Exercise guide
Best Hamstring Exercises
Ten moves that train both jobs of the hamstrings, with sets, reps and a workout
Your hamstrings bend the knee and extend the hip, so the best hamstring training covers both. These are the ten exercises I rate highest, ranked, with the sets and reps to use.
The best hamstring exercises are the Romanian deadlift, the lying and seated leg curl, and the Nordic hamstring curl. Hinges train the hamstrings at the hip. Curls train them at the knee. For strength and size, do one of each, two times a week, for 3–4 hard sets of 6–12 reps.
Key takeaways
- The hamstrings have two jobs: hip extension and knee flexion. Train both.
- One hip hinge (Romanian deadlift) plus one curl (leg curl) covers most of what you need.
- 6–12 reps for size, close to failure, with a slow lowering phase.
- Twice a week works for most people. Leave a couple of days between hard sessions.
- Glute bridges and hip thrusts are glute exercises first; they live on the glute list.
- For fighters, hinges build hip drive and curls help control the leg after a kick. Keep the sets low around sparring.
Anatomy
What muscles are the hamstrings?
The hamstrings are three muscles on the back of your thigh: the semitendinosus, the semimembranosus and the biceps femoris (long and short head). Most of them start at your sit bone and cross both the hip and the knee.
That gives them two jobs. They extend your hip, as when you stand up from a deadlift. They bend your knee, as in a leg curl. The short head of the biceps femoris only crosses the knee, so hip hinges alone do not train all of it.
That is why this list mixes hinges and curls. Strong hamstrings also help you sprint, jump and control your knees and pelvis in heavy lifts.
At a glance
Quick list
| Exercise | Movement | Equipment | Difficulty | Sets & reps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Romanian deadlift | Hip hinge | Barbell or dumbbells | Intermediate | 3–4 × 6–10 |
| 2. Lying leg curl | Knee flexion | Machine | Beginner | 3 × 8–12 |
| 3. Seated leg curl | Knee flexion | Machine | Beginner | 3 × 8–12 |
| 4. Nordic hamstring curl | Knee flexion | Bodyweight, anchor | Advanced | 3 × 3–6 |
| 5. Stiff-leg deadlift | Hip hinge | Barbell | Intermediate | 3 × 6–10 |
| 6. Good morning | Hip hinge | Barbell | Intermediate | 3 × 8–10 |
| 7. Single-leg Romanian deadlift | Hip hinge, one leg | Dumbbell or kettlebell | Intermediate | 3 × 8–10 per leg |
| 8. Swiss ball leg curl | Knee flexion + hip extension | Stability ball | Beginner | 3 × 10–15 |
| 9. Conventional deadlift | Hip hinge, full body | Barbell | Intermediate | 3–5 × 3–6 |
| 10. Kettlebell swing | Explosive hinge | Kettlebell | Beginner–intermediate | 3–5 × 10–20 |
Tap an exercise to jump to it.
The ranking
10 best hamstring exercises
Ranked by how directly they load the hamstrings and how easy they are to progress. Each entry has the steps, one cue, the most common mistake and a sets-and-reps starting point.
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01
Best for: all-round hamstring size and strength
Romanian deadlift
The best all-round hamstring exercise. It loads the hamstrings hard in a long position.
- Stand tall holding a barbell or dumbbells at your thighs, feet hip-width.
- Soften your knees, then push your hips back and let the weight slide down your thighs.
- Lower until you feel a strong stretch behind your thighs, usually around mid-shin, with a flat back.
- Drive your hips forward to stand tall.
Key cue Hips back, not down. Keep the bar close to your legs.
Common mistake: bending the knees more as you go down, which turns it into a squat.
Sets & reps: 3–4 × 6–10, 2–3 minutes rest.
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02
Best for: the knee-bending job, including the short head
Lying leg curl
Trains the knee-flexion job directly, including the short head the hinges miss.
- Lie face down on the machine with the pad just above your heels and your knees just off the bench.
- Hold the handles and press your hips into the bench.
- Curl your heels toward your glutes, pause, then lower slowly.
Key cue Keep your hips down the whole set.
Common mistake: lifting the hips and swinging the weight up.
Sets & reps: 3 × 8–12, take the lowering phase over 2–3 seconds.
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03
Best for: curls with the hamstrings at a longer length
Seated leg curl
Same job as the lying curl, but with your hips bent, so the hamstrings work at a longer length.
