When you think about leg day, do you automatically jump to butt workouts and quad exercises?
Well, there's another major lower body muscle group you're missing: hamstrings. If you're not hitting them on leg day, you are skipping out on major benefits. Hamstring exercises are a must for a well-rounded lower-body workout.
Meet the experts: Kristina Earnest, CPT, has more than a decade of experience leading cycling and strength classes and founded Kristina Earnest On Demand. Roxie Jones, CPT, is a strength and nutrition coach in New York City, founder of BodyRox training, and leads strength classes on Alo Moves.
If you want to squat lower, lunge a little deeper, and run faster? Spending time strength training your hamstrings is a must. Plus, if your hamstrings are weak, you run the risk of hurting yourself.
"You cannot perform on injured hamstrings," says Kristina Earnest, CPT. "There are so many ways that we use our hamstrings in sports and activities it is imperative that we keep them happy through strength, mobility, and proper warm-up/cooldown exercises."
What are the hamstring muscles?
Your hamstrings are actually made up of three separate muscles. This trio runs along the backs of your thighs from your hips to your knees—and they play a role in pretty much every leg exercise and lower-body movement you do.
Part of the posterior chain, your hamstrings drive a major portion of your cycling stroke and help you power up hills or incline treadmill walks (12-3-30 workout anyone?) or runs.
What are the benefits of strong hamstrings?
- Prevent injury. "These muscles play a big role in stabilizing your knee joint, as well as maintaining hip and spinal alignment," says Earnest. "If we neglect our hamstrings or overcompensate with our quads, we increase the risk of injury to our knee joints as well as the hamstrings themselves."
- Run faster. "You need strong hamstrings as you rapidly switch your legs as each heel kicks up towards its corresponding glute," says Earnest. "Alongside the glutes, they help to push the body forward as you run by extending the hip joint."
- Level up athletic performance. "The hamstrings are among the muscles responsible for our ability to run fast, stop short, and cut quickly," says Earnest. "The stronger the hamstrings are, the faster you can stop and switch directions, a critical piece of sports performance."
- Improve everyday life: Strong hamstrings make everyday tasks and movement a bit easier, like standing up from a seated position, climbing stairs, or bending over to pick up, says Earnest.
What are the best hamstring exercises?
The most effective hamstring exercises include movements with a hip hinge, according to Earnest. Think deadlift variations, the glute bridge, kettlebell swings, and a good morning.
They work whether you're a total beginner or a workout pro, because they can be modified easily. That means you'll continue seeing gains as you get stronger.
How can you add hamstring exercises into your workout routine?
Hitting the hamstrings one or two times a week is more than enough, according to Earnest. "As important as your hamstrings are to your daily routine, you don’t want to be adding these exercises to your workouts too often," she says.
First: Don't forget to warm up. "It is very important to make sure your hamstrings are warm before putting them under tension," says Earnest. "A thorough warm-up includes both light aerobic activity to increase blood flow and heart rate as well as static and dynamic stretching to loosen and temporarily lengthen muscle fibers."
Sprinkle a few of these hamstrings exercises into leg workouts—or follow the instructions below to do your own dedicated hammy circuit.
The key to making every rep count: Concentrate on squeezing your hamstrings and let them be the muscles that initiate each movement—don’t let your quads or glutes take over!
Time: 15-20 minutes | Equipment: Dumbbells, resistance band, stability ball | Good for: Hamstrings
Instructions: Choose three to four hamstring exercises from the list below. Perform 10 to 12 reps of each, then continue onto the next move, resting only as needed. Once you've finished all of the moves, repeat the entire circuit twice more for a total of three rounds.
1. Weighted Good Morning
How to:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands behind neck, holding a pair of dumbbells resting on shoulders. (Modification option: Hold one weight behind your neck with both hands.)
- Keeping knees slightly bent and torso straight, slowly hinge forward from hips until upper body is parallel to the floor.
- Hold for a moment, then return to start and standing tall. That's 1 rep.
2. Banded Glute Bridge
How to:
- Wrap a resistance band around thighs and lie on back with knees bent and feet on the floor 12 to 16 inches from butt.
- Brace core, then press into heels and squeeze glutes to raise hips toward ceiling while pushing upper back into floor and maintaining tension in the band.
- Pause at the top, then lower back to the mat with control. That's 1 rep.
Pro tip: Keep the band taut throughout the entire movement.
3. Dumbbell Donkey Kick
How to:
- Get on all fours, and place a dumbbell at the crease of right knee.
- Keep right knee bent at 90 degrees and lift leg into the air until thigh is parallel to floor.
- Lower right leg with control to return to start. That's 1 rep.
Pro tip: Modify this move by starting without any added weight.
4. Banded Staggered-Stance Deadlift
How to:
- Start standing on left leg with center of resistance band looped under left, hold one end of the band in either hand.
- Step right back slightly, lift as you push hips back and lower torso forward to 45-degree angle.
- Drive through left heel to reverse the movement to return to starting position. That's 1 rep. Complete all reps, then switch sides and repeat with right leg.
