How to exercise your hamstrings?

Is it just me or do hamstrings always seem to get the short end of the stick in leg exercises? Sure, squats and lunges are great for building quads and glutes, but what about working those hamstrings? If you’re tired of feeling like the back burner muscle group, fear not my friend. With these hamstring-specific exercises, we’ll have your legs fitter than a butcher’s dog in no time.

It’s All About Balance

Before we dive into specific hamstring-targeting moves, let’s talk balance. An important aspect of any workout is making sure that all muscle groups are being worked evenly. This means giving adequate attention to both your quadriceps (front thighs) and your hamstrings (back thighs).

If one set of muscles becomes much stronger than its opposing counterpart(s), imbalances can occur leading to poor posture or even injury down the line. So don’t skimp out on working those hammies!

Let’s Warm Things Up First

Never skip warmup exercises – unless you want soreness that sticks around longer than an ex who can’t take a hint. To begin with:

1. Butt Kicks

This classic exercise involves jogging lightly in place while aiming to kick yourself in the buttocks with each step backwards.

  • Benefits: Warming up your entire lower body including calves and abductors.
  • How-to:
    1. Stand with feet hip-width apart
    2. Start jogging forward at a comfortable pace
    3. Aim to touch your heels against your Butt as they move behind you one by one
      4.Carry on this movement for at least 30 seconds

2.Walking Lunges

You’ve seen them before; you might hate them already… Walking lunges are an excellent way to target both quadriceps AND hamstrings in one movement, making them a perfect warmup or standalone exercise for your legs.

  • Benefits: Improving joint mobility, strengthening leg muscles and warming up the entire body.
  • How-to:
    1. Begin by standing straight with shoulders back and chest high
    2. Take a long step forward with your right foot
      3.Slowly bend both knees to form two 90-degree angles
      4.Power through your heel to stand again as you bring your left foot forward to take another step
      Repeat these steps several times gradually increasing speed

Once you’ve finished warming up it’s time to really rev things up.

Exercise Time

It’s important that each of these exercises is executed properly so give yourself enough time (and attention) learning how do perform each in excellent form. There’s no rush here.. well ACTUALLY we must crunch those hammies down on regular periods if at all we’re going anywhere!

Remember, sacrificing good technique isn’t a sacrifice worth making! Here are some workouts:

3. Deadlifts

Deadlift?. What? Does/did anyone has/ever actually have the intention of picking weights off ground merely lifting dead objects?

But wait;all jokes aside; this compound move targets not only hamstrings but also works on core strength along with lower back.And yes,it does involve lifting weight from floor dead; hence name “dead” lifts(Jacked bodies dont get their names from nothing!!)

Dont worry it ain’t like asking for seconds at Thanksgiving dinner…once understood its among the simplest moves(that puts itself among most beneficial one)

  • Benefits: Targets full body especially hamstrings, lower glutes,middle/lower back along with our stretched abdominal area(thats umm abs aka ripped guts)!

  • How-to:
    Precautions :
    Keep both feet parallel or pointed slightly outwards(around shoulder width apart).
    Keep back straight throughout the move.
    Always keep barbell close to legs, take care not getting off balance or tripping over lowering weight(safety first)!

      Steps :
    

    1.Start with your feet shoulder-width apart
    2. Grab a weighted barbell;Go ahead and load up an appropriate amount of weight for you!If you’re new to this movement, go lighter. You can always adjust if needed!
    3.bend down from hips keeping spine neutral( ‘flat’ in relation to floor)
    By rolling shoulders down,it tightens lats at sides making torso engaging lower half of your motion towards lift.

    4.Grasp handles on outside and pull/raise the loaded bar upwards (until it reaches hip height ~~Pat yourself in your head for doing awesome~~)
    -You haven’t dead lifted until the weights makes noise that sounds like agony

4. Lying Leg Curls

Leg curls are great for isolating hamstring muscles which means its GREAT way strengthening them.

No judgements as you visualize ‘Liar liar pants on fire’ meme whilst having flashbacks??

  • Benefits: Stretches hamstrings effectively strengthening this muscle group along enhancing knee joint integrity(More resistant against injury caused by wear and tear)

  • How-to:
    1.Lay flat (face-downwards)on machine with padded roller adjusted level above back ankle/arbitrary pinky toe
    2.Make sure ankles doesn’t stick too much out towards rollerskeep calves parallel aaand bring heels close almost touching glutes.(Form is Key here)
    Hold onto bars in front till stable if beginner particularly

    When ready then proceed:

     Pull heels towards buttocks while exhaling involving hamstrings completely(pain equals gain!)
    

