Raise your bench on blocks to do this exercise with a bigger range of motion.
• You can also do this exercise on a stability ball or even a tabletop.

Difficulty	Intermediate
Progression	Weighted Reverse Hypers
Regression	45-Degree Back Extensions

10. Glute bridge (bent legs)

Sets & Reps	3 x 15-20
Equipment Needed	None (bodyweight) or resistance band
Target Muscles	Gluteus maximus, hamstrings

The bent leg glute bridge is more than a butt exercise; it also works your hamstrings. This move is popular in group exercise classes and ideal for home workouts, too. However, it may be too easy for more experienced exercisers.

Drive your heels into the floor and raise your hips as far toward the ceiling as possible to maximize hamstring stimulation, recommends Saini.

Steps:

1. Lie on your back with your legs bent and feet flat. Lift your toes and push your heels into the floor.
2. Flex your glutes and hamstrings, and lift your hips up toward the ceiling. Pause for 1-2 seconds.
3. Lower your butt back to the floor and repeat.

Benefits:

• No equipment is required — do this exercise anywhere and anytime.
• Very back and knee-friendly.
• A safe yet effective posterior chain exercise.

Coach Tips:

• Increase the difficulty by using a booty band around your knees.
• Do this exercise for reps or, if preferred, as an isometric or static hold.

Difficulty	Beginner
Progression	Barbell Hip Thrust
Regression	Hip Thrust (feet elevated)

11. Glute bridge (straight legs)

Sets & Reps	3 x 15-20
Equipment Needed	None (bodyweight) or resistance band
Target Muscles	Gluteus maximus, hamstrings (more emphasis)

Straight-leg glute bridges aren’t better than the bent-leg version, but they are different. It’s often useful to know a few variations of the exercises in your workouts so you can rotate them occasionally and avoid boredom.

Keep the glutes and hamstrings contracted throughout the exercise for optimal target muscle activation.

Steps:

1. Lie on your back with your legs straight and your heels resting on a chair, step, or bench. Brace your abs.
2. Push your heels down and lift your hips up, so your body is straight. Pause for 1-2 seconds.
3. Lower your butt back to the floor and repeat.

Benefits:

• A useful alternative to bent-leg hip bridges.
• Even more knee and lower-back friendly.

Coach Tips:

• Do this exercise for reps or isometric holds as preferred.
• Pull your toes up to increase posterior chain engagement.
• Use a booty band to make this exercise more challenging.

Difficulty	Intermediate
Progression	Single-Leg Glute Bridge
Regression	Glute Bridge (Bent Legs)

12. Single-leg glute bridge

Sets & Reps	3 x 12-15 per leg
Equipment Needed	None (bodyweight) or resistance band
Target Muscles	Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, core

One of the most straightforward ways to make any bodyweight exercise more challenging is to use one limb instead of two. After all, single-leg squats and push-ups are far harder than the two-limbed version, right? If you’ve mastered regular glute bridges, this is the next exercise you should try.

Steps:

1. Lie on your back with your legs bent and feet flat.
2. Lift one leg and point your knee up toward the ceiling.
3. Pull up your toes and drive your heels into the floor to increase muscle engagement.
4. Drive your foot into the floor and lift your hips up as high as possible without hyperextending your spine.
5. Lower your butt back to the floor and repeat.
6. Do the same number of reps on each leg and repeat.

   

Benefits:

• More intense than regular glute bridges.
• A very lower back and knee-friendly exercise.
• You don’t need any equipment to do this exercise other than a mat to lie on.

Coach Tips:

• Increase your range of motion by placing your foot on a step.
• Focus on pulling your heel toward your butt to increase hamstringing engagement.
• Do this exercise for reps or, if preferred, as an isometric or static hold.

Difficulty	Advanced
Progression	Single-Leg Hip Thrust
Regression	Glute Bridge (Straight Legs)

13. Glute bridge marches

Sets & Reps	3 x 10-12 per leg
Equipment Needed	None (bodyweight) or resistance band
Target Muscles	Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, core

Are bent-leg glute bridges too easy, but the single-leg version is too hard? This variation lies somewhere between the two and is an excellent progression that’ll increase hamstring strength one leg at a time.

Saini recommends bringing your knee as close to the chest as possible for maximal hamstring and glute engagement.

Steps:

1. Lie on your back with your legs bent and feet flat. Lift your toes and push your heels into the floor.
2. Flex your glutes and hamstrings, and lift your hips up toward the ceiling.
3. Keeping your hips lifted, bend one leg and pull your knee toward your chest.
4. Lower your leg, swap sides, and repeat.
5. Keep alternating legs and marching for the desired number of reps or duration.

Benefits:

• A useful exercise for improving dynamic hip and core stability.
• Knee and lower-back friendly.

Coach Tips:

• Put your foot on a step to increase the range of motion.
• Drive your heel into the floor to feel your hamstrings working more.