Pro tip: You can also perform this exercise by holding weights in hands as resistance.
5. Bridge Hip Cook Lift
How to:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Hug your right leg toward your chest and hold onto that knee with both hands.
- Engage your glutes and lift your hips up until your left thigh forms a straight line with your back.
- Lower down with control. That's 1 rep. Complete all reps, then switch sides and repeat with left leg.
Pro tip: Lift the toes of your foot on the floor to amp up the burn.
6. Stability Ball Hamstring Squeeze
How to:
- Start seated, with legs extended and hands just behind butt, palms flat on the floor, fingers pointed toward body, and arms straight.
- Press into hands and lift hips into the air until body forms a straight line from shoulders to heels.
- Keep hips raised while you bend right knee, and tap right toes on the floor near glutes.
- Extend right leg back to the starting position.
- Repeat on the left side. That's 1 rep.
Pro tip: No stability ball? No problem! You can do this one without equipment; just focus on squeezing those hamstrings.
7. Glute Bridge March
How to:
- Start lying on back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
- Engage core, then press into heels and squeeze glutes to raise hips until body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.
- Lift right knee toward chest and pause.
- Lower right foot back to floor with control.
- Repeat with the other leg. That's 1 rep.
Pro tip: Keep hips square and engage core to protect lower back.
8. Glute Bridge Tiptoe Walk
How to:
- Start lying on back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
- Engage core, then press into heels and squeeze glutes to raise hips until body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.
- Keep hips level and take one step back toward glutes with right foot, balancing on toes.
- Repeat with the left.
- Reverse the movement to return to start. That's 1 rep.
Pro tip: Move slowly and take the smallest steps possible to increase the amount of time your hamstrings spend under tension.
9. Single-Leg Glute Bridge
How to:
- Start lying on back with arms out to the side pressing into mat, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
- Keeping pelvis level, straighten one leg toward ceiling, foot flexed so that sole points up.
- Squeeze glutes to lift hips evenly off the floor.
- Lower back to the mat with control. That’s 1 rep. Complete all reps, then switch sides and repeat.
Pro tip: Engage core to protect lower back.
10. Kettlebell Swing
How to:
- Start in a hinge (hips back, knees bent, torso leaned forward at 45 degrees) holding the handle of a kettlebell with both hands, arms extended straight toward floor and bell between knees on the floor.
- In one motion, squeeze glutes, straighten legs, lift torso, and thrust hips forward, while swinging the weight to chest height, keeping arms straight and core tight.
- Reverse the movement, bringing the kettlebell between thighs this time when you hinge. That's 1 rep.
Option: Don't have a kettlebell? Hold the end of a dumbbell between both hands to perform dumbbell swings instead.
11. Stability Ball Hamstring Curl
How to:
- Start lying on back with arms at sides, legs extended, and feet resting on stability ball.
- Press into upper back and arms to lift hips off mat.
- Engage hamstrings and bend knees to pull heels toward seat.
- Re-extend legs. That's 1 rep.
Pro tip: You can also try this one with towels or sliders beneath your feet.
12. Resistance Band Kickback
How to:
- Start on hands and knees with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips.
- Loop a mini resistance band around lower legs, securing under left knee and right foot.
- Press right leg backward until it's completely extended.
- Return to start with control. That's 1 rep. Complete all reps, then switch sides and repeat with the left leg.
Pro tip: Keep core engaged and actively squeeze through glutes and hamstrings as you press back.
13. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
How to:
- Start standing with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, holding a pair of weights in front of thighs, palms facing body.
- Keeping knees slightly bent, press hips back as you hinge at the hips and lower the weights toward the floor. (Keep weights close to thighs/calves as you lower.)
- Squeeze glutes to return to standing. That's 1 rep.
Pro tip: Lower only as far as you can while maintaining tension in your glutes and hamstrings.
14. Banded Single-Leg Deadlift
How to:
- Start standing on left leg with foot over the middle of a long resistance band, one end of the band in either hand.
- Push hips back to hinge at waist while lowering torso toward floor and lifting straight right leg back behind body until both are parallel to floor.
- Drive through left heel to reverse the movement to return to starting position. That’s 1 rep. Complete all reps on same side, then repeat with the opposite.
Pro tip: This move seriously challenges you balance, so feel free to start without the band!
15. Bulgarian Split Squat
How to:
- Stand in front of a low bench or platform with feet hip-width apart, holding two dumbbells in hands at sides.
- Place left foot onto the platform behind you, gently resting the top of the foot to stabilize.
- Engage your core and glutes and lower down with control, and stop when your back knee hovers just off the ground.
- Drive through your front foot and squeeze your glutes as you stand back up. That's 1 rep. Complete all reps, then switch sides and repeat.
Jennifer Nied is the fitness editor at Women’s Health and has more than 10 years of experience in health and wellness journalism. She’s always out exploring—sweat-testing workouts and gear, hiking, snowboarding, running, and more—with her husband, daughter, and dog.
