The hamstrings are a crucial muscle group for bodybuilders, yet they are often misunderstood as being solely for knee flexion. In reality, the hamstring is a separate muscle group with multiple functions, playing a vital role in training. Let’s explore the best hamstring exercises for gym enthusiasts in this article.
I. Anatomy of the Hamstrings
The hamstrings consist of three muscles located at the back of the thigh: biceps femoris, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus. These muscles extend from the lower pelvis to the back of the knee, specifically from the ischial tuberosity (part of the pelvis) to the shin bone, aiding in knee bending, hip extension, and pelvic tilting.
II. Top 9 Effective Hamstring Exercises for Gym Enthusiasts
- Clean Deadlift:
- Stand straight with the barbell close to your legs, feet under hips, toes slightly pointed out. Grip the barbell wider than shoulder width, palms facing backward.
- Lower your hips, keeping the spine straight, and lean forward so that your shoulders are in front of the bar, back straight.
- Push through your heels to lift the bar, keeping the back angle constant. Flare your knees to ensure a straight path for the bar.
- Once the bar passes your knees, finish the lift by thrusting your hips towards the bar until your hips and knees are fully extended.
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- Kettlebell One/Legged Deadlift:
- Maintain balance with one hand and hold a kettlebell with the other. Stand on one leg, the same side as the hand holding the kettlebell.
- Slightly bend the knee and perform the one-legged deadlift by hinging at the hip, extending the other leg back for balance.
- Continue lowering the kettlebell until your body is parallel to the floor, then return to the standing position.
- Power Snatch:
- Place the barbell close to or touching your shins, hands wider than shoulder-width. Position your feet hip-width apart, toes pointed out if necessary. Lower your body with your chest up and head forward, shoulders over the bar.
- Drive through your heels to lift the bar off the ground, maintaining the back angle until the bar passes the knees.
- Pull the bar by extending your hips, knees, and ankles, lifting as quickly as possible, keeping the bar close to your body. At the top, shrug your shoulders and flare your elbows to the sides.
- Spread your legs and drop under the bar as you lift it over your head, locking your arms, and avoid dropping the bar.
- Kettlebell One/Legged Deadlift:
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- Hang Snatch:
- Similar to Power Snatch, but eliminates the initial pull from the floor to the knees.
- Start with a firm grip on the bar, hands wide apart, palms facing backward. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointed outward. Slightly bend your knees, leaning your body forward.
- Keep your spine straight and head forward, holding the bar at hip level.
- Powerfully extend your legs and hips. At the top of the extension, shrug your shoulders and flare your elbows to the sides.
- Rapidly drop under the bar as you lift it over your head, lowering your body as low as possible and extending your arms overhead.
- Return to the standing position with the bar overhead, then lower it back to the starting position.
- Hang Snatch:
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- Floor Glute/Ham Raise:
- You may need assistance or anchor your feet under a fixed object.
- Start in a kneeling position, legs perpendicular to the floor, body upright. If assisted, your partner will hold your feet in place.
- Lower your body forward by straightening your knees, keeping your hips unbent.
- Support yourself with your hands on the floor, then use your hamstrings to lift your body off the ground, crossing your arms in front of your chest. Finally, return to the starting position by supporting yourself with your hands and lowering your body slowly.
- Floor Glute/Ham Raise:
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- Power Clean from Blocks:
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- Place a single barbell on blocks at a moderate height. Grip the bar wider than shoulder width. Lower your hips, centering weight on your heels, keep your back straight and face forward, chest up, and lift the bar in front of your shoulders.
- Press your heels down and straighten your knees, keeping the back angle fixed, arms straight until the bar touches mid-thigh, then extend your hips.
- Jump up, extending hips, knees, and ankles, using the momentum to lift the bar. At the end of the second pull, fully extend your body, lean back slightly, and extend your arms.
- Fully extend, then transition to the third pull by shrugging your shoulders and flaring your elbows outward. Then drop under the bar, resting it on your front shoulders, rotating your elbows under the bar so that it lightly touches your neck, and relax your arms.
- Press down your heels, keeping your body straight with elbows pointing upward.
- Continue until you stabilize and straighten.
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- Lying Leg Curls:
- Lie straight on the bench, ensuring your legs are fully extended, gripping the handles on either side.
- Inhale and curl your legs up as high as possible without lifting your thighs off the pad, fully contracting your hamstrings. Hold for a second.
- Lower your legs back to the starting position, exhale, and repeat.
- Sumo Deadlift:
- Inhale and lower your body, eyes forward, chest up. Spread your legs wide, shift weight to your heels, straighten hips and knees.
- Lift the bar. As the bar passes the knees, lean back, then thrust your hips towards the bar, pulling your shoulder blades up towards your neck.
- Hinge at the hips and slowly lower the bar to the ground, controlling its descent to maintain balance.
- Lying Leg Curls:
III. Tips for Effective Hamstring Training
To effectively train your hamstrings, keep in mind the following:
- Firstly, hamstring-focused exercises balance the overall development of the legs. However, we often focus more on the quadriceps with exercises like half-squats, leg presses, or lunges. Therefore, balance your training time between the quads and hamstrings.
- Secondly, compound movements with heavy weights are the best way to increase the size and strength of the hamstrings. Although machine exercises can be added for hamstring training, they are not as effective as free weight movements with heavy weights.
- Thirdly, usually training hamstrings once a week in a heavy workout is sufficient, but the key factor in hamstring training is volume. This is particularly important because the general principle is that the heavier the weight lifted, the fewer reps we should perform each week to avoid overtraining.
Above are the effective and simple at-home hamstring exercises to help you achieve firmer hamstrings. Remember to warm up thoroughly before starting your workout to avoid injuries. We hope you find success with these exercises.
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