In Like A Lion; Out Like Lunges

These lunges hit all sorts of targets with both mini and maxi benefits to your overall leg strength.

  • Benefits: Targeting hamstrings,glutes,thighs along with balance stabilization (Useful in many everyday tasks like carrying groceries)!

  • How-to:
    Precautions:

            Stand upright without any support on level surface(evenly distribute weight on both legs).
       Keep abs core tight throughout the next few steps to avoid collapsing at ankles(knees generally dont look good that way.)
           Don't sweat it if initially lack balance..its an ongoing learning process
    

    Once comfortable; follow these steps:

    1.Step forward alternating sides(first the Left , then Right),whilst not over-striding

    2.Hold hands out as feel most comfortable(rarely overhead or clasped behind back).

    3.As you step forward Bend front knee till thigh almost parallel to floor

    4.Push through heel of front foot fully steadily back-upward whilst exhaling

Now swap other Leg & repeat same motion. Voila! You’ve just mastered Lunge artform!

STAY PUT:Tennis Ball Slides

Grab a towel, your favorite tunes and plop yourself down on the ground; Time for some tennis ball slider workout(just ensure keeping away from dog!)

-Sidenote: Not all inches are equal…think twice before guesstimating length of lying space needed here.

  • Benefits: Great activation move for stretching out Ham/half glute muscles also improving their isolation during big lifts

This fantastic exercise‘slides’ following actionable instructions:

Start With ,

Hamstrings

        A:Sitting up against wall Place Tennis balls under upper/midhamstring area(both balancing on lower back)
        Key is making sure they’re positioned flat along direction longwise.

          B :slowly moving up/press into circled areas turning upper body onto side moving tennis ball along whole hamstring region directionally in similar repetition.

As if you are drawing out sketches on oversized pad.These coordination skills plays important role while swimming,floaters might require same patterns,just saying.

Now for Glutes:

       Replace balls, and subsequently make transition push down towards glutes ,repeat figurative drawings upwards downwards without skipping corners till reached midpoint

Congratulations!You just pat yourself like cat on back(Meow) we’ve successfully learnt a great way to get those hammies sizzlin’

Some Sound Habits For Aftermath:

Now that your hammie game is stronger than ever,take some time to focus on recovery as an integral part of any exercise regimen. Here are few tips :

10.Stretch It Out

Muscles can easily become tight and tense after workouts so strike out stretching regime with static stretches where position briefly maintained supported by flexed muscle(around 20-30 seconds),activating muscles engaged during routine.Examples of such stretches include but not limited : Cobra (lordosis) stretch or Knee-to-Chest Massage Stretch(lower back).

Additionally..Make sure to perform movements gently extending limbs toward natural limits refusing impulse for over-stretch alertedly listening to body’s pleas.

11.Rest

Recovery! This step means adding sufficient gap period between leg day routines;allowing healing process no matter whatever novellas being compellingly persuasive explaining its okay drooling sleeping huge chunks away.All overtraining does is bringing frustration.If need be supplement additional Rest days.That rejuvenation will positively reflect upon performance NEXT TIME!

12.Fuel Up/ Hydration is Key:

   Workout excites metabolism kicking it up a notch.Meanwhile lethargy won’t do anything apart from hampering effects.A well- balanced diet in combination with hydration makes sure achieving desired results.Plentiful fruits combined alongside proteins(one handful almonds/nuts)hydrates correctly ensures healthy muscles. Learn and Eat!

Conclusion

That’s all, folks! With Deadlifts, lying leg curls, lunges, tennis ball sliders and some stretching thrown into the mix you’re on your way to stronger,happier hammies than ever before.Remember that balance is always key;if one muscle group lags behind it may contribute towards variety of issues including poor posture,pain or even injuries.

As always listen to body attentively sticking to basics whilst improvising safely plus regularly maintaining discipline brings in sight promised goals while staying away from stress at same time.When next person(s) calling Hamstrings “Underrated ,Ignored”,Let them sparky eyes with authoritative tone reply back how strongly we endorse working for our buns of steel 2021…Ham To the World; okay granted its bad but POWER TO HAMS!

Random Posts