How To Develop Your Hamstrings

Your hamstrings consist of three muscles that perform two different functions. Your biceps femoris flexes your knee, or curls your calf up to the back of your thigh. Your semitendinosus and semimembranosus extend your torso at the hip, or help you straighten up from a forward lean. To develop these muscles, you must train both functions. Extension movements including good mornings and stiff-legged deadlifts work your semitendinosus and semimembranosus. Flexion movements such as the razor curl and leg curl work your biceps femoris. Consult your doctor before beginning any strength-training program.

Step 1

Hold a barbell solidly upon your upper back. Arch your back and bend your knees slightly. Lean forward until your torso is close to parallel to the ground. The good morning should always be performed with an arched back, so if you begin to round your back, stop and straighten back up. Perform this exercise for sets of five to eight repetitions, but avoid training to muscular failure or complete exhaustion.

Step 2

Grip a barbell with your hands slightly wider than your legs. Arch your back and keep your knees soft, as with the previous exercise. Lean forward and lower the bar without allowing it to drift away from your body. The stiff-legged deadlift should also be performed with an arched back, so if you begin to round, straighten up. Perform this exercise for sets of eight to 15 repetitions to develop your hamstrings.

Step 3

Hook yourself into the glute-ham raise machine. Your toes should press firmly against the foot plate and your ankles should fit solidly in the supports. Your thighs should press firmly into the thigh pad, which should be set to a point just above your knees. Lean forward as far as you can, then straighten up and curl yourself up at the knee joint. The razor curl heavily works your biceps femoris and can be trained for sets of five to 15 repetitions.

Step 4

Lie face-down on a leg curl machine and hook your ankles under the resistance pad of the lever arm. Keep your hips pressed solidly into the bench and curl your ankles up until you touch the back of your thighs. Lower the weight slowly under control. Perform this exercise for sets of eight to 15 repetitions.

Tips and Warnings

Alternate the order in which you perform most of the exercises, but never perform another hamstring exercise before good mornings.
Never lift without a spotter. Do not perform good mornings outside of a squat rack or power rack.