17 Ways to Strengthen Your Hamstrings at Home (Without Equipment)

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Our hamstrings kind a basic a part of our posterior chain. They’re muscular tissues that play an enormous position in our useful day-to-day actions. Subsequently, you want to pay them satisfactory consideration in terms of coaching. And also you don’t must be doing heavy deadlifts and ham raises to take action!

If you wish to know find out how to strengthen your hamstrings at house, this text is for you. I’m going to be sharing with you an inventory of the highest 17 hamstring exercises with no tools required, that you are able to do wherever, anytime.

Why You Want Robust Hamstrings

Sadly, weak and tight hamstrings have an effect on most of us. As talked about beforehand, our hamstrings play an enormous position in our each day actions, so being weak by way of this space is lower than excellent.

A weak spot by way of the hamstrings may cause main issues, equivalent to:

• postural points
• decrease again ache
• sore knees
• an elevated likelihood of hamstring pressure and/or muscular tissues tears

Having robust and supple hamstrings is a crucial contributor to your general useful well-being and luxury.

Robust hamstrings will enable your hips will sit in a greater place, which relieves the postural points that straight have an effect on our decrease again and knee consolation. Knee flexion and extension is enhanced by way of having stronger hamstrings. And above all else, you’re far much less prone to injure your self! Anybody who has had a hamstring harm would know that they are often delipidating.

Touching your toes each day and doing the ‘rag doll’ stretch is just not sufficient to appropriately situation your hamstrings. You’ll want to be actively strengthening and mobilizing them by way of useful, dynamic actions.

And I’m about to point out you a bunch of them!

17 Hamstring Workout routines With out Tools

Beneath one can find an inventory of fantastic exercises that can get your hamstrings firing on all cylinders. All of them you are able to do with no machines or any tools in any respect. At most, you’d want a bench or some kind of ledge that can be utilized as a bench, to have the ability to carry out them.

There’s one thing right here for everybody – this listing contains exercises which might be appropriate for newcomers, intermediate degree and the extra superior.

Your glutes and core may even get a thumping throughout most of those exercises – and there’s nothing to not like about that, proper?!

1. Inchworms

Issue degree: Newbie

This train makes an ideal newbie train, but in addition an ideal train to place originally of your workout, no matter your health degree! Inchworms, except for all the opposite advantages, give your hamstrings an ideal dynamic stretch.

Mobilizing your hamstrings will straight have an effect on your capability to strengthen them. So, don’t skip these!

• Begin standing upright along with your ft collectively.
• Bend down and place your fingers on the ground. Observe, preserve your legs as straight as your present hamstring mobility will enable.
• Stroll your fingers out till your physique is in a tabletop plank place, with a impartial backbone and engaged core.
• Stroll your fingers again to your ft, sending your hips upwards and creating that stretch by way of your hamstrings.
• As soon as your fingers get to your ft, arise straight earlier than going into your subsequent inchworm repetition.

Be careful for: Extreme curvature (both means) of the backbone.

Variation: As a substitute of strolling your fingers outwards after which strolling them again to your ft, you may stroll your fingers outwards after which your ft in the direction of your fingers. This can end in you touring forwards and is clearly house allowing.

2. Donkey Kicks

Issue degree: Newbie

What makes this train ‘newbie degree’ is the truth that it’s straightforward to get proper. Other than being technically straightforward, donkey kicks are demanding in your hamstrings and an ideal beginning place for baseline strengthening.

• Begin sq. on fingers and knees. Your fingers needs to be shoulder-width aside and your knees needs to be hip-width aside.
• As this can be a single-sided train, it’s beneficial that you just start along with your weaker aspect.
• Conserving your leg bent to maintain rigidity within the hamstring, raise it till your thigh is parallel to the ground and you’re feeling your glute contract.
• Maintain right here for a second after which carry again right down to beginning place with out resting it on the bottom.
• Do all repetitions on one aspect earlier than repeating on the opposite aspect.

