Training your legs requires a systematic approach focusing on the main large muscle groups. This ensures well-rounded development and improved lower body functioning.
The hamstring muscles are one of the main large muscle groups that sit at the back of the legs. They serve a variety of important functions including extending the hips, bending the knees, and rotating the hips. This happens against resistance and the force of gravity when moving.
In terms of functional movement, they play a significant role in daily activities such as walking, running, and jumping. Therefore, developing strong and functional hamstrings is vital for strength and power sports and activities of daily living.
Training the hamstrings from the comfort of your own home isn’t always easy. To help you out, we’ve put together the best seven bodyweight hamstring exercises at home. For each one, we’ve detailed the correct form and given some expert tips.
7 Hamstring Exercises At Home
These are the seven best hamstring exercises that you can do at home using no equipment. Perform them as a stand-alone workout or add them to one of your own.
- Bodyweight Squat.
- Bodyweight Bulgarian Split Squat.
- Glute Bridge.
- Donkey Kick.
- Cossack Squat.
- Plank Leg Raise.
- Bodyweight Frog Hip Thrust.
When performed correctly, these can increase hamstring size, improve functional movement, and reduce injury risk. Ensure that you follow the stated technique cues and expert tips for targeted hamstring isolation.
7 Hamstring Exercises At Home
Each of the hamstring exercises below uses simple movement patterns, requires no equipment, and isolates the hamstrings. Add them to your training routine alongside dumbbell hamstring exercises to grow the hamstrings you’ve always wanted.
Bodyweight Squat
The squat is a foundational movement that’s known as one of the big three powerlifting exercises. The primary movers are the gluteal and quadriceps muscles. Secondary movers include the hamstrings, hip adductors, and erector spinae muscles.
Benefits of the bodyweight version include improved functional movement, increased lower body strength, and better full-body coordination.
How To Do
- Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your toes should be pointing slightly out. Extend your arms in front of you or put your hands on your hips to balance.
- Inhale and engage your core. Exhale and bring your hips back while bending your knees. This should resemble a similar motion to sitting in a chair.
- Keep your chest up and head facing forward with a neutral back position.
- Come down until your upper legs reach parallel to the floor. Pause briefly at the bottom position.
- Inhale and push through the floor to return to the starting position under control.
Tips
- Ensure you maintain core engagement throughout the squat. This limits potential lower back strain from incorrect exercise techniques.
- Avoid moving your feet once you establish the shoulder-width stance. Your feet should stay planted on the ground to maintain stability.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–5 | 4–6 |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–12 |
| Endurance Training | 3–4 | 12–20 |
| Power Training | 3–5 | 1–3 (Explosive) |
Bodyweight Bulgarian Split Squat
The bodyweight Bulgarian split squat is a versatile squat movement variation. The primary movers are the quadriceps. The gluteus, hamstrings, hip adductors, and erector spinae muscles perform secondary roles.
Add it to your hamstring routine to enhance mobility, improve balance, and work on potential muscular imbalances. It also works great as part of a calisthenics leg workout.
How To Do
- Stand in front of an elevated surface. You should be approximately a few feet away, with your back facing the surface.
- Place the top of your right foot on the elevated surface. Stand up straight with your chest up and head looking forward. Your left foot should be flat on the ground.
- Inhale and engage your core. Exhale and bend your left knee, lowering down until your left upper leg is parallel to the ground. Your other knee should be just above the floor.
- Pause briefly at the bottom position. Your knee should be aligned over your foot.
- Inhale and press through your left foot to return to the starting position under control.
Tips
- Keep your torso and chest up at all times. Avoid letting your chest come down or shoulders round.
- Your front knee should come over your front foot during the movement. To maintain exercise focus, avoid letting your hips rotate.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–5 | 4–6 |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–10 |
| Endurance Training | 3–4 | 12–20 |
| Power Training | 3–5 | 1–3 (Explosive) |
Glute Bridge
The glute bridge is a functional glute-building exercise that isolates the gluteus muscles. These are at the back of your legs above your hamstrings.
While keeping your feet and upper back on the ground, you extend your hips and knees to bring your torso up. This helps to build glute strength, improve functional movement, and reduce lower back pain.
How To Do
- Find a suitable mat or padded area. Lie down with your back on the ground and legs at 90-degree angles. Your feet should be flat on the floor with your arms by your sides.
- Inhale and engage your core. Exhale and push through your heels to lift your hips off the ground.
- Pause at the top position as your body comes to a straight line. Squeeze your glutes while keeping your upper back on the floor.
- Inhale and come back to the starting position under control.
Tips
- Tense your glute muscles at the top of the movement while you think about working them. This helps to develop a better mind-muscle connection.
- Keep your head and upper back against the floor throughout. This ensures targeted muscle activation.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–5 | 4–6 |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–10 |
| Endurance Training | 3–4 | 12–20 |
| Power Training | 3–5 | 1–3 (Explosive) |
Donkey Kick
The donkey kick is another versatile glute-building exercise that can be done at home. Like the other exercises, it requires no equipment and is easy to perform.
