Sculpting your hamstrings, or the “hammys” as we affectionately call them, plays a key role in leg movement and stability.
When trained, they can also give your legs a more complete and “full” look. So, why not look into how to work them properly? Luckily, you don’t need to look far.
With this guide, you’ll have the top isolation hamstring exercises at your fingertips, as well as some handy training tips.
Before we begin, remember that true isolation exercises are single-joint and don’t have many variations. Also, we’ve presented these exercises from most to least isolated for your convenience.
Get ready to transform your hamstring routine and give this muscle the attention it deserves!
Table of Contents
7 Best Hamstring Isolation Exercises
- Seated leg curl
- Lying leg curl
- Swiss ball leg curl
- Nordic hamstring curl
- 45-degree back raise
- Romanian deadlift
- Cable pull through
Seated leg curl
Benefits of seated leg curls
This is one of the best exercises for underdeveloped hamstrings because of the level of isolation it provides. Because it focuses on knee flexion, it enhances the hamstring’s ability to contact. This can result in improved stability and strength in the knee joint.
How to perform seated leg curls
- Set the machine to an appropriate weight.
- Sit on the leg curl machine and adjust the seat and leg pad so that the lower leg pad is just above your heels. Your knees should be aligned with the machine’s pivot point.
- Extend your legs straight in front of you and grab the machine’s handles.
- Slowly curl your legs towards your glutes and continue the movement until your legs are fully curled.
- Hold the contracted position for a moment, then inhale as you slowly return to the starting position.
- Complete the target number of reps and sets.
It’s not hard to master the seated leg curl but at the same time, it’s an easy exercise to get wrong. So, watch this video. It’ll guide you through the correct form for maximum results:
How to program seated leg curls
Go for moderate to heavy loads, aiming for around 70-85% of your one-rep max (1RM) for strength or 50-70% for hypertrophy. For strength, perform 4-6 reps for 4 sets, and for hypertrophy, go for 8-12 reps for 3-4 sets. Include this exercise in your routine for around 6-8 weeks.
Lying leg curl
Benefits of lying leg curls
The position of this exercise allows for a concentrated focus on hamstring contraction and extension, improving muscle tone and flexibility. It’s also much easier on the joints than exercises like the Bulgarian split squat or the single-leg deadlift. Regular practice can help a lot with preventing hamstring injury.
How to perform lying leg curls
- Adjust the machine according to your height and lie face down on the bench. The padded roller should fit just under your calf muscles and slightly above your heels. Keep your feet hip-width apart.
- Hold onto the machine’s handles.
- Curl your legs up towards your glutes, keeping the movement slow and controlled.
- Once your legs are fully curled, pause for a moment to maximize hamstring contraction.
- Slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.
- Do the target number of reps and sets.
Lying leg curls can seem quite straightforward but there are a few things you need to know before jumping right into them. The video below will tell you everything you need to know and more:
If you don’t have access to a lying leg curl machine, then check out our guide on lying leg curl alternatives. You can also check out our best gym machines for legs.
How to program lying leg curls
Moderate to heavy loads also work best here. If strength is your focus, do 4-6 reps for 4 sets. If hypertrophy is the goal, 8-12 reps for 3-4 sets should do it. Doing this exercise for 6-8 weeks on a split routine is typically enough to see good results.
Swiss ball leg curl
Benefits of Swiss ball leg curls
This is one of the best bodyweight hamstring exercises, as it challenges both your core stability and balance while targeting your hamstrings. Doing them regularly can enhance coordination and muscle control. It’s particularly beneficial for those looking to improve functional strength and prevent lower back pain.
How to perform Swiss ball leg curls
- Place a Swiss ball on the floor in an open area. Ensure there’s enough space to move freely without obstruction.
- Lie flat on your back with your arms by your side for stability. Place your heels on top of the Swiss ball with your legs straight.
- Push down through your heels to lift your hips off the ground. Your upper body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your heels.
- Bend your knees to roll the ball towards your body, pulling with your hamstrings until your feet are flat on the ball.
- Slowly straighten your legs, rolling the ball back to the starting position.
- Repeat for however many reps you’re aiming for.
If you’re working on your stability and strength, the Swiss ball leg curl is a must-try. This tutorial breaks down the steps to perform it effectively, ensuring you are engaging the right muscles:
How to program Swiss ball leg curls
This exercise relies on your body weight but advanced athletes can add a weight vest for increased resistance. Aim for higher reps of 10-15 for 3-4 sets. Integrate this exercise into your routine for a minimum of 6 weeks.
Nordic hamstring curl
Benefits of Nordic hamstring curls
Nordic hamstring curls are one of the best hamstring exercises for preventing hamstring strain. This is because of their emphasis on eccentric strength. Incorporating them into your routine can also improve sprinting speed and lower body power.
How to perform Nordic hamstring curls
- Get into a kneeling position, ensuring your right and left knee are perfectly aligned.