Be careful for: Letting go of the bend in your knee and hyperextending by way of your decrease again as you raise your leg. Lifting till your glute contracts (after which no additional) is an effective technique to keep away from this.

3. Glute Bridge 

Issue degree: Newbie

Don’t let the identify idiot you – sure, it’s going to hit your glutes, however your hamstrings too, in an enormous means! And I’m going to provide you some tips to make it additional ‘hamstring-ish’, so remember to try the ‘find out how to’ notes under!

• Lie flat in your again along with your knees bent and your ft shoulder-width aside flat on the ground.
• The nearer your hips are to your heels, the extra load might be shifted onto your glutes; the additional your hips are out of your heels, the extra load might be shifted onto your hamstrings.
• Lifting your again and hips as one unit, push by way of your heels and ship your hips upwards till you attain full hip extension.
• Maintain right here for a second or two earlier than returning to beginning place which needs to be simply earlier than your butt absolutely rests on the bottom once more.

Be careful for: Your knees collapsing inwards if you push up into hip extension. And remember to not overextend into decrease again hyperextension on the prime of the motion.

Variation: Check out the single-sided model for an additional problem. Have one leg suspended while you carry out the glute bridges/hip extensions on the grounded leg – burn child, burn!

4. Alternating Reverse Lunges  

Issue degree: Newbie

This model of the lunge is a greater model for concentrating on your hamstrings than the usual ahead lunge. This is because of your again leg being the driving power of the lunge versus your entrance leg, making it simpler to regulate. This lets you concentrate on the muscular tissues you ought to be utilizing – hamstrings (and glutes) over quads! 

• Begin standing along with your ft collectively.
• Take a large step backwards along with your weaker leg first.
• Bend each your knees to decrease your physique in the direction of the bottom, although maintaining your torso upright.
• Your entrance knee ought to keep behind your toes and it’s best to focus your weight within the heel of your entrance foot.
• Step again to your beginning place earlier than stepping again with the opposite leg into your subsequent reverse lunge.

Be careful for: Your knee extending in entrance of the toes of your entrance foot. Be sure you aren’t collapsing by way of the chest – preserve your torso upright.  

Variation: Alternating reverse lunges shifts the load out of your proper to left leg by way of your repetitions. In case you’re in search of a bit extra concentrated rigidity, step again into the lunge with the identical leg for the specified quantity of repetitions earlier than commencing on the opposite leg.

5. Bench Squats   

Issue degree: Newbie

The bench squat is used to show folks to squat to depth. Nonetheless, I’ve all the time discovered it notably efficient in aiding with constructing the hamstring energy applicable for performing good, protected squats.

It’s not loaded, and you’ve got a bench for steering, that means you may concentrate on growing that thoughts to muscle connection along with your hamstrings with out an overload of different issues to consider.

• Stand about half a foot in entrance of a bench or stable floor (roughly fitness center bench top).
• Your ft needs to be simply over hip width aside.
• Hold your weight in your heels and push your hips again such as you would in a standard squat however focussing on driving your hamstrings right down to the bench.
• Consider it this fashion – you’re wanting your hamstrings to faucet the bench quite than your glutes.
• As your hamstrings contact the bench, drive again to up standing place, locking out your hips and squeezing your glutes on the prime of the motion.

Be careful for: Your knees collapsing inwards at any stage of the second and never sustaining a impartial backbone. Don’t sit on the bench both! Faucet and go!   

6. Sumo Squat to Stand   

Issue degree: Intermediate

The sumo squat to face is one other nice technique to mobilize your hamstrings to get probably the most out of your hamstring energy coaching. It’s essential that you just undergo the movement of this train slowly because it does require going into full hamstring extension. Sluggish and regular wins the race. 

• Begin in a full squat along with your fingers gripping the entrance of your sneakers/fingers beneath your toes.
• Your chest needs to be upright and your backbone in a impartial place.
• From right here, maintaining your fingers the place they’re, straighten your legs by extending by way of the knees.
• This can ship your hips upwards and can absolutely stretch your hamstrings.
• As soon as you’re at full extension, bend your knees once more to return right into a full squat earlier than going into your subsequent repetition.

