How to Build Your Hamstrings

Hamstring muscles can be difficult to target in a workout. They contract when you lift your heel back toward your butt and extend when you have your knee and your leg completely straight. These exercises paired with a low-fat, high-protein diet will help to build up those hamstrings.

Things You'll Need

• Exercise mat
• Resistance band
• Dumbbells or weighted bar
• Leg curl machine
• Step box

Instructions

1. Keep legs straight and bend over at the hip to reach your hands toward the ground to stretch your hamstrings. Keep your back straight, and hold this stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. This can be done with legs crossed as well to focus on one hamstring at a time.

2. Position yourself on an exercise mat with your hands and knees firmly placed shoulder-width apart. Place one loop of a resistance band around your foot and hold onto the other end with your hand. Slowly extend your leg back behind you so that it is at least parallel to the floor, and return to the starting position. Keep your hips square and parallel to the floor throughout this movement. Repeat this motion for 60 seconds and switch legs.

3. Place two dumbbells or a weight bar on the floor and stand with your knees bent, feet shoulder-width apart. Bend over at the hips, keeping your back straight. Grab the weights with your hands hip-width apart. Engage your hamstrings and lower back muscles to pull your upper body up. Slowly bend back down and repeat the motion.

4. Lie face down on a leg curl machine and select the weight resistance. Your lower legs will press against the lever as you bring them back toward your glutes. Repeat this motion with increasing weight for each set.

5. Step up onto the step box with your left foot and bring your right leg up with your knee toward your chest. Bring your right foot back down to the floor followed by the left. Then step up with the right and bring the left leg up with the knee toward the chest to repeat on the opposite side. This exercise can also be done while holding dumbbells to increase the difficulty.

Tips & Warnings

• All of these exercises will be done with varying weights, sets and repetitions. Start with lighter weights and fewer repetitions, and build up to sets of 15 to 20 for four to five repetitions. Stretch your hamstrings again once you have finished, and stay hydrated.

• Talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program. When starting any exercise program, listen to your body. Don't push yourself too hard until you are familiar with the proper form of the exercises. Using these big muscles expends a lot of energy and lots of fluids.

References

• More Exercises