- Anchor your feet under a sturdy object or have a partner hold them down. You can place a pad under your knees for comfort. Keep your upper body straight.
- Lean forward, lowering your body towards the ground slowly. Squeeze your glutes and use your hamstrings to control the descent and don’t bend at the waist.
- As you get closer to the ground, use your hands to catch yourself and prevent falling.
- Pull yourself back up to the starting position using your hamstrings and hands to assist if needed.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps and sets.
The Nordic hamstring curl is well known for its effectiveness in building hamstring strength. It’s also well known for being an exercise that many gymgoers get wrong. Avoid the common mistakes and find the right form by watching this instructional video:
If you’re interested, you can also check out our comparison of the Nordic curl vs the glute ham raise.
How to program Nordic hamstring curls
This is also a bodyweight exercise; however, the difficulty can be adjusted by changing the torso angle or using resistance by holding a weight plate or dumbbell. Because it’s quite intense, aim for lower reps (5-8) for 3-4 sets.
45-degree back raise
Benefits of 45-degree back raises
The 45-degree back raise can strengthen the posterior chain muscles which include the hamstrings, lower back, and glute muscles. It can also improve hip extension and posture which is crucial for lifting activities and athletic performance. Regular inclusion of this exercise in your routine can lead to better stability and reduced back pain.
How to perform 45-degree back raises
- Adjust the back raise machine so that the hip pad is positioned just below your hip bone. Keep your feet flat and secured under the foot pads.
- Ensure your torso is upright and your hips forward to align your body with the machine. Cross your arms over your chest or place them behind your head for balance.
- Slowly lower your upper body towards the ground, keeping your back straight and hinging at the hips. Lower yourself until your torso is just below parallel to the floor.
- Squeeze your glutes, lower back, and hamstrings to raise your torso back to the starting position, maintaining constant tension in your muscles.
- Hit the target number of reps and sets.
Still unsure about how to do 45-degree back raises? Take a look at this video from Squat University. It shows you exactly how to do the exercise to correctly engage your posterior chain:
How to program 45-degree back raises
Start with using just your body weight and then grab plates or dumbbells to make the exercise more challenging. For endurance and hypertrophy, aim for 10-15 reps for 3-4 sets. This hamstring exercise is generally most effective when performed over an 8-week period.
Romanian deadlift
Benefits of Romanian deadlifts
The Romanian deadlift emphasizes the hip hinge movement which means it can strengthen your hip joint. It also does well at making the posterior chain stronger, in turn making other lifts much easier.
How to perform Romanian deadlifts
- Position yourself in front of a loaded barbell. Stand with your left leg and right leg a hip’s width apart. Keep your feet flat on the floor and maintain a soft bend in your knees, with your toes pointing slightly outwards.
- Lean forward from your hips, make sure your spine stays straight.
- Grab the barbell with your hands around shoulder-width apart, pulling your shoulders back and down while engaging your core. Line up your head and neck with your spine to avoid overextending.
- Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings, pressing your feet firmly into the floor to stand up straight, elevating the weight to your upper thighs.
- Ensure your back is straight, your chest lifted, and your shoulders pulled back.
- Shift your hips backward, keeping your knees bent and your back straight as you lower your body.
- Let the barbell move down the front of your legs, hinging at your hips until your hamstrings are stretched.
- Go down with the bar to a point that your flexibility allows – this is typically somewhere between your knees and toes.
- Return to the standing position by pushing your hips forward. Use your hamstrings and glutes for the lift, keeping the bar close to your body throughout.
- Repeat for the target number of reps and sets.
Sometimes, it’s better to see how an exercise is done before attempting to do it yourself. Watch how Jeff Nippard does it in the video down below:
Note: You can also perform this exercise using dumbells instead of a barbell.
How to program Romanian deadlifts
Beginners should use light to moderate weights and advanced lifters can use moderate to heavy weights for this exercise. If you’re training for strength, do 5-8 reps for 4 sets. Those aiming for hypertrophy should do around 8-12 reps for 3-4 sets. This is a staple exercise, so it can be performed for 8 weeks or longer.
Cable pull through
Benefits of cable pull-throughs
Because the cable pull-through focuses on the hamstrings and glutes, it promotes hip extension strength which is critical for explosive movements. It also uses the spinal erectors to stabilize the movement. Plus, its unique cable machine setup means constant tension on the muscles, leading to improved endurance and growth.
While the path of motion is similar to that of a Romanian deadlift, it places less stress on the back, making it a great alternative exercise.
How to perform cable pull-throughs
- Set the cable machine pulley to the lowest notch and put a rope attachment on.
- Stand with your back to the cable machine, ensuring your feet are shoulder-width apart.
- Bend over and reach through your legs to grab the rope with both hands.
- With a slight bend in your knees, hinge your hips to move your torso forward.
- Drive your hips forward to pull the rope through your legs while straightening your body. Keep your back straight and core engaged during the movement.
