Hamstring exercises
The hamstrings are one of the most important muscles in the human lower body. By facilitating movement of the hips and knees, these muscles are vital for walking, running, and climbing. These muscles are located on the back of the thighs and act as a connecting bridge between the hips and knees. By strengthening your hamstrings, you can easily improve your agility, athleticism, and endurance. While most of you might think that you need weights and gym machines for stronger hamstrings, you don’t. To better help you, here we will look at the 9 best hamstring exercises without equipment.
Glute bridge
Target muscles – Hamstrings, glutes, quads, lower back, core, abs
The glute bridge is one of the best exercises to stretch, tone, and strengthen the hamstrings. In addition, it helps to give a perfect shape to the thighs and buttocks. Done correctly, this workout can also help remove excess fat from your core and abs. In addition, it helps to relieve low back pain by strengthening and stretching it.
How to do the glute bridge exercise?
- Lie on the floor on your back and place your palms on the floor near your thighs.
- Bend your knees to bring your feet closer to your buttocks. Make sure your heels are completely on the floor.
- As you squeeze your hamstrings, use your core and lower body strength to lift your hips off the ground. Therefore, your body will be balanced on your shoulders and heels.
- Stop when your shoulders, torso, thighs, and knees form a straight line.
- Hold this position for as long as possible without allowing your hips to sag.
- After that, slowly lower your body to the floor.
- Repeat these steps 4-5 times a day.
Romanian single leg deadlift
Target muscles – Hamstrings, glutes, adductors, back, core
The Romanian Single Leg Deadlift is one of the best exercises to target your core, back, and lower body muscles. Done correctly, this exercise helps strengthen and develop your hamstrings and glutes. Thus, it facilitates better speed, athleticism, stability, and explosive power in the lower body. In addition, it also improves back strength while toning the core that exercises unbeatable hamstrings.
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How to do the Romanian single leg deadlift exercise?
- Stand straight with both feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a 1000 ml bottle of water in each hand to use as a weight.
- Now slightly bend your knees and hold the bottles in front of your thighs with your arms straight.
- Squeeze your hamstrings and bend your upper body forward to lower your arms toward the ground. At the same time, lift your right leg back.
- Stop when your upper body and right leg are in a straight line. As you follow these steps, be sure to keep your back completely straight.
- Hold this position for 1-2 seconds and then slowly move back to the starting position.
- Repeat these steps 15 to 30 times per set with alternate legs.
One leg glute bridge
Muscles worked – Hamstrings, glutes, quads, lower back, core, abs
As the name suggests, the single leg glute bridge is a variation of the traditional glute bridge exercise. Done correctly, this exercise can help tone, develop, and strengthen your hamstrings and glutes. In addition, it helps improve body balance, agility, mobility and flexibility.
How to do the glute bridge exercise with one leg?
- Lie on the floor on your back. Extend your arms straight to place both palms on the floor near your thighs.
- Bend your knees to bring your feet closer to your buttocks with your heels flat on the floor.
- Now lift your right leg and extend it in the air. Stop when the lower part of the right leg is aligned with the left thigh (leg).
- After that, squeeze your torso and hamstrings to lift your hips off the ground. Stop when your shoulders, back, buttocks, thighs, and right leg form a straight line.
- Hold this position for a second and then lower your body slowly towards the ground.
- Repeat these steps 15-20 times per set, then switch legs.
Side lunges
Target muscles – Hamstrings, glutes, quads, hips
Side lunges are a very effective lower body workout that can be performed without equipment. If done correctly, this exercise will tone, strengthen, and strengthen all of your major lower body muscles. In addition, it is also very helpful in improving body agility, balance, mobility and athleticism and unbeatable hamstring exercises.
How to do the lateral lunges exercise?
- Stand up straight with both feet shoulder width apart.
- Now lift your right leg off the floor and lay it wide on your right side.
- After that, bend your right knee to lower your glutes diagonally to the right side. As you do this, make sure your left leg is completely straight.
- Go as low as possible without losing your balance. Then, push your right leg back to the starting position.
- Do the same with your left leg towards your left side.
- Repeat these steps 15-20 times on both sides per series.
