It's common for hamstrings to be tight because we sit most of the day, making these muscles shorter over time. Hamstrings play a big role in most leg workouts, so having strong hamstrings is key to improving your leg training. To get the most out of these exercises, focus on squeezing your hamstrings each rep and aim to target only those muscles without using your front or side thigh muscles.
Workout duration: 15 minutes.
Equipment used: A pair of medium-weight dumbbells and resistance bands.
Targeted muscles: Hamstring muscles.
Instructions: Pick three of the following exercises and do 15 reps of each one. Move to the next exercise without resting until you finish all three. Then rest for one minute. That completes one round. You can do two or three rounds of this workout.
1 - (Glute Bridge)
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor. Make sure to tighten your core muscles.
- Press your heels into the floor and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.
- Hold this position for a moment then lower your hips back down to complete one rep.
2 - (Single-Leg Glute Bridge)
- Lie on your back with your hands by your sides but a little away from your body. Then bend your knees and put your feet on the floor.
- Raise your right leg up toward the ceiling until it forms a 90-degree angle with the floor. This is the start position.
- Press the floor with your left heel then lift your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight line from your left knee to your shoulder.
- Go back to the start position to complete one rep. Do 15 reps of this exercise on each side.
3 - (Dumbbell Donkey Kick)
- Get down on your hands and knees then place a light dumbbell behind your left knee joint and press it hard. This is the start position.
- Make sure your left knee forms a 90-degree angle so the dumbbell doesn’t fall, then lift your left leg up until your thigh is parallel to the floor.
- Slowly return to the start to complete one rep. Do 15 reps of this exercise on each side.
4 - (Reverse Plank)
- Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and place your hands on the floor right behind your hips so your fingers point toward your body and your arms are straight. This is the starting position.
- Press down with your hands to lift your hips and butt off the floor until your body forms a straight line from your head to your heels. Hold this position for 3 seconds.
- Return to the starting position to complete one rep.
5 - (Reverse Plank With Toe Tap)
- Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front and place your hands on the floor just behind your hips so your fingers face your body with straight arms. This is the starting position.
- Press down with your hands to lift your hips and butt off the ground until your body forms a straight line from your head to your heels. This is your starting position.
- Bend your right knee and move your right foot toward your body so you can touch the floor with your right toes, then return to the starting position. Repeat with your other foot to complete one rep.
6 - (Glute Bridge March)
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the ground. Make sure to engage your core muscles.
- Press down with your heels and lift your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. This is the starting position.
- Lift your right foot off the ground and bring your right knee toward your chest without straightening your leg.
- Slowly return to the starting position then repeat on the other side to complete one rep.
7 - (Glute Bridge Tiptoe Walk)
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Make sure to engage your core.
- Press your heels into the ground and lift your hips until your body is a straight line from shoulders to knees. This is the start.
- Take a step back with your right foot, keeping only your toes on the ground. Then repeat with your left foot.
- Reverse the movement to return to the start position and complete one rep.
8 - (Crab Walk)
- Sit on the floor with knees bent and place your hands behind your hips with fingers pointing toward your body. Press on the floor with your hands and feet to lift your hips a few centimeters off the ground. This is the start position.
- Step forward by moving your right hand and left foot forward, then repeat with your left hand and right foot.
- Keep moving forward and backward until you finish the set number of reps without lowering your hips to the floor.
9 - (Lying Hamstring Curl)
- Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on a towel or large piece of paper. Make sure to tighten your core muscles.
- Push your heels into the floor to lift your hips and butt off the ground, then hold this position and straighten your legs in front of you by sliding the towel with your feet. Then go back to start to complete one rep.
10 - (Kick Back With Resistance Band)
- Stand with one end of the resistance band under your left foot and hold the other end with your hands.
- Bend your upper body forward slightly. This is the starting position.
- Move your left foot back until your left leg is fully straightened.
- Slowly return to the starting position to complete one rep. Do 15 reps of this exercise on each side.
11 - (Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift)
- Stand with your feet slightly apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your front thigh muscles.
- Push your hips back and bend forward with your knees slightly bent to lower the weights towards the ground.
- Slowly return to the starting position to finish one rep.
12 - (Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift)
- Stand with your feet slightly apart and knees slightly bent, then hold a dumbbell in each hand so your palms face your front thigh muscles.
- Lift your right leg behind you while bending forward until your upper body and right leg are parallel to the ground, keep your arms straight and weights close to your body.
- Return to the starting position to finish one rep, and do 15 reps on each side of this exercise.
13 - (Dumbbell Good Morning)
- Stand with your feet slightly apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand, then bend your arms and place the dumbbells behind your shoulders, this is the starting position.
- Bend forward with your knees slightly bent until your upper body is parallel to the ground and hold this position for a moment.
- Slowly return to the starting position to complete one rep.
