Fitness
Hit that posterior chain.
The hamstrings tend to get a lot of love during astretch routine(whodoesnthave tight hammies?).
These muscles do a lot for you, after all.
Not to mention, strong hamstrings help you walk with ease while maintaining good posture, he says.
Here are seven bodyweight hamstring exercises that trainers highly recommend.
Have the heels of your feet on top of the sliding discs or towel.
Lift your glutes off the floor slightly, just 1 to 2 inches.
Lift your hips as you slide your heels towards your glutes until your heels are under your glutes.
confirm your movements are slow and controlled.
Slowly reverse direction and slide the discs away from you.
Lower your hips back down to just above the floor.
Go straight into the next rep. You should feel a good contraction in your hamstrings.
Do both legs at once or one leg at a time for a challenge.
Glute Kicks
Braden recommends butt kicks to activate the hamstrings.
Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Return to the starting position and alternate sides.
Romanian Deadlifts
This compound movement works the hamstrings even if you arent holding weights.
Here, Braden explains how to do it without equipment.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Brace your core.
Hinge forward from the hips with a slight bend in the knee.
Focus on pushing your hips back.
Keep your head up, back straight.
Squeeze glutes and hamstrings.
Perform 10 reps. Work up to 3 sets of 15.
Youll also feel these in your glutes.
Lie on your back with your knees bent so that your feet are comfortably resting on the ground.
Keep your arms at your sides, but dont press into them.
Lift your hips up to make a straight line from your knees, hips, and shoulders.
Or lift up as far as you could.
- Hold this position for 10 seconds.
Think about squeezing the back of your body.
- For a challenge, lift one foot off the ground, then the other.
Hamstring Walk-Outs
This move is a great exercise for beginners.
Here, Braden explains how to do it in proper form.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and heels on the floor, toes pointing up.
Lift hips up into a bridge.
Walk your feet away as far as it’s possible for you to.
Maintain a straight back.
Walk your feet back to your glutes.
Repeat for 10 steps.
Work up to 3 sets of 15 to 20.
Nordic Curls
Lehnert also likes Nordic curls.
Start in a tall kneeling position on both knees with your back straight.
Put a pillow or yoga mat under your knees to relieve pressure on the kneecaps.
Anchor your feet and cross your arms at your chest.
Tip forward to lower your torso as far as you’re able to before returning to start.
Keep hips as straight as possible.
All movement should come from your knees.
To make it easier, hold an exercise ball and roll it forward with you.
Do 2 sets of 5 reps to start.
Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart.
Slightly bend your knees.
Place hands behind your head.
Bend your torso forward and lower until its parallel to the floor.
Squeeze the backs of your legs.
Slowly rise back up to the starting position.
Complete 12 to 15 reps, 3 to 4 sets.
Eur J Phys Rehabil Med.
2021 Dec;57(6):931-939. doi: 10.23736/S1973-9087.21.06731-9.
Epub 2021 May 18.
