Hamstring Training: Anatomy, Principles, Exercises, and Programming

How do you hit your hamstrings?

Effectively targeting the hamstrings requires a comprehensive approach that considers their dual function in hip extension and knee flexion, utilizing a variety of exercises with proper form and progressive overload.

Understanding Hamstring Anatomy and Function

The hamstrings are a group of three muscles located on the posterior aspect of the thigh: the semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris (comprising a long head and a short head). All three muscles (except the short head of the biceps femoris) originate on the ischial tuberosity (the sitting bone of the pelvis) and cross both the hip and knee joints.

Their primary actions are:

• Hip Extension: Pulling the leg backward, extending the hip joint. This action is common in movements like standing up, deadlifts, and running.
• Knee Flexion: Bending the knee, bringing the heel towards the buttocks. This action is crucial for walking, running, and specific leg curl exercises.
• Knee Internal/External Rotation: The semitendinosus and semimembranosus internally rotate the tibia, while the biceps femoris externally rotates it.

Understanding these functions is paramount to selecting exercises that comprehensively "hit" all aspects of the hamstrings.

Key Principles for Effective Hamstring Training

To maximize hamstring development and strength, adhere to these fundamental principles:

• Full Range of Motion (ROM): Ensure you are moving through the full available range of the exercise. For hip extension exercises, this often means a significant stretch in the hamstrings at the bottom of the movement. For knee flexion, it means bringing the heel as close to the glutes as possible. The eccentric (lengthening) phase is particularly important for hamstring hypertrophy and strength.
• Mind-Muscle Connection: Actively focus on contracting and feeling the hamstrings work during each repetition. This can improve muscle activation and recruitment.
• Progressive Overload: To continue making gains, you must gradually increase the demand placed on your hamstrings over time. This can be achieved by increasing weight, repetitions, sets, reducing rest times, or improving exercise difficulty.
• Variety: The hamstrings perform two primary actions. Relying solely on hip extension or knee flexion exercises will lead to incomplete development. Incorporate movements that emphasize both roles.
• Proper Form: Always prioritize correct technique over lifting heavy weight. Poor form not only reduces the effectiveness of the exercise but significantly increases the risk of injury, especially to the lower back or hamstrings themselves.

Exercises Targeting Hamstring Hip Extension

These exercises emphasize the hamstrings' role in extending the hip, often involving a significant stretch on the muscles.

• Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs):
  • Execution: Hold a barbell or dumbbells with an overhand grip, standing tall. Keeping a slight bend in the knees and a neutral spine, hinge at the hips, pushing your glutes backward as you lower the weight. Feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings. Return to the starting position by driving your hips forward, squeezing the glutes and hamstrings.
  • Focus: Excellent for eccentric hamstring strength and hypertrophy due to the large stretch under load.
• Good Mornings:
  • Execution: With a barbell across your upper back (like a squat), hinge at the hips, keeping a slight knee bend and a neutral spine, lowering your torso until your hamstrings are fully stretched. Drive back up by extending the hips.
  • Focus: Similar to RDLs but places more load on the posterior chain, requiring strong core and lower back stability.
• Glute-Ham Raise (GHR):
  • Execution: Performed on a dedicated GHR machine. Anchor your feet, kneel on the pad, and lower your torso until parallel to the floor (or beyond, if comfortable), primarily by extending your knees and then flexing your hips. Reverse the motion to return.
  • Focus: One of the most effective exercises for simultaneously training hip extension and knee flexion, with a strong eccentric component. Advanced bodyweight exercise that can be weighted.
• Kettlebell Swings (Hip-Dominant):
  • Execution: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, kettlebell between feet. Hinge at the hips, grabbing the bell. Explosively extend your hips and knees, swinging the kettlebell up to chest height. Allow gravity to pull the bell back down, hinging at the hips as it descends.
  • Focus: Develops explosive hip extension power, engaging the hamstrings and glutes.