- Set the back pad so your knees line up with the machine's pivot. Lock the thigh pad down.
- Start with legs straight and the pad behind your lower calves.
- Curl down and back as far as you can, pause, then return slowly.
Key cue Sit tall and lean slightly forward to keep the stretch.
Common mistake: cutting the top of the range short to use more weight.
Sets & reps: 3 × 8–12.
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04
Best for: overloading the lowering phase with bodyweight
Nordic hamstring curl
A hard bodyweight exercise that overloads the lowering phase.
- Kneel on a pad with your ankles anchored under a bar, a partner's hands or a machine.
- Keep a straight line from knees to head.
- Lower your body toward the floor as slowly as you can.
- Catch yourself with your hands, then push back up and repeat.
Key cue Hips stay forward; bend at the knee, not the waist.
Common mistake: bending at the hips to make it easier.
Sets & reps: 3 × 3–6. New to it? Lower only part of the way, or use a band around your chest.
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05
Best for: more stretch with less load
Stiff-leg deadlift
Like a Romanian deadlift with straighter legs and the bar starting from the floor each rep. More stretch, less load.
- Set up over a barbell with your feet hip-width and knees only slightly bent.
- Hinge down with a flat back and grip the bar.
- Stand up by driving your hips forward, keeping the knees nearly straight.
- Lower back to the floor under control.
Key cue Chest proud, back flat, hips back.
Common mistake: locking the knees hard or rounding the lower back to reach the floor.
Sets & reps: 3 × 6–10, lighter than your Romanian deadlift.
Exercise page: stiff-leg deadlift
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06
Best for: a barbell hinge with the bar on your back
Good morning
A barbell hinge with the bar on your back. Keep the load modest.
- Set the bar on your upper back as for a squat. Feet hip-width, knees soft.
- Push your hips back and lower your chest until your torso is close to parallel, or as far as you can keep a flat back.
- Drive your hips forward to stand.
Key cue Slow down, then stand up.
Common mistake: going too heavy and rounding the back.
Sets & reps: 3 × 8–10.
Exercise page: good morning
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07
Best for: evening out your sides and training balance
Single-leg Romanian deadlift
One leg at a time. Shows up any difference between sides and trains balance.
- Stand on one leg with a dumbbell or kettlebell in the opposite hand.
- Hinge forward while the free leg reaches straight back.
- Lower until your torso is close to parallel with the floor, then stand tall.
Key cue Keep your hips square to the floor.
Common mistake: twisting the hip open to reach lower.
Sets & reps: 3 × 8–10 per leg. Hold a rack with your free hand if balance limits you.
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08
Best for: training without machines
Swiss ball leg curl
A good option without machines. Works the hamstrings at both joints.
- Lie on your back with your heels on a stability ball.
- Lift your hips into a bridge.
- Keep the hips up and curl the ball toward you, then roll it back out.
Key cue Hips stay high on the way in and out.
Common mistake: letting the hips drop as you roll out.
Sets & reps: 3 × 10–15. Make it harder with one leg.
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09
Best for: full-body strength
Conventional deadlift
A full-body lift. The hamstrings work hard, but so do the glutes, quads and back, so it ranks below the more direct moves.
- Feet hip-width, bar over the middle of your foot.
- Hinge down, grip just outside your legs, shins to the bar.
- Brace, push the floor away and stand tall.
- Lower the bar the same way under control.
Key cue Bar close to your body the whole way.
Common mistake: rounding the lower back off the floor.
Sets & reps: 3–5 × 3–6 for strength.
The trap bar version shifts work to the quads and glutes.
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10
Best for: power and conditioning
Kettlebell swing
Explosive hip extension. Best for power and conditioning, not maximum size.
- Stand with the kettlebell a foot in front of you, feet a little wider than hips.
- Hike it back between your legs.
- Snap your hips forward so the bell floats to chest height.
- Let it swing back and hinge into the next rep.
Key cue It is a hinge, not a squat. Arms just guide the bell.
Common mistake: squatting it up or lifting with the arms.
Sets & reps: 3–5 × 10–20.
Exercise page: kettlebell swing
Put it together
How do you build a hamstring workout?
Pick one hinge and one curl. Add a third move if you have time. Train hamstrings twice a week, either on leg day or split across two lower-body days.
