Muscle guide · Lower body

The Best Exercises for Hamstrings

The best hamstring exercises are a hip hinge (Romanian deadlift, good morning) plus a leg curl. The hamstrings cross both the hip and knee, so they need both kinds of movement, and seated leg curls grew them more than lying curls in a 2021 study.

Includes: Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus · also called Biceps of thigh Left, Biceps of thigh Right, Half-tendinous muscle Left, Half-tendinous muscle Right

Written by the FitStack training team. Last reviewed .

Front view: muscles worked by hamstrings training. Primary: hamstrings.
Back view: muscles worked by hamstrings training. Primary: hamstrings.
Primary

What the hamstrings do

  • Bends the knee.
  • Extends the hip, with the glutes.
  • Controls the lower leg at the end of a sprint stride.

The hamstrings are three muscles on the back of the thigh: biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. Most cross both the hip and knee, so hinges load them at the hip and curls load them at the knee. Training at long muscle lengths, as in the seated curl and RDL, appears especially effective.

6 best hamstring exercises

  1. Romanian deadlift — Best hinge for hamstring growth.
  2. Seated leg curl — Curls with the hip flexed for a longer stretch.
  3. Lying leg curl — Classic knee-flexion isolation.
  4. Good morning — Hinge with the bar on your back.
  5. Single-leg RDL — Home-friendly, one leg at a time.
  6. Inverse leg curl — Bodyweight knee-flexion.

Sample hamstrings workouts

Gym hamstring workout

Gym · Intermediate

Gym hamstring workout: exercises and sets × reps
Romanian deadlift 3 × 6–10
Seated leg curl 3 × 10–15
Back extension 2 × 12–15

Home hamstring workout

Home · Beginner

Home hamstring workout: exercises and sets × reps
Dumbbell RDL 3 × 10–12
Single-leg RDL 3 × 8 per leg
Glute bridge 2 × 15

Sets × reps. Finish each set with one or two reps left in reserve, and rest 2 to 3 minutes after compound lifts and 1 to 2 minutes after isolation work.

How many sets for the hamstrings?

Aim for 8 to 16 hard sets a week, split between hinges and curls.

Muscle growth rises with weekly volume: in a meta-analysis, 10 or more hard sets per muscle per week produced more growth than fewer than 5 (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), and training a muscle at least twice a week beat once a week when volume was matched (Schoenfeld et al., 2016). Start near the low end and add sets while you are still recovering between sessions.

More hamstrings exercises by equipment

Body Weight

Rope

Barbell

Leverage Machine

Assisted

Dumbbell

Stability Ball

Cable

Kettlebell

Filter every hamstrings exercise in the library →

Exercises that also work the hamstrings (50)

Hamstrings training FAQs

Seated or lying leg curl?

Both work. Maeo et al. (2021) found the seated leg curl produced more hamstring growth than the lying curl because it trains the muscle at longer lengths.

Do squats work the hamstrings?

Very little. The hamstrings change length only slightly in a squat, so they need hinges and curls.

How do I avoid hamstring strains?

Build strength gradually, include exercises that load the hamstrings at long lengths, and warm up well before sprinting.

Sources

  1. Maeo S, Huang M, Wu Y, et al. Greater hamstrings muscle hypertrophy but similar damage protection after training at long versus short muscle lengths. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2021;53(4):825-837.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass. J Sports Sci. 2017;35(11):1073-1082.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2016;46(11):1689-1697.

General fitness information, not medical advice. Speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.