Exercises Targeting Hamstring Knee Flexion

These movements isolate the hamstrings' role in bending the knee.

• Leg Curls (Prone, Seated, Standing):
  • Execution: Performed on dedicated machines. Position yourself so the pad rests on your lower calves/Achilles. Curl your heels towards your glutes, feeling the contraction in your hamstrings. Control the eccentric phase as you return the weight.
  • Focus: Isolates the knee flexion function, allowing for direct overload of the hamstrings without significant involvement from the glutes or lower back. Each variation (prone, seated, standing) can alter the muscle's length-tension relationship, potentially emphasizing different parts of the hamstring or range of motion.
• Nordic Hamstring Curls (NHC):
  • Execution: Kneel on a padded surface, with your ankles securely anchored (e.g., under a stable bar, or held by a partner). Keeping your body straight from knees to head, slowly lean forward, resisting the fall by eccentrically contracting your hamstrings. Once you can no longer resist, use your hands to catch yourself, then push back up. Progress to doing the concentric portion without assistance.
  • Focus: Extremely effective for eccentric strength and hypertrophy, known for its protective effect against hamstring strains. Very challenging bodyweight exercise.
• Sliding Leg Curls (Sliders/Furniture Movers):
  • Execution: Lie supine (on your back) with heels on sliders. Lift your hips off the floor, forming a straight line from knees to shoulders. Keeping hips elevated, pull your heels towards your glutes by flexing your knees, then slowly extend your legs back out.
  • Focus: Bodyweight exercise that provides a continuous challenge to the hamstrings through the knee flexion range of motion, often used as a progression towards GHRs or Nordics.

Integrating Hamstring Training into Your Program

To effectively "hit" your hamstrings, consider these programming aspects:

• Frequency: Aim for 2-3 training sessions per week that include direct hamstring work.
• Volume: For strength and hypertrophy, 3-5 sets of 6-15 repetitions per exercise are generally effective. Total weekly volume can range from 10-20 sets, depending on your experience level and recovery capacity.
• Placement: Hamstring exercises can be performed:
  • At the beginning of a leg day: If you want to prioritize hamstring development, starting with a compound hip extension movement (like RDLs) can pre-fatigue them for subsequent exercises.
  • Towards the end of a leg day: After compound movements like squats, isolation exercises like leg curls can be used to fully exhaust the hamstrings.
  • On a dedicated posterior chain day: Combining hamstrings with glutes and lower back work.
• Complementary Training: Remember that hamstrings work synergistically with the glutes and erector spinae (lower back muscles) in many movements. A well-rounded program will include exercises that strengthen all components of the posterior chain.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even with the right exercises, common errors can hinder hamstring development and increase injury risk:

• Over-reliance on Quadriceps: Many individuals prioritize quadriceps work (e.g., squats, leg presses) and neglect direct hamstring training, leading to muscular imbalances.
• Using Too Much Weight with Poor Form: Especially in hip extension movements like RDLs, rounding the back or relying on momentum rather than hamstring activation reduces effectiveness and significantly increases injury risk.
• Neglecting the Eccentric Phase: The lowering portion of an exercise is crucial for muscle growth and strength. Control the movement, don't just let gravity drop the weight.
• Lack of Variety: Sticking to only one or two hamstring exercises will lead to incomplete development, as each exercise may emphasize different aspects of the muscle's function or length.
• Ignoring Warm-up and Cool-down: Proper warm-up prepares the muscles for work, while a cool-down aids recovery and flexibility, reducing the risk of strains.

Conclusion: A Holistic Approach to Hamstring Development

To truly "hit" your hamstrings and foster their strength, power, and resilience, a multi-faceted approach is essential. Understand their anatomy and dual functions, select exercises that target both hip extension and knee flexion, prioritize perfect form over heavy weight, and progressively challenge them over time. By incorporating a variety of movements and avoiding common pitfalls, you can build powerful, injury-resistant hamstrings that contribute to athletic performance and overall lower body health.