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 6–10 | 2–3 min |
| Seated or lying leg curl | 3 × 8–12 | 90 s |
| Nordic curl or Swiss ball leg curl | 2–3 × 3–6 / 10–15 | 90 s |
Take most sets to one or two reps short of failure. When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add a little weight. Hamstrings get sore easily, so leave a couple of days before you train them hard again.
Single-leg work, like the single-leg Romanian deadlift, shows up any difference between your left and right side.
If your hamstrings feel tight rather than weak, add the stretches in how to loosen tight hamstrings to your routine. For a full session built around these moves, see the leg day workout.
For fighters
Hamstring exercises for fighters
If you train Muay Thai, MMA or boxing, your hamstrings help extend the hip. That is the drive behind a knee strike, a level change and pushing off the floor. In MMA and grappling they help you finish a takedown and stand back up. In kicking sports they also work to slow the leg down after a kick or a teep, especially one that misses. So both jobs matter: hinges for hip drive, curls for control at the knee.
Program it around your skill work. A good swap is the kettlebell swing: fast hip extension with less soreness than a heavy hinge. For how this fits your week, see strength and conditioning for fighters.
When
Lift on easier days, or several hours away from hard sparring or pads.
How much
Two or three sets per exercise is enough, stopping 1–3 reps short of failure.
Soreness
Nordic curls and heavy Romanian deadlifts can leave you sore for days, so build them up slowly, and cut the volume in the last weeks before a fight.
What to avoid
Common hamstring training mistakes
- 01
Only hinging
Hinges miss part of the hamstrings. Add a curl.
- 02
Rounding your back on hinges
Stop the rep where your back stays flat.
- 03
Turning a Romanian deadlift into a squat
Hips go back; knees stay soft and still.
- 04
Rushing the lowering phase
Take 2–3 seconds down on curls and hinges.
- 05
Lifting the hips on leg curls
Press your hips into the pad and use a weight you control.
Questions
Hamstring exercise FAQ
What is the best exercise for your hamstrings?
For most people it is the Romanian deadlift, because it loads the hamstrings hard in a long position and is easy to progress. It only covers the hip, though. Pair it with a leg curl, lying or seated, to train the knee-bending job too. If you want power for sport, the kettlebell swing is the better pick. For size, the hinge and curl pair beats any single exercise.
How do you strengthen weak hamstrings?
Train them twice a week with one hip hinge and one leg curl. Start light, use a full range and a slow lowering phase, and add weight or reps a little each week. Romanian deadlifts and leg curls are the easiest place to start. Add Nordic curls once those feel solid. If weakness follows an injury, get cleared by a physiotherapist first.
Are squats good for hamstrings?
Squats work the hamstrings a little, but they are mainly a quad and glute exercise. The hamstrings stay at a similar length through a squat because they shorten at the hip as they lengthen at the knee, so they do not get the big stretch and load a hinge gives. Keep squatting for your legs overall, and add Romanian deadlifts and leg curls for your hamstrings.
Does walking strengthen hamstrings?
Walking keeps your legs active and helps endurance, but it is too light to build much hamstring strength or size. Uphill walking and sprinting load the hamstrings more. If stronger hamstrings are the goal, add resistance training: one hinge and one curl, twice a week, with weights that make the last few reps hard. Keep walking for general fitness.
How many times a week should you train hamstrings?
Twice a week works well for most people. Spread your sets across two sessions, for example Romanian deadlifts on one day and leg curls plus Nordic curls on the other. Hamstrings tend to get sore after heavy hinges and slow lowering, so leave a couple of days between hard sessions.
Leg curl or Romanian deadlift: which is better?
Neither on its own. The Romanian deadlift trains the hamstrings at the hip and lets you use heavy loads. The leg curl trains them at the knee, including a part of the biceps femoris that hinges do not reach. If you only have time for two hamstring exercises, do one of each. If you can only do one, start with the Romanian deadlift.
Are hamstring exercises good for fighters?
Yes. Strong hamstrings help you drive from the hips into knees, level changes and takedowns, and help control the leg after a kick. Use one hinge and one curl, two or three sets each, and stop a few reps short of failure. Lift on an easier day or well away from hard sparring, and add Nordic curls slowly because they cause a lot of soreness.
The method
Final thoughts
Hinge and curl, twice a week, and add weight slowly. That covers the hamstrings better than any list of fifteen exercises.
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