Be careful for: Overdoing it! Work effectively inside your vary. In case you are unable to achieve full hamstring extension or get your legs absolutely straight, construct as much as it over time or over your repetition vary.

7. Straight Leg March   

Issue degree: Intermediate

Of all of the dynamic actions for lengthening by way of the hamstrings and prepping them for load, this must be considered one of my favorites – the straight leg march. It seems to be comparatively straightforward to do, however you do want satisfactory core energy and hip mobility to have the ability to carry out it safely.

• Begin standing upright along with your ft collectively.
• Partaking your core and maintaining your leg straight (however not locked on the knee), raise it in the direction of the ceiling then again right down to the bottom earlier than repeating along with your different leg, transferring you ahead in a march like movement.
• The foot of the leg being lifted ought to stay flexed to encourage extension of the hamstring.

Be careful for: Leaning again when lifting your leg up (that is the place your core comes into play). Additionally, be aware of beginning gradual. Don’t fling your leg as much as the heavens and past with out testing out your hamstring flexibility first.

8. Skater Jumps

Issue degree: Intermediate

I like skater jumps! Maybe as a result of they’re the closest to ever being a skater that I’ll get, but in addition… they’re an ideal dynamic motion for constructing lateral energy and energy by way of your decrease physique, particularly your hamstrings and glutes.

In case you’re into high-intensity model exercises, you’re going to like this one. They’ll have you ever burning a number of energy!

• Stand along with your ft collectively and bend your knees to propel your self laterally.
• Leap so far as you may to your left or your proper.
• In case you leapt to the left, for instance, then you want to land in your left foot, absorbing any impression by touchdown on a bent and mushy knee.
• Your proper leg goes behind your left foot and solely barely rests on the bottom, while your proper hand comes right down to the bottom in entrance of your left foot.
• Keep low and get a great rhythm going as you repeat these skater jumps out of your left to proper aspect.
• Goal to cowl as a lot distance as you may with every leap!

Be careful for: Touchdown with an excessive amount of impression and tending your weight into the entrance of your touchdown foot quite than the again.

9. Body weight Good Mornings

Issue degree: Intermediate

Good mornings are a well-loved weighted train however are nonetheless very efficient utilizing solely your body weight. Your hamstrings are the first driving power of this motion, making this train a ‘must-do’ in terms of hamstring workouts at house!

• Stand along with your ft just below hip width aside.
• Have your legs principally straight with solely a slight bend in your knees.
• Hinge ahead on the hips, sending your chest in the direction of the bottom and your hips backwards.
• All the time preserve a impartial backbone.
• As soon as your torso is parallel to the bottom or as soon as you are feeling sufficient stretch by way of your hamstrings, interact your glutes and pull again as much as standing place.

Be careful for: Bending an excessive amount of by way of the knees, rounding by way of the higher again and hyperextending by way of the decrease again.

10. Hamstring Stroll Outs 

Issue degree: Intermediate

Your hamstrings will really feel this one for certain! Hamstring stroll outs work your hamstrings in two methods. Firstly, by way of flexion of the knee, and secondly, by way of the extension of your hips. Be sure you’re adequately warmed up for this one, in any other case you possibly can find yourself with painful hamstring cramping!

• Start as you’ll for the standard glute bridge, mendacity flat in your again along with your knees bent and ft flat on the ground.
• Push your again and hips up as one unit into full hip extension in order that solely your higher again and shoulders are left on the bottom.
• From right here, raise your toes off the bottom and stroll your legs out in your heels, step-by-step till your legs are nearly straight.
• Then stroll them again in your heels till you attain beginning place, which needs to be along with your ft a few foot away out of your hips.

Be careful for: Collapsing by way of the knees and hyperextending by way of your decrease again.

Variation: Attempt the elevated model by resting your higher again and shoulders on an elevated platform earlier than performing your stroll outs.