Cash Steps
Muscles worked – Hamstrings, glutes, quads, calves, core
Box Step Ups is an incredibly effective exercise to tone, strengthen, and strengthen the entire lower body. This exercise helps to improve the balance, stability, endurance, mobility and explosiveness of the body. Plus, it also targets your abdominal muscles to shed stubborn belly fat.
How to do the Box Step Ups exercise?
- Stand straight in front of a large, sturdy box or a large step.
- Lift your right foot off the ground and place it on top of the box.
- Immediately after that, lift your left foot off the floor and climb to the top of the box.
- As you do this, squeeze both hamstrings. Don’t put your left foot on the box, instead keep it in the air like you’re taking a step.
- Reverse these steps slowly to return to the starting position.
- Repeat these steps 15 to 30 times per set and then switch legs.
Sumo squats
Muscles worked – Hamstrings, glutes, inner thighs, quads, calves, hips
Obviously, this exercise is a variation of the traditional squat exercise. Aside from all the other muscles that target squats, this exercise also targets your inner thighs. Therefore, sumo squats are more intense and effective for toning, building, and strengthening the lower body. Plus, it helps improve your speed, stability, balance, and jumping power.
How to do the sumo squat exercise?
- Stand up straight with both feet twice the width of your shoulders.
- Now turn the toes of both feet outward, that is, in the opposite direction about 45 degrees.
- After that, bend your knees and extend your hips back to lower your body. As you do this, be sure to keep your back completely straight. Also, do not allow the knees to extend in front of the toes.
- Go as low as possible without losing your balance and then slowly back up to the starting position.
- Repeat these steps 15 to 30 times per game.
Mountain climbers
Muscles worked – Hamstrings, glutes, quads, calves, core, triceps, abs, shoulders
When it comes to the best complete body exercises without equipment, mountaineers are one of the best. This incredible bodyweight workout targets all the major muscles in the lower body to develop strength and form. In addition, it also helps to shed extra body fat from upper body areas like core and abs and unbeatable hamstring exercises.
How to do the exercise of mountain climbers?
- Lie on the floor in either the straight-arm plank pose or the push-up start position.
- Now lift your right foot off the ground and bring your right knee toward your chest.
- After that, return your right foot to the starting position. Immediately after that, do the same with your left foot and leg.
- Keep doing these steps with alternate legs as if you were running down a vertical wall. Stop when you feel like you’re exhausted.
- Do 2-3 sets of this exercise.
Bulgarian split squat
Muscles worked – Hamstrings, glutes, quads, calves
The Bulgarian split squat is another top-notch exercise for strengthening your entire lower body. Done correctly, this exercise will help shape and develop strong hamstrings, glutes, quads, and calves. In addition, it helps improve balance, speed, athleticism, and body control.
How to do the Bulgarian split squat exercise?
- Stand up straight with both legs shoulder width apart. Place a sturdy chair or bench about 1.5 feet behind you.
- Now lift your right leg and bend your knee to place your right foot on top of the bench.
- After that, lower your body slowly by bending both knees at approximately 90 degrees. Make sure your left knee doesn’t go beyond your toes.
- Stop when your right knee almost touches the ground.
- Squeeze your hamstrings to slowly back up to the previous position.
- Repeat these steps 15-20 times per set, then switch both legs.
Jump squats
Target muscles – Hamstrings, glutes, quads, calves, abs
Obviously, this exercise is another variation of conventional squat training. By doing this exercise correctly, you can develop, strengthen, and shape your lower body muscles. Also, it is a great exercise for people involved in sports or athletic activities. This workout can help you run faster, jump higher, and react faster.
How to do the jump squat exercise?
- Stand up straight with both feet hip-width apart.
- Now bend your knees and extend your butt back to lower your body and squat down. Don’t allow your knees to extend past your toes and keep your back completely straight.
- Stop when your thighs become parallel to the ground. While standing, squeeze your hamstrings to jump high into the air.
- Land back on the ground and squat again.
- Repeat these steps 15 to 30 times per series.
The bottom line!
By including these exercises in your leg training day, you can easily develop rock-strong hamstrings. However, you will need to eat healthy foods rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients. Always remember that your diet plays a bigger role in your body’s overall fitness than exercise. Therefore, we recommend that you obtain a suitable diet plan from a registered dietitian close to your home.
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