Your hamstrings are a set of three muscles in the back of your thighs that bend your knees and extend your hips. The hamstrings are important muscles for running, climbing stairs and many other activities of every day life. Many people's quadriceps -- the muscles in the front of your thighs that oppose your hamstring -- are stronger than their hamstrings, leading to pain and injury
Function
Hamstrings are important muscles for running. Running power comes from your hamstrings pushing the ground behind you. In running, your hamstrings also bend your knees to clear the ground and catch your weight when your foot lands in front of you. When you climb stairs, your hamstrings work to pull the weight of your torso up against your stationary standing leg. According to MedicineNet.com, the hamstrings have minimal involvement in standing and walking, so sedentary individuals often have underdeveloped hamstrings.
Multi-joint Exercises
Multi-joint exercises involve moving more than one joint. Examples of multi-joint hamstring exercises include squats, lunges and step-ups with dumbbells in each hand. Where you hold the dumbbell affects the exercise's difficulty. For example, holding the dumbbells at your shoulders is less stable than holding them at your sides and engages more supporting muscles. Holding the dumbbells overhead engages your core to keep you balanced and puts more of a load on the hamstrings. Dumbbell deadlifts also emphasize the hamstrings. Stiff-legged deadlifts --lifting with your legs straight-- load the hamstrings more than sumo stance deadlifts --lifting in a plié position.
Single-joint Exercises
Bridges and low back extensions use the hamstrings together with the glutes to extend your hips. For these exercises, it is hard to isolate your hamstrings because it is hard to grip dumbbells with your feet. If you want to isolate your hamstrings and all you have is a dumbbell, do hamstring curls lying face-down on a bench. Let your thighs hang off the bench and bring your heels toward your bottom holding the dumbbell between your feet.
Weight Selection
MedicineNet.com recommends that your hamstrings be able to lift at least fifty percent of what your quadriceps can. It is difficult to compare hamstring and quadriceps strength with dumbbells, so test yourself on the leg extension and leg curl machines. If your hamstrings don't stack up, then do your hamstring exercises with a weight that lets you complete no more than 12 repetitions . If your hamstring strength is proportional to your quad strength, then use lighter weights to maintain muscle.
Prevention
Strengthening your hamstrings is only half of the equation for healthy hips and knees. Stretching your hamstrings after a workout helps prevent injuries and low back pain. To stretch your hamstrings, put your foot on a step with a straight leg. Bending from your hips, reach for your toes. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends holding stretches for at least 20 seconds.
References
- MedicineNet.com: Hamstring Injuries
- ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer; American College of Sports Medicine; 2006
- Better U, Inc.: Anatomy of the Hamstring Muscles
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