11. Hip Thrusts 

Issue degree: Intermediate

Just like the glute bridge, however with an added vary of movement! Added vary of movement = larger energy features! Yup, you need to be doing this one! Once more, this can be a well-loved loaded fitness center train. However they’re going to give you the results you want, loaded or not, and doing the physique weight model means you are able to do them from wherever.

• Lean in opposition to a bench or elevated floor that’s round fitness center bench top along with your higher again/shoulders.
• Have your knees bent and your ft hip-width aside, flat on the ground.
• Pushing by way of your heels, drive your hips upwards into full extension.
• Maintain there for a second earlier than reducing again right down to beginning place to enter your subsequent repetition.
• Just like the glute bridge, the additional your ft are away out of your hips to start with, the extra load you’ll really feel in your hamstrings.

Be careful for: Collapsing by way of the knees and hyperextending by way of your decrease again.

Variation: Attempt one leg at a time… should you’re courageous! 

12. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Issue degree: Intermediate

This train may be very very like a single leg model of the great morning and follows an nearly very same vary of movement. Stability is the secret right here, and also you need to do these gradual and managed to get probably the most out of them – your hamstrings and glutes will love you for it!

• Stand upright along with your ft hip-width aside.
• Elevate one foot barely off the ground and place a small bend within the knee of the leg that you just’re standing on.
• Hinging ahead on the hips, drive your bottom as far behind you as you may, while reducing your torso in the direction of the bottom and your non-working leg upwards (suppose pivot) with a impartial backbone.
• You must end with a straight line from the foot of your non-working leg to your hips to your shoulders and head and it’s best to really feel a stable pull in your hamstrings.
• As soon as you are feeling a stable pull within the hamstring of your stabilizing leg, interact your glute of mentioned leg and pull again upwards to be standing upright.

Be careful for: Locking out the knee of your stabilizing leg, extreme rounding of the higher again and hyperextension by way of the decrease again.

13. Bent Leg Reverse Hypers

Issue degree: Intermediate

Reverse hypers are wonderful for growing your hamstrings, and the bent leg model – much more so. These may be achieved with a machine within the fitness center, however on the sting of a bench, mattress or desk at house!

• Lie face down on a flat floor with the crease of your hips in keeping with the sting of the floor.
• Begin with a 90-degree bend within the hips and your knees bent.
• Be sure you are secured on the floor then raise your knees upwards to kind a straight line along with your physique.
• Maintain for a second on this place after which decrease your knees again right down to beginning place.

Be careful for: Hyperextension by way of the decrease again on the prime of the motion.

Variation: In case you’d prefer to concentrate on one hamstring at a time, you are able to do the single-sided model. While most single-sided variations are a level-up, the single-sided model of this train might be the simpler of the 2.

14. Bulgarian Break up Squats

Issue degree: Superior

In my view, this is without doubt one of the most bang-for-your-buck exercises you are able to do. It’s difficult because it requires a stable base of stability, energy, muscular endurance and mobility to execute. With regards to your hamstrings, this train is testing.

While you utilize quite a lot of decrease physique muscular tissues to carry out Bulgarian cut up squats, your hamstrings work as stabilizers on this motion. This makes it a novel problem for them, compared to a few of the different exercises on this listing.

• Elevate one leg by putting your ft/toes on a step/bench/ledge, (roughly fitness center bench top).
• Hop ahead with the opposite leg till you’re standing in a large cut up stance.
• Conserving your torso upright and your backbone impartial, bend each knees to enter a deep lunge.
• Maintain for a second on the backside of the motion after which push again up till your entrance leg is straight.
• Do all repetitions on one leg earlier than commencing on the opposite leg.

Be careful for: Collapsing by way of the chest and permitting the knee of your entrance leg to maneuver in entrance of your toes.

15. Pure Leg Curls

Issue degree: Superior

Although this train requires no tools, you do want one thing to safe your ft beneath, whether or not it’s a bar of some type, or an individual holding them.