Difficulty	Intermediate
Progression	Weighted Glute Bridge Marches
Regression	Glute Bridge (Bent Legs)

14. Pilates leg kick

Sets & Reps	3 x 15-20 per side
Equipment Needed	None (bodyweight)
Target Muscles	Gluteus maximus, hamstrings

Many people think that Pilates only focuses on core exercises. This is not true! There are also Pilates exercises for your legs, arms, and upper body. Pilates leg kicks are a type of leg curl that targets your hamstrings.

Saini recommends wearing ankle weights while performing this exercise for a deeper hamstring contraction.

Steps:

1. Lie prone with your legs straight and your head resting on your folded arms.
2. Pointing your toes, bend one leg and pull your foot into your butt.
3. Half-lower your leg, pull your toes down toward your shins and bend your knee again.
4. Alternate between this ankle pointed/ankle flexed position for the required number of reps.
5. Swap sides and repeat.

Benefits:

• A good exercise for knee mobility.
• Lower-back friendly.
• A good option for beginners.

Coach Tips:

• Keep your spine long and your shoulders down and back throughout.
• Use an alternating leg action if preferred, or curl both legs together.

15. Overcoming isometric leg curl

Sets & Reps	3 x 30-60 second holds
Equipment Needed	Immovable object (wall, heavy furniture)
Target Muscles	Hamstrings

Overcoming isometrics involves contracting your muscles against an immovable object. This allows you to train your muscles with maximum intensity without much equipment. This is a good exercise for developing strength in your hamstrings.

Hold onto something sturdy to ensure your hips and shoulders are square throughout the set, says Saini.

Steps:

1. Sit on a chair and place a stick or bar across the chair legs. Place your heels against the stick. Hold the edges of the chair to stabilize your body.
2. Contract your hamstrings and pull your heels back against the bar. Generate as much muscular tension as possible.
3. Hold for 10-20 seconds, and then relax.

Benefits:

• You can make this exercise as easy or as hard as you want by tensing your muscles less or more.
• Very knee and lower-back friendly.
• A great exercise for improving joint-specific strength.

Coach Tips:

• Do this exercise with two legs or one leg as preferred.
• You can also do this exercise standing, e.g., in a doorway.
• Do not hold your breath, as doing so could cause increases in your blood pressure.

Difficulty	Beginner
Progression	Nordic Curls
Regression	Stability Ball Hamstring Curl

Bodyweight Hamstring Workout

While you could just do a few of these exercises and hope your hamstrings get stronger, you’ll probably get better results from a more structured approach to training. Do the following workout up two times per week after a thorough warm-up of light cardio and dynamic mobility and flexibility exercises.

#	Exercise	Sets	Reps*	Recovery
1	Sliding leg curl	2-4	8-20+	60-90 seconds
2	Glute bridge (bent legs)	2-4	8-20+	60-90 seconds
3	Prisoner good morning	2-4	8-20+	60-90 seconds
4	Reverse hypers	2-4	8-20+	60-90 seconds
5	Pilates leg kick	2-4	8-20+	60-90 seconds

Hamstring Anatomy

The three hamstring muscles are:

1. Biceps femoris
2. Semimembranosus
3. Semitendinosus

Because the hamstrings are a biaxial muscle, meaning they cross two joints, they have several functions. The hamstrings work together to extend your hip, flex your knee, and are involved in hip and knee rotation.

As such, if you want to develop your hamstrings fully, you need to include hip extension and knee flexion in your leg workouts. For example, if you only do leg curls or Romanian deadlifts, you would leave one hamstring function untrained, undermining your muscular development.

It’s also worth noting that all hip extension exercises involve your glutes, so many hamstring exercises also train your butt, and most butt exercises hit your hammies.

Why Train Your Hamstrings, Anyway?

Some people spend very little time training their hamstrings. After all, the hammies are on the backs of your legs, so they’re usually out of sight and out of mind. Also, some people STILL believe that squats are all you need to develop your legs and that direct hamstring training is unnecessary.

Sadly, this is not the case.

When you squat or do any leg exercise where the knees and hips move at the same time, the quads extend the knee while the hamstrings extend the hip. However, the simultaneous movement of the hip and knee means the hamstrings don’t change length much, if at all. This is called Lombard’s paradox.

So, while the hamstrings are working, they’re not contracting very hard or changing length, which is why squats don’t build huge hammies. Training them more directly will produce much more growth, and have a significant impact on how you look, feel, and perform.

Reasons for training your hamstrings include:

Less knee pain

Muscles are arranged across joints in pairs. Between them, these pairs of muscles keep your joints balanced and stable. If one muscle is allowed to get stronger than its partner, the joint may not function properly and could become unstable.

Strong quads and weak hamstrings mean your knees may not be as stable as they should be and are more prone to aches and injuries as a result. Hamstring training is often the solution to chronic knee pain.

Better sporting performance

Your hamstrings, working with your glutes, are powerful hip extenders. You extend your hips when you walk, run, jump, lift, and kick. If you want to do any of these activities better, you need strong hamstrings. That’s why athletes tend to spend a lot of time working on their hammies; they know how valuable they are for sporting performance.

