Hamstring Exercises That Will Transform Your Workout

A strong set of hamstring exercises can change how you move, train, and feel in daily life. Your hamstrings do much more than help you sprint or jump. They stabilize your knees, support your hips and lower back, and make everyday tasks like lifting laundry or playing with kids safer and easier (Banner Health).

Below, you will find a practical guide to hamstring exercises and stretches you can add to your routine, whether you are new to strength training or looking to level up your workouts.

Why your hamstrings matter

Your hamstrings are a group of three muscles on the back of your thighs. They cross both the hip and knee joints, help you bend your knees, extend your hips, assist with knee rotation, and slow your feet as they move forward to protect your knees (Hinge Health).

When you strengthen your hamstrings, you:

• Improve lower body stability and balance

• Support pelvis and spine alignment

• Reduce strain on your lower back

• Help protect your knees and hips during movement

• Lower your risk of falls and sports injuries (Banner Health, Hinge Health)

Weak or undertrained hamstrings can show up as low back pain, hip pain, knee instability, or an awkward walking pattern (ACE Physical Therapy). Over time, this imbalance can limit what you feel comfortable doing in and out of the gym.

How to train your hamstrings safely

Before you jump into new hamstring exercises, it helps to know how to target them safely and effectively.

Focus on form over range of motion

You might be tempted to reach as far as you can in every stretch or hinge as low as possible on every rep. Instead, focus on clean form and control. Physical therapists recommend engaging your core and glutes first, then letting your hamstrings do the work rather than forcing a big range of motion (Banner Health).

It is better to perform a smaller, pain free movement with good alignment than a deep one that strains your back or knees.

Mix open and closed chain exercises

To build strong, resilient hamstrings, you want a combination of:

• Open chain exercises, where your foot is off the ground

• Closed chain exercises, where your foot is planted

This mix improves strength, flexibility, and mobility in ways that carry over to real life, according to physical therapists at Hinge Health (Hinge Health).

Start light and progress gradually

If you are new to these movements or coming back after a break, start with bodyweight or very light resistance. As your strength improves, slowly increase weight or difficulty (Banner Health).

If you have a history of hamstring strains, ACL injuries, or significant knee pain, check in with a healthcare provider or physical therapist for personalized guidance first (Cleveland Clinic).

Foundational hamstring strengthening exercises

These hamstring exercises are a smart starting point for most people. You can do many of them at home with minimal equipment.

1. Hamstring bridge

The bridge is a classic closed chain move that works your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip width apart.

2. Tighten your core and squeeze your glutes.

3. Press through your heels and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.

4. Pause for 1 to 2 seconds, then lower slowly.

Aim for 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps. When that feels easy, you can progress to a single leg bridge to challenge each side.

2. Hamstring curl

Hamstring curls target the area closer to the knee and can be done several ways, including with a machine, resistance band, or exercise ball (Banner Health).

A simple version:

1. Lie on your stomach with your legs straight.

2. Flex your feet.

3. Bend one knee and bring your heel toward your glutes, stopping before your lower back arches.

4. Lower with control and repeat on the other leg.

You can add an ankle weight or use a resistance band around your ankles once bodyweight feels easy.

3. Donkey kicks

Donkey kicks are a bodyweight move that hits your hamstrings and glutes while also challenging core stability (Hinge Health).

1. Start on all fours, wrists under shoulders and knees under hips.

2. Tighten your core and keep your back flat.

3. Lift one leg, keeping the knee bent at 90 degrees, and drive your heel toward the ceiling.

4. Stop when your thigh is in line with your torso, then lower with control.

Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per leg.

4. Kickstand Romanian deadlift

The kickstand Romanian deadlift is a great bridge between two leg and single leg training. It emphasizes the hamstrings near the glutes and improves your hip hinge pattern (Hinge Health).

1. Stand tall with your feet hip width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand or one weight at your chest.

2. Step one foot slightly behind you, with the back heel lifted. Most of your weight stays on the front leg.

3. Keeping a slight bend in your front knee, hinge at the hips and push them back as you lower the weights toward your thighs or shins.

4. Keep your back flat and your core braced.

5. When you feel a strong stretch in the front hamstring, drive through that heel to return to standing.

Start with 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps per leg and build from there.

Advanced hamstring exercises for more strength

Once you feel confident with the basics, you can add more challenging hamstring exercises that build strength, power, and control.

5. Single leg Romanian deadlift

The single leg Romanian deadlift is a powerful test and builder of hamstring strength and flexibility. It also requires balance, which makes your hamstrings work even harder to stabilize you (Muscle & Fitness).

1. Stand with feet hip width apart and a dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand, or both.

2. Shift your weight onto one leg and lift the other foot slightly off the ground.

3. Hinge at the hip of the standing leg, letting your free leg extend behind you like a counterbalance.

4. Keep a gentle bend in the standing knee and a flat back as you lower the weight toward the floor.

5. When you feel a strong stretch in your hamstring, press through your heel and return to standing.

Muscle & Fitness suggests 2 sets of 10 reps per leg with about 30 seconds rest between sets (Muscle & Fitness).

