Compound exercises target multiple muscle groups simultaneously for maximum growth; isolation exercises such as these hamstring exercises can either be performed alone or added into a circuit or superset for even more benefit.
Hamstring muscles serve two primary purposes — hip extension and knee flexion. By isolating and adding resistance to these muscles, you can strengthen their foundation for leg health and performance.
Seated Leg Curls
The seated leg curl is one of the simplest and most effective isolation exercises for hamstrings. When performed correctly, it will provide your hamstrings with a significant pump, while also serving as an effective complement to other strength-building movements. However, for maximum effectiveness it must be performed slowly with control; performing any sudden or abrupt movements could risk injury and impair muscle growth.
Begin by setting the machine so that the foot pad rests just above your ankles when lying down on it, with hips and upper body securely pressed against the seat. After setting this position, select a weight you can handle before lying back down on it; with legs straight or nearly-straight position lowering foot plate down towards knees while curling weight towards body, pausing briefly at top for pause before returning it slowly and controlled back to starting position.
Note that this movement primarily targets the hamstring muscles (biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus), but will also stimulate gluteus maximus muscles as well as calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus). Your toes may point forward or back during this movement to focus on one muscle group more heavily than another. You can point or flex them during movement for additional emphasis on certain groups.
As with all isolation exercises, proper form is crucial to reaping maximum results from this movement. If this exercise is new to you, taking time to find your balance may take some getting used to; thus, starting off light with lower weight loads would be best until your skills develop further.
Keep your core engaged throughout each movement to protect the lower back from arching, leading to strain or pain in your lower back. A common mistake when moving is allowing weight to fall too quickly when completed; slow and controlled movements help keep hamstrings under tension for greater contraction strength.
Lying Dumbbell Leg Curls
Lying dumbbell leg curls are one of the best isolation exercises for hamstrings and can be performed both on a bench and floor, though the latter option provides greater posture control throughout movement, cutting back on reps performed at the bottom to allow for faster recovery and greater stretch in hamstrings. When done on a bench version it also reduces reps performed at bottom which allows for quicker recovery; alternatively you could do it with legs spread wide for added stretch in hamstrings.
This exercise is often used to build strength, and can be particularly helpful for people unable to perform other full-body movements such as the squat or lunge. Furthermore, it can help correct muscular imbalances between quadriceps and hamstrings that occur when walking, running or playing sports; such an imbalance could result in knee caps being too high or low compared to hips; thus increasing risk of injury.
Assume a face down position on the lying leg curl machine with the roller pad just above your heels and calves, and hold both support handles on either side of the body with both hands. Contract your hamstring muscles by inhaling as you extend your feet away from you pads toward buttocks by contracting them to extend them as far as they will. As soon as you reach the peak of the movement, dorsiflex so the soles remain facing upward (this will help hold onto the dumbbell more comfortably) before exhaling to return your feet back into their starting positions.
Drop sets provide an effective way to adjust the intensity of this exercise, dropping down from heavier weight to lighter ones and repeating until reps cannot be completed any further. In addition, you could vary repetition speed periodically – sometimes faster reps and other times slow reps may challenge yourself and improve control.
Avoid using too much weight as this could put unnecessary stress on your knees and back. If any discomfort develops in these areas, stop the exercise immediately and contact a personal trainer for more safe alternatives to help strengthen hamstrings.
Prone Leg Curls
The leg curl is an effective isolation exercise that can easily fit into any workout regimen, whether at home or the gym. It primarily targets hamstring muscles while simultaneously working hips and quads; although not a suitable replacement for large compound exercises like deadlift, leg curling will keep your hamstrings strong while taking a rest from other forms of training.
The prone version of leg curling adds resistance to your lower legs, forcing your hamstrings to work harder in order to overcome it. To perform this variation, anchor both ends of a resistance band to a stable object before lying on your stomach with feet hip-width apart and the band wrapped around one heel. Bend your knee toward your butt until it no longer pulls the heel toward you; stop when that effort becomes impossible before gradually extending it back out again to return back to its starting position.
As with seated and lying dumbbell leg curls, make sure that the weight you choose for leg curls is challenging but not too heavy, in order to perform each rep with proper form without experiencing fatigue. Loads that are too heavy could force poor technique that increases risk of injury; whil loads that are too light won’t help build enough strength or muscle.
Since you don’t need to flex your hips to perform this movement, the leg curl is an effective way to isolate hamstring muscles more than other leg-curl exercises requiring hip flexion. As such, it can be an ideal option if hip, back, or knee pain limits your ability to perform multi-joint movements more fully.
If a leg curl machine or the prone position are out of reach for you, there are other isolation exercises which can target your hamstrings just as effectively. We’ve curated eight options here for you below; including some which require nothing more than your body weight!
Hip Thrusts
The hip thrust is one of the premier exercises for strengthening glutes and should be an essential part of any lower-body or core-centric strength-training routine. Strong glutes are integral for functional movements like sprinting, jumping and walking as well as posture improvement and injury prevention. Furthermore, this movement also targets the hamstring muscles responsible for knee flexion, back-and-front leg movement stabilization as well as knee flexion – though as with any exercise mistakes may happen which decrease its effectiveness or strain other muscles.
Correctly performing hip thrusts is a challenging movement that may involve using both quadriceps muscle of the front leg and gluteus muscles simultaneously. If this is occurring, widen your feet apart to shift focus onto hamstrings and glutes instead.
Hip thrusts are designed to work the gluteus maximus, while simultaneously engaging other parts of the lower-body. An academic study concluded that this form of exercise was more successful at recruiting this muscle than traditional deadlift or hex bar deadlift with dumbbells.
In addition, the hip thrust is also effective at working several other lower body muscles, including the iliopsoas and rectus femoris muscles in the thighs, although not as heavily engaged during movement. They still play an integral role in hip extension. Furthermore, this exercise can activate hip flexors – muscles responsible for flexing your leg at the hip joint – helping extend hips.
Hip thrusts provide a better way to target hamstrings, offering more of a challenge and using more of your upper body and arms than bridges do. Both exercises require controlled and slow movement to ensure all muscles are being targeted properly.