Reduced risk of a hamstring injury

Weak muscles are much more prone to injury than strong muscles. The hamstrings have the potential to generate a lot of force, but if you don’t train them very often, you are more susceptible to muscle tears. Training your hamstrings will make them more resilient, and you’ll be less likely to “pull a hammie,” which is an excruciating injury.

Better squat and lunge performance

Confusingly, while the hamstrings aren’t best trained with squats, lunges, etc., strengthening them will improve your performance in those exercises. How? By making it easier to keep your torso upright and improving knee and hip stability. Strong hammies also help stabilize your pelvis and, therefore, your lumbar spine during hip flexion and extension.

Reduced risk of back pain

Back pain is a common problem that plagues many adults. It’s often caused or made worse by lifting heavy objects. Lifting should involve a cooperation between your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.

But, if your hamstrings are weak, more stress ends up being directed toward your lower back, and back pain is the inevitable result. If you keep “throwing your back out” by lifting things at home, work, or the gym, strengthening your hamstrings could be the solution.

Better aesthetics

While you might not be able to see your hamstrings, other people can. The hamstrings are a large muscle group and, when well-developed, will add a lot to your physique. Not training your hamstrings leaves a lot of muscle mass untapped and will unbalance your entire lower body.

The hamstrings are essentially the biceps of your legs. No self-respecting lifter trains their triceps and not their biceps, so don’t do the same thing to your lower body by focusing on your quads and ignoring the backs of your legs.

Better posture

Strong hamstrings help stabilize your pelvis and lumbar spine. When your hammies are weak, your pelvis tends to tilt forward, causing an excessive arch in your lower back. This is called hyperlordosis.

Hyperlordosis puts a lot of stress on the vertebrae, ligaments, and discs of your lumbar spine. Strengthening your hammies will help alleviate “duck butt” and create a more pleasing, structurally sound posture.

Related: Best Hamstring Stretches for a Healthier Lower Back and Knees

FAQs

Do I still have to train my hamstrings even if I do squats, leg presses, lunges, etc.?

Yes, you do! Movements like squats, lunges, etc., are great for building bigger quads and involve the glutes and hamstrings. Still, the hammies are much less active, so they probably need some direct attention to develop them fully.

A couple of sets of hamstring-specific training after your other leg exercises will ensure your hamstrings don’t get left behind.

What is the best number of reps for bodyweight hamstring training?

You can train your hamstrings with anywhere from about five to 35 reps per set. So long as you take your set to within a couple of reps of failure, your muscles will grow (3). That’s good news for bodyweight exercisers, as the low loads often mean you’ll have to do high reps to fatigue your muscles.

Can you build strength with bodyweight hamstring exercises?

Building brute strength with bodyweight hamstring exercises may not be possible or practical. Strength is best developed by lifting heavy weights for low reps. However, if you are training with your body weight, you may not be able to apply enough load to your muscles to meet this criterion.

The only exception is overcoming isometric training, where you generate maximal force against an immovable object. That will build strength, which is why you’ll see some isometrics on our list of bodyweight hamstring exercises.

Are there any downsides to training hamstrings muscles?

The main downside to hamstring training is the risk of pulling a muscle. Some hamstring exercises, such as good mornings, can also be hard on your lower back. However, providing you warm up properly, use perfect technique, and don’t lift too much weight too soon, hamstring training should be pretty safe.

Do I need to stretch my hamstrings?

Most people need to stretch their hamstrings as well as strengthen them. Stretching your hammies is good for your posture, range of motion, and knee and back health. Tight hamstrings are a common problem made worse by prolonged sitting, and a few minutes of hamstring stretching per day will do you nothing but good!

Can exercises treat my pulled hamstring muscles?

The answer to this question very much depends on how badly you’ve pulled your hamstrings and what stage of recovery you are at. In the case of mild hamstring injuries, some gentle strength training could help speed up the recovery process. However, it could also make more severe injuries worse.

Consult a medical professional to discuss the best way to treat your hamstring injury. Then, once you are recovered, use the exercises in this article to strengthen your hammies and reduce the chance of reinjuring them.

Final Thoughts

Your hamstrings are a large, powerful muscle group — or they should be! Squats, lunges, and leg presses definitely involve your hamstrings. Still, they don’t really provide them with enough stimulation to grow to their fullest potential. Most people need to train their hamstrings directly.

In the gym, that usually means exercises like Romanian deadlifts and leg curls. However, there are plenty of bodyweight hamstring exercises too.

So, no matter where you train, you have no excuse for neglecting your hamstrings. Beef up your leg biceps to improve your appearance and performance and even reduce your risk of injury.

References:

1. British Medical Journal: The Impact of Exercise Selection on Hamstring Muscle Activation https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/51/13/1021.short
2. PubMed: Muscle Activation Differs between Three Different Knee Joint-Angle Positions During a Maximal Isometric Back Squat Exercise https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4967668/
3. PubMed: Strength and Hypertrophy Adaptations Between Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28834797/

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