6. Nordic hamstring exercise

The Nordic hamstring exercise is an advanced open chain move that heavily targets the semitendinosus muscle, which helps stabilize your knee and protect the ACL (ACE Physical Therapy).

You will need a partner to hold your ankles or a padded surface and something sturdy to anchor your feet.

1. Kneel on a padded surface with your torso upright and your feet anchored.

2. Cross your arms over your chest.

3. Slowly lean your body forward from the knees, keeping your hips extended and your body in a straight line.

4. Use your hamstrings to resist gravity as long as you can.

5. When you can no longer control the descent, catch yourself with your hands, then push lightly off the floor to return to the starting position.

Physical therapists often use this move for people recovering from ACL injuries because of its strong effect on hamstring strength around the knee (ACE Physical Therapy). Because it is very demanding, it is best to add it only after you have built a solid strength base and ideally with professional guidance.

7. Physioball leg curl

The physioball leg curl blends bridging and hamstring curls, and it challenges your stability at the same time.

1. Lie on your back with your calves resting on top of an exercise ball.

2. Tighten your core, squeeze your glutes, and lift your hips so your body forms a straight line from shoulders to heels.

3. Bend your knees and roll the ball toward your glutes, keeping your hips elevated.

4. Extend your legs back out with control.

This exercise strengthens your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, and improves stability. A common recommendation is 2 sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds rest between sets (Muscle & Fitness).

Stretching to keep your hamstrings flexible

Tight hamstrings are very common, especially if you sit a lot, play sports like soccer, or have tight hip flexors or glutes. That tightness can feel like stiffness, aching, or even a burning sensation in the back of your thigh (Verywell Fit).

Adding regular stretching to your routine helps maintain flexibility and may prevent or ease that tight feeling.

Static and dynamic hamstring stretches

You can use two main styles of hamstring stretching:

• Static stretches, where you hold a position

• Dynamic stretches, where you gently move in and out of a posture over time

Both can improve flexibility when done regularly for 60 to 90 seconds total per muscle group (Verywell Fit).

Some simple options include:

• A basic seated hamstring stretch

• A hurdler stretch

• Standing hamstring stretches with either one or both legs

• A towel hamstring stretch while lying on your back

• A standing forward bend

Verywell Fit emphasizes that you should feel a gentle stretch but not pain. If you notice sharp pain or unusual sensations, stop and talk with a healthcare professional (Verywell Fit).

How often to stretch

To maintain hamstring flexibility, try to stretch them two to three times per week. Hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat 2 to 4 times per leg (Banner Health).

If you are recovering from a hamstring injury, your provider may encourage gentle stretching once the acute pain has settled, followed by easy strengthening exercises as you improve (Cleveland Clinic).

If hamstring tightness or pain sticks around despite stretching and basic exercises, a physical therapist can design a plan that is specific to your body and your activities (Verywell Fit).

If you have a history of hamstring injury

Hamstring strains are very common in sports and account for roughly 12 to 16 percent of all athletic injuries. The reinjury rate can be as high as 22 to 34 percent, and repeated strains usually mean more time away from activity than a first time injury (NCBI).

During high speed running, your hamstrings work hardest in a lengthened position, with the hip flexed and knee extending. Many athletes with past strains are especially weak in this end range, which increases reinjury risk (NCBI).

Rehabilitation guidelines suggest a phased approach:

1. Begin with gentle isometric exercises in the early days after injury.

2. Progress to concentric and eccentric strengthening, including classic moves like Nordic hamstring exercises and single leg hinges.

3. Eventually add lengthened position eccentric training, where your hamstrings are loaded while stretched at the hip and knee, often using bands or specialized equipment (NCBI).

Cleveland Clinic also notes that most people start with rest, ice, compression, and elevation, followed by gradual stretching and strengthening at home as symptoms allow (Cleveland Clinic). Increasing intensity too quickly can set you back, so it is important to get clearance from a provider before returning to full speed activity.

Putting it all together in your workouts

You do not have to overhaul your entire program to benefit from hamstring exercises. Start by:

• Adding 1 or 2 hamstring strength moves to your lower body days

• Including a short warm up with dynamic hamstring stretches

• Finishing with a couple of gentle static stretches

For example, a simple lower body session might include:

1. Squats or lunges

2. Kickstand Romanian deadlifts

3. Bridges or physioball leg curls

4. Donkey kicks for extra glute and hamstring work

5. A few minutes of hamstring stretching

Strong, flexible hamstrings make everything from climbing stairs to carrying groceries to playing your favorite sport feel more stable and confident. Choose one exercise from this list to try in your next workout, then build from there as your strength and comfort grow.