Hamstring Exercises: 8 Moves Every Lifter Should Train

The hamstrings (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus) are the most under-trained muscle group in most lifting routines. They are biarticular — they cross both the hip and knee — so training them well requires both knee-flexion and hip-extension movements. Programs that skip hamstring work tend to produce quad-dominant lifters who are statistically more likely to tear an ACL.

The 8 best hamstring exercises (EMG-ranked)

1. Nordic hamstring curl. The gold standard. Eccentric, knee-dominant, requires no equipment. Reduces hamstring strain incidence by ~51% in soccer players (Petersen 2011 Cochrane).

2. Romanian deadlift (RDL). Hip-dominant, hits all three hamstring heads. The single most useful free-weight hamstring movement.

3. Stiff-leg deadlift. Like an RDL but starts from the floor. Greater range of motion at the bottom, slightly more lower-back demand.

4. Glute-ham raise (GHR). If your gym has a GHR bench, this is the second-best knee-flexion movement after Nordics — and easier to load progressively.

5. Lying hamstring curl machine. Knee-flexion, slightly biases the lateral biceps femoris. Reliable accessory.

6. Single-leg Romanian deadlift. Anti-rotation training. Brutal for proprioception and runners.

7. Kettlebell swing. Ballistic hip extension. Best when programmed at 4×15 with heavy bells (24+ kg).

8. Good morning. Old-school, hip-hinge with a barbell on the back. Useful for athletes; risky if your hamstring mobility is poor.

Knee-dominant vs hip-dominant — train both

Knee-dominant exercises (Nordics, leg curls, GHR) emphasize the lower hamstring — at the knee. These are the moves that prevent strain injuries during sprinting.

Hip-dominant exercises (RDLs, swings, good mornings) emphasize the upper hamstring — at the hip. These build the strength that translates to deadlifts, squats and athletic hip extension.

Most lifters do too much hip-dominant (because RDLs are easy to program) and too little knee-dominant. Add Nordics or leg curls if your routine doesn’t already include them.

A simple weekly template

Day 1 (lower): RDL — 4×6–8 (hip-dominant primary)

Day 1 (lower): Lying leg curl — 3×10–12 (knee-dominant accessory)

Day 2 (lower): Nordic hamstring curl — 3×5 (eccentric primary)

Day 2 (lower): Single-leg RDL — 3×8 per leg (anti-rotation accessory)

This gives you 7 working sets of hip-dominant and 6 of knee-dominant work per week — enough volume for hypertrophy in most lifters.

Common mistakes

Lower-back rounding on RDLs: keep a neutral spine; if you can’t reach mid-shin without rounding, your range is the floor at mid-shin. Don’t force it.

Pulling with the hip flexors on Nordics: the eccentric should be controlled by the hamstrings, not by “catching” with the hands at the bottom. Use a band for assistance until you can do 5 strict reps.

Skipping warm-up: hamstrings are the most-strained muscle in sport. 2 minutes of leg swings and 10 bodyweight RDLs before the working sets is not optional.

The bottom line

A balanced hamstring program is one Romanian deadlift variant + one knee-flexion variant + Nordics. If you can do 5 strict Nordics, three sets of 8 stiff-leg deadlifts, and three sets of 12 hamstring curls per week, you are ahead of 90% of recreational lifters and most amateur athletes.

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