The hamstring muscle group, located on the back of the thigh, is composed of the semitendinosus, the semimembranosus, and the biceps femoris. These muscles play a dual role in extending the hip and flexing the knee joint. Developing this muscle group requires a targeted approach that systematically addresses these two primary functions to ensure strength and size improvements.
Preparing the Muscles for Movement
Proper preparation before resistance training increases blood flow and improves joint mobility. A dynamic warm-up, which involves movement rather than static holding, prepares the hamstrings. This is a more effective strategy than static stretching, which can reduce power output before exercise.
The hamstrings are biarticular, so a warm-up should include movements that engage both the hip and knee joints. Exercises like walking knee hugs, which mobilize the hip, and walking butt kicks, which focus on knee flexion, are effective. Incorporating a lighter set of the first exercise also activates muscle fibers and rehearses the movement pattern.
Primary Exercises for Hamstring Development
Complete hamstring development requires exercises that train both hip extension and knee flexion. The Romanian Deadlift (RDL) is the most effective movement for training hip extension, placing a significant stretch on the muscle. Begin by holding a barbell or dumbbells with a slight bend in your knees and feet hip-width apart. Initiate the movement by pushing your hips straight back while maintaining a neutral spine, allowing the weight to lower close to your legs. Stop the descent when you feel a significant stretch, typically around mid-shin height, and reverse the motion by driving your hips forward.
The Lying Leg Curl machine isolates the hamstrings through knee flexion. Lie face-down, ensuring the knee joint is just off the pad and the roller pad rests on the lower calves above the ankles. Drive your hips into the bench to prevent lower back arching, then curl your heels toward your glutes. Control the weight throughout the range of motion, focusing on a slow return to the starting position.
For a challenging bodyweight option, the Glute-Ham Raise (GHR) or Nordic Curl can be used. While the GHR is more accessible and uses a dedicated machine, the Nordic Curl is difficult and focuses heavily on eccentric (lowering) strength. For both exercises, the goal is to resist gravity as you slowly lower your torso toward the floor, then contract your hamstrings and glutes to pull your body back up.
Mastering Proper Form and Avoiding Injury
Mastering the hip hinge is important for safely and effectively performing exercises like the Romanian Deadlift. The hip hinge is a movement pattern where the hips are the primary joint of motion, pushing the buttocks backward while keeping the spine straight. This is distinct from a squat, where the knees bend significantly and the torso remains more upright.
A common error is allowing the lower back to round or hyperextend, which shifts the load away from the hamstrings and onto the spine. To prevent this, focus on maintaining a neutral spine. This can be practiced by holding a dowel rod against the back, ensuring it maintains contact with the back of the head, upper back, and tailbone throughout the movement.
Another frequent mistake is lifting too heavy, which leads to using momentum or cutting the range of motion short. For exercises like the RDL and Leg Curl, emphasizing the eccentric phase—the controlled lowering of the weight—over a two to four-second count can increase muscle stimulation and reduce injury risk.
Structuring Hamstring Training Frequency
To maximize muscle growth (hypertrophy), hamstrings should be trained two to three times per week, allowing at least 48 hours of recovery between sessions. Hamstrings respond well to a lower overall weekly volume than other muscle groups, with trainees seeing results from two to eight hard sets per week.
For strength and size, a common scheme involves performing three to four sets per exercise, with repetitions ranging from eight to twelve. Hip-hinge movements, such as RDLs, can benefit from heavier loads in the five to ten repetition range. Isolation movements like leg curls may be effective with higher repetitions, up to thirty.
The most important principle for long-term progress is progressive overload. This means consistently and gradually increasing the challenge over time, perhaps by adding weight or performing an extra repetition each week.