- Perform however many reps and sets you’re targeting.
To ensure you’re getting the most out of your cable pull-throughs, check out this video. It will give you step-by-step instructions on how to perform the exercise with proper form:
If this exercise doesn’t work for you, then rest assured as there are plenty of cable hamstring exercises to choose from.
How to program cable pull-throughs
Use moderate to heavy weight for cable pull-throughs, focusing on controlled movements. To really challenge your hip hinge mechanics, do 8-12 reps for 3-4 sets. Include this exercise for at least 6-8 weeks.
Tips for Isolating the Hamstrings
Here are some expert tips to make isolating your hamstrings a little easier:
- Maintain proper form:Keep your spine neutral and hips stable during hamstring exercises. This helps to prevent injury while ensuring your hamstrings are the main muscle group being worked.
- Throw in unilateral movements: Exercises, like the single-leg Romanian deadlift, force each leg to work independently. This can get rid of imbalances and isolate the hamstring muscles more effectively.
- Prioritize hip extension exercises: Movements that involve extending the hip, such as cable pull-throughs, are excellent for targeting the hamstrings while engaging the glutes.
- Control the negative: When doing exercises like Romanian deadlifts or leg curls, slow down during the lowering phase. This will increase time under tension which is important for muscle growth.
- Adjust your foot position: On the leg curl machine, experiment with pointing your toes or flexing your feet. Slight adjustments like this can focus on different parts of the hamstrings.
- Bridge the mind-muscle connection: Before starting any movement, take a moment to mentally engage with your hamstrings. Picture them contracting and extending through each exercise to improve your mental focus during the workout.
How to Train Hamstrings
Like with most muscle groups, training the hamstrings is a matter of finding balance. You have to use a mix of both compound and isolation exercises, as each has its own unique set of benefits.
For example, compound hamstring exercises like deadlifts and squats need stabilizer muscles to kick in during the movement. This gives you more comprehensive development which can make doing isolation movements easier.
Another thing that’s important is your form. Your form needs to be proper in order to maximize gains while minimizing injury risk. You also need to implement progressive overload which involves gradually increasing the weight or reps to ensure your muscles are continually challenged.
Lastly, don’t overlook the importance of resting your hamstrings, as muscles grow outside the gym. Get your nutrition right and craft a split that allows for ample recovery.
Hamstring Anatomy
The hamstring isn’t just a single muscle, it’s a group of muscles that help with many daily movements like walking, running, and jumping. If you want to get the most out of your hamstring exercises, then understanding the anatomy of the hamstring muscles is a key step. Let’s break it down so you can have a clearer picture.
Semitendinosus
This is one of the three main muscles in the hamstring group. It runs down the back of your thigh, from the pelvis to the shinbone. It’s important for knee flexion (bending the knee) and hip extension (moving the thigh backward), which makes it essential for movements that require knee bends.
Semimembranosus
This muscle sits closely with the semitendinosus, also originating from the pelvis but attaching to the back of the tibia, just below the knee. It’s also slightly deeper compared to the semitendinosus. The semimembranosus helps with knee flexion, hip extension, and internal rotation of the knee.
Biceps femoris
Then there’s the biceps femoris, a muscle that is quite unique in that it has two heads: a long head and a short head. The long head attaches to the ischial tuberosity in the pelvis, much like the other hamstring muscles. In comparison, the short head originates from the femur.
This muscle extends down the side of the thigh and attaches to the head of the fibula near the knee. It’s responsible for knee flexion, hip extension, and the external rotation of the leg. The biceps femoris is particularly important for explosive movements and agility, which is why it’s a key focus for hamstring strengthening and conditioning.
Hamstring Isolation Exercises FAQs
How often should you train your hamstrings?
For optimal growth and recovery, train your hamstrings around 2-3 times per week. This should give you a balance between stimulating muscle growth and recovery time to prevent overtraining and injury.
At what intensity should hamstrings be trained?
You should train your hamstrings at a variety of intensities to maximize growth and strength gains. For strength-focused workouts, aim for 70-85% of your one-rep max for lower reps (4-6). For muscle growth, use moderate loads of 50-70% of your 1RM for higher reps (8-12). Incorporate both of these intensities into your routine.
What rep range should be used for training hamstrings?
Here are some goal-dependent rep ranges to guide you:
- For strength, focus on lower rep ranges of 4-6 reps.
- For hypertrophy, target higher rep ranges of 8-12 reps.
- For endurance and muscle tone, consider even higher rep ranges of 15-20 reps. Utilizing a mix of these rep ranges over time can help in achieving well-rounded hamstring development.
What types of exercises train hamstrings?
You can hit your hamstrings effectively with both isolation and compound exercises. Isolation exercises, like leg curls (seated, lying, and standing) and Nordic hamstring curls, specifically target the hamstring muscles. Compound exercises, like deadlifts, good mornings, and squats, also engage the hamstrings along with other lower body muscles.