This is without doubt one of the most troublesome body weight exercises that you are able to do! Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

• Kneel on the bottom along with your knees and ft collectively.
• Have one thing excessive of your ankles/decrease legs, securing them the bottom.
• Begin upright with a 90-degree bend within the knees.
• Sustaining a straight line out of your head to your hips and to your knees, decrease your physique in the direction of the ground by growing the angle on the knees.
• Maintain the strain in your hamstrings for as lengthy/far down as you may, then catch your physique weight on the ground along with your fingers.
• A small push off the bottom along with your higher physique might be required to tug your self again as much as beginning place.
• Observe, your hamstrings needs to be working in each phases of the train.

Be careful for: Hyperextension by way of the decrease again or bending ahead by way of the hips. Your hips ought to stay prolonged – the motion comes from flexing and increasing by way of the knees.

16. Incline Straight Leg Hip Thrust

Issue degree: Superior

It is a much less generally identified train, although an excellent efficient one for the hamstrings! This incline straight leg hip thrust varieties a part of the bridge/hip extension household, however with many of the load on the hamstrings.

A good thing about being on this straight leg, incline place is that your quads will be unable to fireside, so little help from the entrance of your physique might be out there to your hamstrings.

• Elevate your ft by putting them on a step/bench/ledge, (roughly fitness center bench top).
• Have your higher physique and hips flat on the ground and a small bend within the knees.
• From right here, push your hips upwards into extension and till your legs are straight however not locked out on the knees.
• Maintain for a second and return to beginning place. Let your hips contact the bottom calmly earlier than pushing up into your subsequent repetition.

Be careful for: An excessive amount of bend in your knees and hyperextension by way of your decrease again.

Variation: Hold one leg on the bench and the opposite one barely elevated above the bench to do a single-leg straight leg incline hip thrust.

17. Sliding Leg Curls 

Issue degree: Superior

This train replicates the movement of a standard hamstring curl that you’d do within the fitness center with a machine. I, personally, discover this model the tougher of the 2! And one of the best half about it’s that it locations little to no stress in your knees or again.

You should utilize the flamboyant foot slider pads for this one, however something that slides will do – even a dish material! However perhaps don’t use it for the dishes after it has been sliding everywhere in the ground.

• Lie in your again along with your legs prolonged and heels on the slider pads.
• Elevate your hips off the bottom barely after which pull your ft again in the direction of you, contracting your hamstrings.
• Prolong your legs again outwards on the slider pads, however with out resting your hips on the ground once more, i.e. preserve the strain in your hamstrings the entire time.

Be careful for: There’s not an excessive amount of you are able to do unsuitable right here however be careful for cramping – ensure you’re adequately warmed up!

Variations: Attempt squeezing a rolled-up towel between your thighs as you carry out these sliding leg curls. Or should you’re up for an additional problem, go one leg at a time!

Instance Hamstring Exercise at House

There’s no scarcity of exercises to do be capable of do hamstring workouts at house! To make your life simpler although, I’ve put one collectively for you. All you want to do… is do it!

7 exercises. 3 rounds. 2 minutes relaxation in between rounds.

• Inchworms x 10
• 10 seconds relaxation
• Standing Straight Leg March x 20 (alternating from proper to left leg)
• 10 seconds relaxation
• Hamstring Stroll Outs x 10 (every stroll out and in is 1 x rep)
• 30 seconds relaxation
• Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift x 12 every leg
• 30 seconds relaxation
• Bent Leg Reverse Hypers x 12
• 30 seconds relaxation
• Bulgarian Break up Squats x 12 every leg
• 45 seconds relaxation
• Incline Straight Leg Hip Thrust x 12

You bought this.

Remaining Phrases

No entry to a fitness center? No tools? No downside! As you may see, there aren’t any excuses for not getting your hamstring work achieved, no matter what it’s possible you’ll or might not have entry to!

There are many no tools hamstring exercises that may be achieved from wherever with simply your body weight that can get your hamstrings completely and completely fired up!

And don’t let the body weight and equipment-free components trick you into believing there aren’t any features to be made right here and that these are simply sufficient to activate your hamstrings. Power, mass and muscular endurance features might be yours should you put a bunch of those exercises into constant follow.

Completely happy hamstring coaching!