The hamstrings are a group of four muscles on the back of your thigh that are responsible for joint movement at the hip and the knees. To properly target and improve your hamstrings, you need to work these muscles from both joints. This includes doing deadlift and leg curl exercises.
Hamstrings
The four muscles that make up your hamstrings run from the top of your thigh to just below your knee. This group of muscles has two main responsibilities: knee flexion and hip extension. Knee flexion means bending the knee, pulling your heel toward your buttocks. Hip extension is moving the top of your pelvis backward, straightening your hip joint. To improve your hamstrings, target these muscles with knee flexion exercises and hip extension exercises.
Leg Curls
The leg curl is a knee flexion exercise that targets the hamstring muscles. You can perform the leg curl exercise in a standing, seated or lying position. For a lying leg curl, lie face down on a bench or leg curl machine with the weight resting over your ankles. For a seated leg curl, start with your legs extended and parallel to the floor. Curl your legs under you against the resistance. You only work one leg at a time during a standing leg curl. Attach a cable or band to your ankle and curl your foot toward your buttocks. During the leg curl exercise, keep your upper body and thighs stationary; the only movement occurs at the knee joint.
Deadlifts
The Romanian deadlift works the hamstrings from the hip joint; you don't move your knees. Stand upright and hold a weight in your hands. Lock your knees into a slightly bent position and hold this position throughout the exercise. Push your hips back and slide the weight down your legs until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Reverse the motion, pulling your hips back in and finishing in an upright position.
Considerations
Ideally, you should incorporate both types of hamstring exercises into your workout. However, the availability of weight machines or free weights may limit your choices. The leg curl exercise is difficult to perform with free weights. You can do a lying leg curl by holding a dumbbell between your feet, but you are limited to how heavy of a dumbbell you can balance. For the leg curl exercise, you need access to a leg curl machine, cable machine or exercise bands. Use a barbell or dumbbells to do the Romanian deadlift exercise.
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