Hamstrings are extremely important muscles in the body. Aside from helping your legs work they are also stabilizing muscles between the lower back and calves.
Sometimes people overlook proper hamstring training which can result in an unequal relationship between the surrounding muscles which can cause lower back issues. They best way to fix that problem? Get great hamstring workouts in with these three great hamstring exercises!
1 – Stiff-Legged Deadlifts
This is a much overlooked exercise but is one more people should do. When done properly this compound exercise will work all three parts of the hamstring as well as provide a workout for the calves and lower back.
For this you will use a barbell. The starting weight should be very light as there is stretching involved, and starting heavy is just begging for an injury. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, holding the barbell with a grip slightly wider than your shoulders. Keeping your legs and back flat, simply bend at the waist and let the barbell travel slowly towards the ground. If you can, touch the weight to the ground before slowly straightening back up.
Low weight and proper form is critical until you have the feel of the exercise down in order to prevent an injury. Your hips move back as you go down and when you come back up you drive the weight with your hips and glutes, forcing the hamstrings to contract (not the lower back).
2 – Standing Single-Leg Curl
This only works if you have a machine that allows you to perform this exercise. Basically it is like doing a bicep curl but with your legs. The reason this exercise is so good is because of the contraction you can attain when doing single legs. The focus and attention is more easily given to a single leg at a time ensuring you are really squeezing that muscle tight before slowly lowering it.
3 – Good Mornings
This is another classic exercise that is similar to a stiff-legged deadlift. The difference is lighter weights and the placement of the weight. It is best to start holding just a dumbbell or weight plate at your chest. Later you can work up to holding a light barbell across your shoulders like you would when squatting.
Again, stand with your feet shoulder width apart. With your legs and back flat, bow to an imaginary person in front of you. Keep your eyes on a fixed point as you slowly bend into the bowed position (head up) and then again drive with the hips and glutes to contract your hamstrings as you come up. This is an excellent high-rep exercise to do at the end because it also stretches your muscles.
If you add these three great hamstring workouts into your routine, in no time you should have a great looking set of legs!
About the author: Ben Sanderson is an author for Nutribomb Discount Sports Nutrition. Nutribomb strives to provide the best supplement advice and information on the internet.