Your hamstring muscles run along the back of your leg from your buttocks to your knee. According to a study published in the March 2009 edition of the "International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance," men and women see a greater activation of the quadriceps muscles over the hamstring muscles when performing exercises, and women are even more likely than men to activate their quads more often than their hamstrings. This unequal activation can lead to injury, so performing exercises that target the hamstrings can beneficially counteract this muscular imbalance.
Seated Hamstring Curl
Most gyms or fitness facilities have a seated hamstring curl machine that isolates your hamstring while using a chosen resistance from a weight stack. When using the seated hamstring curl machine, adjust the backrest and the ankle pad so that your knee sits in line with the leg's rotation point on the machine and the ankle pad sits just higher than your ankle joint. Neither your knee or ankle should feel interference from the machine's pads during the movement. Choose a weight from the stack and steadily curl your leg, moving it from a fully extended position to a 90-degree angle. Steadily return it to the start while preventing the weights from "slamming" back on the stack. Repeat 10 to 12 times.
Stability Ball Hamstring Curl
Lie on a mat with your knees bent, your feet flat on the floor and a stability ball sitting just in front of your toes. Lift your feet and fully extend your legs, placing your heels in the center of the stability ball. Place your palms flat on the mat in order to help keep you stabilized. Lift your buttocks and low back up off the ground so that you form a straight line with your body from your heels to your shoulder blades, which remain in contact with the ground. Contract your hamstrings and buttocks and begin bending your knees, drawing the ball in toward your body with your heels. When your knees are fully bent, slowly and steadily reverse the movement, extending your legs. Repeat 10 to 15 times.
Bridge Kick
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Your feet should sit approximately 1 foot away from your buttocks and approximately 6 inches apart from one another. Squeeze your buttocks and lift your lower back off the ground until you form a straight line with your body from your knees to your shoulder blades. Lift your right leg from the floor and extend your right knee, then return your foot to the floor. Slowly lower your back to the ground, then repeat the movement, this time lifting and extending your left leg. Repeat the movement 10 times on each side.
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