Your gluteus muscles work as the primary movers. The hamstrings, hip adductors, and erector spinae perform secondary roles. Donkey kicks tone your glute muscles and improve your lower body coordination.
How To Do
- Find a suitable mat or padded area. Assume a tabletop position on all fours. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders.
- Inhale and engage your core. Exhale and push one leg back towards the ceiling. The rest of your body should stay in the same position.
- Pause briefly as your upper leg comes level with your torso.
- Inhale and bring your working leg back to the starting position under control.
- Perform the stated repetitions before switching legs.
Tips
- Perform the kickback using a controlled movement. This helps to keep a stable exercise position.
- Your hips should stay straight as you kick. Avoid rotating your hips and torso to maintain exercise focus.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–5 | 4–6 |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–10 |
| Endurance Training | 3–4 | 12–20 |
| Power Training | 3–5 | 1–3 (Explosive) |
Cossack Squat
As mentioned above, the squat is a foundational movement pattern. The Cossack squat is a useful variation that requires you to shift your weight between your legs as you squat. This adds an extra core and hip challenge to maintain a stable position.
The primary movers are the quadriceps. The gluteus, hamstrings, hip adductors, calves, and core muscles perform important secondary roles. The main benefit of the Cossack squat is that it helps improve your strength, functional mobility, and balance.
How To Do
- Assume a wide stance with your feet much wider than shoulder-width. Your chest should be up with your head looking forward. Bring your elbows forward and clasp your hands together in front of your chest.
- Inhale and engage your core. Exhale and shift your body weight to the right.
- Your right leg should bend while your left leg goes straight. Your right knee should come forward slightly as you keep the same upper-body position.
- Pause briefly as your upper right leg comes parallel to the ground.
- Inhale and push through your right leg to return to the starting position under control.
- Perform the stated repetitions before switching legs.
Tips
- Keep your hands together with your elbows in front of you. This helps to ensure balance and stability.
- The foot on your non-working leg should raise as you come to the side. This ensures targeted muscle activation.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–5 | 4–6 |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–10 |
| Endurance Training | 3–4 | 12–20 |
| Power Training | 3–5 | 1–3 (Explosive) |
Plank Leg Raise
The plank leg raise is a core-building exercise with an added dynamic challenge. It requires you to hold your body in a prone position while lifting each leg upwards. This increases the core stability requirements and helps to improve mobility and full-body coordination.
The gluteus and core muscles perform the primary actions. Secondary movers include the quadriceps, hamstrings, anterior deltoids, and erector spinae muscles.
How To Do
- Find a suitable mat or padded area. Assume a tabletop position facing the floor.
- Bring both legs back and come onto your toes. Come down onto your elbows with your hands facing in front of you. Your elbows should be directly under your shoulders.
- Maintain a straight line from your head to your heels. Keep a controlled breathing pattern throughout the hold. Your head should be facing the floor.
- Lift your right leg off the ground while keeping it straight. Maintain the same body position.
- Briefly hold it at the top position and bring it back down. Switch legs and perform the stated number of repetitions.
Tips
- Maintain a controlled breathing pattern as you perform the hold. This ensures sufficient oxygen to your working muscles.
- Use the help of a friend or mirror to check your form when needed. This helps to teach the correct exercise technique.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–5 | 4–6 |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–10 |
| Endurance Training | 3–4 | 12–20 |
| Power Training | 3–5 | 1–3 (Explosive) |
Bodyweight Frog Hip Thrust
The bodyweight frog hip thrust combines a hip thrust with a frog-like leg position. This isolates your glutes and hip muscles, making it a functional glute-hip builder. Secondary movers include the hamstrings and core muscles.
It helps to build your glutes, improve hip mobility, and enhance posture. It always works well as a cool-down exercise or warm-up when performing weighted movements.
How To Do
- Find a suitable mat or padded area. Lie on the ground with your back against the floor.
- Bring your legs to a frog-like position by pushing your knees out and bringing your feet together.
- Inhale and engage your core. Exhale and lift your hips off the ground toward the ceiling. Your upper back and shoulders should stay firmly on the floor.
- Bring your hips up until they’re in line with your torso. Squeeze your glutes at the top position.
- Inhale and lower your hips back to the starting position under control.
Tips
- Avoid arching your back excessively as you come to the top position. Keep your core engaged to maintain a neutral spine.
- Avoid bringing your upper back off the floor. Your torso and hips should be the primary movers.
Optimal Sets And Reps
Training Style | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Strength Training | 3–5 | 4–6 |
| Hypertrophy | 3–4 | 8–10 |
| Endurance Training | 3–4 | 12–20 |
| Power Training | 3–5 | 1–3 (Explosive) |
Best At Home Hamstring Workout Routine
We’ve taken the hamstring exercises from our list above and programmed them into a hamstring-building routine. The main focus of the workout is hamstring hypertrophy with some higher volume sets toward the end of the session.
Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest (between sets) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bodyweight Squat | 3–4 sets | 8–12 reps | 60–90 seconds |
| Cossack Squat | 3–4 sets | 8–12 reps | 60–90 seconds |
| Glute Bridge | 3–4 sets | 8–12 reps | 60–90 seconds |
| Donkey Kick | 3–4 sets | 8–12 reps | 60–90 seconds |
| Plank Leg Raise | 3–4 sets | 8–12 reps | 60–90 seconds |
Anatomy Of The Hamstring
The hamstrings are a large muscle group at the back of the upper legs. They consist of three primary muscle groups:
- Semimembranosus.
- Semitendinosus.
- Bicep Femoris.
They perform knee flexion, which is when the angle between the lower leg and upper leg gets smaller. Alongside this, they extend and rotate the hips.
The hamstrings are an important muscle group involved in several functional movement patterns during exercise and daily activity. Furthermore, they are one of the primary muscle groups in compound functional movement such as squats, deadlifts, and lunges.
Hamstrings
Muscles located at the back of your upper leg, below your glutes and above your calves. Consists of three muscles.
Benefits Of Hamstring Exercises At Home
Performing hamstring workouts at home offers several useful benefits. Here are a few of the most important ones to consider.
Increased Hamstring Size
As mentioned above, the hamstrings consist of three main muscle groups. Each varies slightly in location and function, requiring a systematic training approach for well-rounded development.
Training volume, which refers to the amount of work performed, is mainly responsible for increasing hamstring muscle size and function. Therefore, a hamstring routine needs to be systematic and ensure appropriate volume.
The exercises above have been put together to target each of the three main hamstring muscles at home. They’re easy to perform and require no equipment. Because of this, they offer a great way to increase training volume and therefore muscle hypertrophy.
Improved Functional Performance
The hamstrings are responsible for several functional movements. They bend the knees, extend the hips, and rotate them. Because of this, they play a significant role in daily activity and exercise.
Targeted resistance training can improve the size and strength of the hamstrings. Both help improve hamstring function. Therefore, the activities that use the hamstrings improve with it. Examples include the squat exercise, bending over to pick something up, and walking.
Reduced Injury Risk
When working against resistance and gravity, strong and functional hamstrings help to distribute weight and ensure efficient movement patterns correctly. The lower body also provides a support base for upper body movement and function.
Improved hamstring function and strength help them better handle the load placed on them, reducing injury risk. Furthermore, this reduces the potential stress on the surrounding musculature, which includes the hips, lower back, and torso. With this, improved hamstring strength and function reduces injury risk for movement, activity, and exercise.
Safety Training Tips
- Maintain Core Engagement — The core musculature helps to keep a stable body position during exercise and activity. Maintain core engagement, stated during each hamstring exercise, to ensure efficient force distribution throughout the primary movers. This helps to reduce possible injury risk.
- Warm-Up Correctly — Warming up before hamstring workouts helps to increase muscle temperature, improve joint lubrication, and improve blood flow. Each of these improves hamstring function and reduces possible injury risk. Use a combination of aerobic exercise and dynamic hamstring stretches such as leg swings and walking lunges.
- Focus On Correct Technique — Performing the correct technique in the hamstring exercises above ensures targeted muscle activation. This reduces potential unnecessary stress on other muscle groups that may increase injury risk.
- Ensure Enough Rest And Recovery — Getting enough rest and recovery between each set and session is vital for exercise performance. It helps to maintain energy levels and improve exercise form. Both of these are important to reduce the chances of injury.
- Consider Your Home Environment — Make sure to exercise in a suitable indoor or outdoor space at home. The space should be big enough to move around without any obstructions.
Conclusion
The hamstrings are large muscle groups that perform several important functional and performance-based roles. Ensuring good function and strength with a well-organized training routine is important for exercise, activity, and daily life.
The exercises above provide great ways to work your hamstrings at home. Each movement isolates the hamstring muscles, providing a good exercise stimulus and increasing training volume. Both of these are key variables for well-rounded development.
Try them in your home gym and see what you think!
Frequently Asked Questions
Building your hamstrings at home can be done using the same principles as you would in the gym. Perform each exercise with the correct training intensity and workout volume. Progressively overload the exercises by increasing the volume or adding weight.
You can improve weak hamstrings by making them your principal training focus. Use a combination of compound movements and hamstring isolation exercises. Work them often and with enough training volume.
The hamstring muscles are a large muscle group that makes up most of your upper leg. They perform several important functional and performance roles. Skipping them can lead to uneven development, decreased performance, and increased injury risk.
Loosening tight hamstrings can be done using a combination of movement, static stretching, and dynamic stretching. The suitability of each of these will depend on whether you’re doing this before or after exercise.
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Endomondo.com refrains from utilizing tertiary references. We uphold stringent sourcing criteria and depend on peer-reviewed studies and academic research conducted by medical associations and institutions. For more detailed insights, you can explore further by reading our editorial process.
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About the Author
Chris Marshall, MSc, PT Personal Trainer
