Hamstring Exercises That Are Safe For The Knees

Knee pain can prevent you from performing hamstring workouts, both because it makes the workout painful and because of fear that you will further irritate your knees. A study published in the October 2006 issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism found that weight training slows the progression of arthritis in the knees. After time, weight training can even reduce knee pain. The important thing is to perform the correct hamstring exercises with perfect form to build strength around the knee without applying sudden stress.

Leg Curl

The leg curl causes the least stress to the knees of any hamstring exercise, because the pressure is applied behind the lower leg instead of up through the lower leg. It also isolates the hamstring from the quadriceps and gluteus maximus, allowing you to work the hamstring very intensely with much less weight. To perform a leg curl, sit at a leg curl machine, placing your thighs under and your calves against the support pads. Slowly curl your legs, bending them at the knee. Pause at the bottom, then slowly straighten your legs. Don't let the weight touch the stack, and don't let your knees hyper-extend, but keep a slight bend in them. Perform sets of 10 to 20.

Step-ups

The squat is considered the overall best thigh exercise, but it can be very hard on the knees. The problem with the squat is the turn-around point, where the pressure on the knees can suddenly double. If you have knee problems, this can cause you serious pain. In order to spare the knees and lower back, the Bulgarian Olympic team cut squats out of their workouts entirely, replacing them with weighted step ups. Many thought this was crazy, but the Bulgarian team went on to win many weightlifting medals while reducing their rate of injury.
To perform a step-up, stand before a bench or box while holding dumbbells at your sides. Step onto the box with one leg. Press through that foot until the leg is straight. Lower yourself back to the ground in a controlled manner. After 10 reps, switch legs. To emphasize hamstring development, use a bench or box that puts your thigh past parallel to the ground.

Leg Press

The leg press is a good alternative to the squat for building thigh strength, and because you can minimize the stress on the knees at the turn-around point, it's good for people with knee pain. To perform a leg press, sit on a leg press machine. Place your feet wide and low on the sled to emphasize hamstring development. Cross your arms across your chest. Lower the sled until your arms take some of the pressure. Press the sled back up. Perform sets of 10 to 20 reps. If you need to, catch your thighs with your hands, but keep your hands stationary, not pressing through the rest of the rep.

Deadlift

According to "Strength Training Anatomy," the deadlift utilizes just about every muscle in the body, but it is especially effective at developing the hamstrings, glutes and lower back. Because you set the weight back on the ground at the lowest point in the exercise, there isn't the sudden increase of pressure, making it much safer on the knees than the squat. To perform a deadlift, step up to a barbell placed on the ground. Squat down and grip it with a shoulder-width grip with your knees pressed against the inside of your forearms. Look forward, keep a straight back and stand, lifting the barbell off the ground. Follow the same path to set the barbell back down. Perform sets of six to eight.