Implementing explosive hamstring exercises into your routine can help build strength and speed in your legs, lower risk of injury and create an aesthetic, balanced physique. Jermaine shows you how to do these entry-level moves which can be completed as standalone workout or added on to an upper-body day workout plan.
1. Single Leg Banded Good Morning
Good mornings are one of the most effective posterior chain exercises and can be used to increase strength or build muscular size. When performed properly, they target muscles in your back, glutes, hamstrings and core. Unfortunately when performed incorrectly this movement may pose danger to the lower back; using a resistance band to improve technique and avoid injury is highly recommended.
A good morning exercise targets your posterior chain of muscles, including the erector spinae, gluteus maximus and hamstrings. These muscles are activated through hip hinge movement of a good morning workout to target these areas along your backside and reduce spinal stiffness while improving posture.
The good morning can be an intricate movement to execute successfully as it requires both hip mobility and core stability for maximum effectiveness. It may prove especially challenging for those with restricted low back muscles.
Good mornings may increase the risk of back injuries when done with barbells; using a band instead allows you to work up to heavy loads while minimizing stress on joints, and provides more targeted workouts for shoulders and neck muscles that often get neglected when training the back.
As for muscle recruitment, both the Romanian deadlift and good morning will target your erector spinae equally; however, the good morning won’t work your hamstrings and glutes as intensely; therefore it may not be effective for building up those parts of the body.
The Single Leg Banded Good Morning is an effective alternative to front curled good morning, as it enables you to perform this movement without straining your lower back too much. Additionally, this form can serve as an excellent progression from Double Arm Band Resisted Kettlebell RDL. Furthermore, using only one leg helps distribute weight evenly among feet and prevent it from shifting onto one heel when hinging.
2. Kettlebell Swings
The kettlebell swing is an effective movement to build explosive power and improve overall conditioning. This exercise can be an excellent way to strengthen hips, hamstrings and core muscles as it relies on hinge action to move weight upward through legs and shoulders without assistance from arms. Your upper back and shoulder stabilisers must also do their part in keeping the kettlebell from falling away from you. As with any movement, it is key that you maintain a neutral or flat spine throughout. Avoid rounding your shoulders or leaning forward as this can increase tension in the lower back and strain. If your lower back becomes painful during kettlebell swings, reduce their height until they reach chest level – this could help alleviate any strain or soreness in your muscles and ligaments.
The swing is one of the most athletic movements you can perform and requires your glutes and hamstrings to provide power as you bring the weight back between your feet. It requires you to extend your hips quickly with force before pulling back with precision – similar to when blocking an opponent in football or taking a jump shot in sports where it requires fast hip extension.
Grabbing the handle with both hands is important to ensuring you use your core to stabilize and control the kettlebell throughout each movement. Knee flexing may occur more frequently as your strength improves and you move closer to overhead positions; try not to let this happen as this reduces force generated from hip hinge.
Studies have demonstrated the benefits of kettlebell swings for improving half squat and vertical jump performance as well as cardiorespiratory fitness. Because this form of strength training also improves cardiovascular fitness, they’re an ideal way to combine strength training and cardiorespiratory fitness into one effective exercise regime – making KB swings an attractive solution for busy lifestyles or those struggling to fit traditional strength conditioning into their schedule. Just make sure to warm up properly prior to performing high intensity exercises such as kettlebell swings in order to reduce risks of injury!
3. Single Leg Lunges
Most people who ask about single leg exercises will answer with lunges as their answer, and for good reason: lunges provide a dynamic movement that exercises hips, glutes, quads and hamstrings as well as foot and ankle strength which create more stability within the lower body. Lunges also work great at correcting imbalances; for instance if one knee goes into varus while another remains neutral while lunges help to correct that difference.
Lunges provide a full body workout in the sagittal plane–forward, backward or side to side like a lateral lunge. You can perform them with or without weighted barbell for extra difficulty and should ensure weight distribution evenly on both feet; lunging with just your front foot may lead to overworking knee and ankle ligaments.
Start off a forward lunge by standing with feet approximately shoulder-width apart. Brace your core, taking one large step forward with one leg until your front knee is about parallel to the floor, lowering until your front heel hits and pushing through for return to standing position – repeat as many reps as you have planned, alternating legs each time.
Reverse lunges provide another variation on the forward lunge that works the same muscles at an angle and can be performed either with or without weights. For optimal results, using bodyweight may provide maximum effectiveness, however for additional challenge try holding some lighter dumbbells or barbell racked upright in front of you as an added challenge.
If you’re ready to move forward with your workouts, add TRX or Valslide lunges into the mix for an added challenge that will target both adductor magnus (the primary hip extensor and counterbalance to glute max) as well as abductors and rotators of pelvis abductors and rotators for an effective total body workout. Sprinting uses adductor magnus; therefore its strength makes this muscle essential. The movement itself is also more stable than lunges making loading up heavier weights easier.
4. Barbell Swings
The kettlebell swing is one of the best exercises for strengthening hamstrings and improving balance, core and shoulder strength. Its efficient movement means you can build strength quickly while burning calories quickly – it has long been included as part of many strength and conditioning programs.
Kettlebell swinging can be performed with any weight. For optimal results, start off light and gradually add weight as you perfect the technique and gain strength. Make sure you warm-up and stretch before and after each workout to prevent injury.
As you lean forward in a hip hinge and stretch your hamstrings, pushing back into starting position will also activate quads and hip flexors to generate power. For an added challenge try adding single arm swing variation which requires greater balance since one hand must only hold onto the kettlebell at any given time – not only will this double your workout time but it will burn more calories!
Many individuals avoid kettlebell swings because they think the exercise places too much strain on the joints and back. Although this may be true for certain athletes, when performed properly kettlebell swings can provide an effective means of strengthening hips and hamstrings without creating too much joint stress.
Movement can help increase hip speed, which will aid sprinting faster and jumping higher, as well as performing athletic movements like cutting and picking things off of the ground. Since much of your power comes from your hips, having strong and stable ones is crucial for overall body wellness.
While the kettlebell swing is an effective exercise to strengthen legs, hamstrings and glutes, it’s also important to include other exercises that target these muscle groups as well. Dead stop swinging is a fantastic complement to kettlebell swings as it forces you to focus on balance and core strengthening at the same time.
