Hamstring Exercise Guide
Reviewed by
Valerie Zeller
Printable version
Hamstring is a bodyweight exercise that works your hamstrings.
Hamstring is a great easy move. When done correctly, it can effectively target your legs, lower body and upper legs.
It requires no equipment to do.
Hamstring
How to do Hamstring
Exercise
Sit down on a chair, stretch one leg forward and place both hands on the bent knee of the opposite leg. Then lean forwards from the hips with a straight back until you feel a stretch down the back of the straight leg. Hold this position for the required duration then switch sides. Keep your breathing normal and back straight.
Tips
The biarticulate hamstring muscles [1, 3, 4 ] enter passive insufficiency through the completion of knee extension when the hips are more flexed or through the completion of hip flexion when the knees are more extended. The biarticulate hamstring muscles [1, 3, 4 ] enter active insufficiency through the completion of knee flexion when the hips are more extended (short head of biceps femoris [2 ] becomes more active) or through the completion of hip extension when the knees are more flexed (gluteus maximus becomes more active).
Muscles Worked
The muscles used for hamstring may change slightly based on the your trained range of motion and technique, but in the most general case, the muscles used for hamstring are:
Primary Muscles
- Hamstrings
Synergyst Muscles
Frequently Asked Questions
Training, Progressions and Regressions
Interested in how to improve your Hamstring faster?
Hamstring Training and Progressions
Standards and Averages
Wonder how do others perform in Hamstring and how should you?
Hamstring Standards and Averages
Alternatives
Wonder how to work the same muscles with other exercises?
Variations
Wonder how to make Hamstring either easier or more challenging?
Discover more
Classification
| Type(s) | Bodyweight, Calisthenic, Strength |
| Muscles Worked | Biceps Femoris |
| Difficulty Level(s) | Easy, Simple |
| Equipment | No Equipment |
| Location | At Gym, At Home, Outdoor |
Muscles Worked
| Target muscle(s) | Hamstrings |
| Synergyst muscle(s) |
