Hamstring exercises
The 8 staple movements, taken from the 3,215 exercise guides in the SETR app: technique, recommended volume, cues and classic mistakes.
The hamstrings have two jobs: bending the knee and extending the hip. So they need training both ways. Romanian deadlifts and good mornings load them in the stretch from the hip; leg curls work them from the knee. Skipping them leaves an imbalance with the quads and raises the risk of a strain.
1. Romanian deadlift
Barbell Romanian Deadlift
- Sets
- 3-4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Tempo
- 3-1-1-0
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Level
- Advanced
- Muscles worked
- Hamstrings · secondary : Glutes, Back
How to do it
- Stand holding a barbell with an overhand grip in front of your thighs, feet hip-width apart.
- With your knees slightly bent and fixed, tip your torso forward by pushing your hips back.
- Lower the bar along your legs until you feel a full hamstring stretch.
- Come back up by driving your hips forward to standing.
Tips
- Keep the bar in contact with your legs throughout the descent.
- Keep your back flat and your core braced; the bend comes from your hips, not your spine.
- Stop lowering as soon as your hamstring stretch reaches its limit, without trying to touch the floor.
Mistakes to avoid
- Rounding your back as you lower.
- Bending your knees more, which turns the movement into a squat.
- Letting the bar drift away from your legs.
2. Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
- Sets
- 3-4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Tempo
- 3-1-1-0
- Equipment
- Dumbbells
- Level
- Intermediate
- Muscles worked
- Hamstrings · secondary : Glutes, Back
How to do it
- Standing, a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs, feet hip-width apart.
- Knees slightly bent, shoulder blades squeezed, back flat.
- Push your hips back as you lower the dumbbells along your legs.
- Come back up by driving your hips forward, glutes squeezed at the end of the movement.
Tips
- The dumbbells stay in contact with your legs: that's the marker of a correct path.
- Lower until your hamstrings stretch, usually to mid-shin.
- Your eyes follow your torso: don't lift your head on the way down.
Mistakes to avoid
- Letting the dumbbells drift away from your legs.
- Rounding your back at the bottom.
- Bending your knees and turning the movement into a squat.
3. Lying leg curl
Lever Lying Leg Curl
- Sets
- 3-4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Tempo
- 3-1-1-0
- Equipment
- Machine
- Level
- Intermediate
- Muscles worked
- Hamstrings
How to do it
- Lie face down on the machine, pad positioned just above your heels.
- Grab the handles and keep your hips pressed against the bench.
- Curl your heels toward your glutes by bending your knees.
- Lower under control to full extension.
Tips
- Keep your hips pressed against the bench throughout the set.
- Squeeze your hamstrings hard at the top of the contraction.
- Control the negative phase instead of letting the weight drop back all at once.
Mistakes to avoid
- Lifting your hips off the bench to help the movement.
- Using too short a range of motion.
- Letting the weight drop quickly in the eccentric phase.
4. Seated leg curl
- Sets
- 3-4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Tempo
- 3-1-1-0
- Equipment
- Machine
- Level
- Intermediate
- Muscles worked
- Hamstrings
How to do it
- Sit in the machine, pad positioned just above your ankles, back against the backrest.
- Grab the side handles and wedge your thighs under the support.
- Curl your heels back by bending your knees.
- Lower under control to full extension.
Tips
- Keep your back pressed against the backrest throughout the set.
- Squeeze your hamstrings hard at the end of the movement.
- Control the negative phase instead of letting the weight drop back all at once.
Mistakes to avoid
- Leaning forward to help the movement.
- Using too short a range of motion.
- Letting the weight drop quickly in the eccentric phase.
5. Nordic hamstring curl
- Sets
- 3-4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Tempo
- 3-1-1-0
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Level
- Advanced
- Muscles worked
- Hamstrings · secondary : Glutes
How to do it
- Kneel with your ankles securely locked, a pad under your knees.
- Align your body from knees to shoulders by squeezing your glutes and abs.
- Lower your torso forward as slowly as possible, braked only by your hamstrings.
- Catch yourself on your hands at the bottom, then push back to the start.
Tips
- The go-to exercise for preventing hamstring injuries in athletes.
- Two to three sets of three to six reps is enough, once or twice a week.
- Expect significant soreness in your first sessions: start very gradually.
Mistakes to avoid
- Bending at the hips to shorten the lever.
- Dropping down without braking the descent.
- Doing too many sets in your very first session.
6. Barbell good morning
- Sets
- 3-4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Tempo
- 3-1-1-0
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Level
- Intermediate
- Muscles worked
- Hamstrings · secondary : Glutes, Back
How to do it
- Place the bar across your upper back as for a squat, feet hip-width apart.
- Knees slightly bent, chest open, shoulder blades squeezed.
- Push your hips back as you lean your torso toward horizontal, back flat.
- Stand back up by driving your hips forward, glutes squeezed at the top.
Tips
- Start with an empty bar: master the good morning before loading it.
- Your back keeps exactly the same curve from start to finish.
- Lower until your hamstrings stretch, without chasing horizontal at all costs.
Mistakes to avoid
- Rounding your back under the load.
- Bending your knees and turning the movement into a squat.
- Loading too heavy and losing control of the hinge.
7. Glute-ham raise
Glute Ham Raise
- Sets
- 3-4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Tempo
- 3-1-1-0
- Equipment
- Machine
- Level
- Advanced
- Muscles worked
- Hamstrings · secondary : Glutes
How to do it
- Set yourself up on the GHD, ankles locked, knees just behind the pad.
- Start with your body aligned horizontally, arms crossed over your chest.
- Lower by straightening your knees until your body is horizontal, hamstrings braking.
- Come back up by bending your knees, body in line from knees to shoulders.
Tips
- The movement happens at your knees, not your hips: your body stays in one line.
- Push your toes into the platform to engage your calves more and help.
- Add band assistance until you can do the full lift.
Mistakes to avoid
- Bending at the hips to help the lift.
- Going lower than you can come back up from.
- Jerking up with your lower back instead of pulling with your hamstrings.
8. Kettlebell swing
Kettlebell Russian Swing
- Sets
- 3-4
- Reps
- 6-10
- Tempo
- 3-1-1-0
- Equipment
- Kettlebell
- Level
- Intermediate
- Muscles worked
- Glutes · secondary : Hamstrings, Back
How to do it
- Standing, feet shoulder-width apart, kettlebell held with both hands in front of you.
- Push your hips back, letting the kettlebell swing between your legs, back flat.
- Explosively drive your hips forward, squeezing your glutes hard.
- Let the kettlebell rise to shoulder height, then go back into the hinge.
Tips
- It's a hip hinge, not a squat: your hips go back, your knees barely move.
- The kettlebell doesn't actively lift: it follows your hip extension.
- Squeeze your glutes, abs and quads at the top of each rep.
Mistakes to avoid
- Turning the movement into a squat.
- Lifting the kettlebell with your shoulders.
- Rounding your back at the bottom.
Tempo is read in seconds: lowering, pause at the bottom, lifting, pause at the top. “3-1-1-0” means three seconds down, a one-second pause, one second up, then straight into the next rep.
How to combine them
There is no need to do them all in one session. Two or three exercises per muscle are enough: a heavy compound lift first, while you are fresh, then one or two more targeted moves.
Aim for roughly 10 to 20 sets per muscle per week, spread over two sessions, with sets taken to within 1 to 3 reps of failure. Beyond that, fatigue grows faster than results.
Keep the same main lifts for at least eight weeks: it is the only way to tell whether you are genuinely progressing.
138 exercises for this muscle in the app