Hamstring exercises

How to train your hamstrings

The hamstrings are three muscles on the back of your thigh. They cross two joints: they bend the knee, and they extend the hip together with the glutes. That is why one type of exercise is not enough.

Hinges train the hip side. The Romanian deadlift is the standard: knees slightly bent, hips back, until you feel a strong stretch in the back of your thighs. The deadlift, the good morning and the single-leg Romanian deadlift work in the same way; the kettlebell swing trains the hinge fast and explosively.

Curls train the knee side. In a lying or seated leg curl the hamstrings bend the knee against the pad, which hinges barely do. Studies show that leg curls train the hamstrings differently from Romanian deadlifts, and the seated version is particularly effective, so Muscla puts both a hinge and a curl into your week.

Hinges load the lower back too: go only as low as you can keep your back straight. Muscla starts beginners with the dumbbell Romanian deadlift and keeps hinges at 10 reps or fewer when you return after a break.