You’re no stranger to training your hamstrings, but let’s face it—there’s a good chance you’re only hitting half your posterior potential. Your programming already has a good mix of deadlifts, RDLs, and other hip-dominant moves that usually take center stage, but what about the supporting cast? While hip-dominant lifts are fantastic for building that upper hamstring development and reinforcing hip extension, they leave one crucial area largely untapped: the lower hamstring, specifically around the knee joint.
Allow me to drop a dose of knowledge: If you want to maximize your workouts, you must target your hamstrings from both ends. A steady prescription of hip-dominant movements like deadlifts and good mornings paired with knee-dominant exercises that target the hamstrings’ leg-curling action will suit you well. This approach maximizes muscle growth, bolsters size, and builds resilience and functional power.
In this article, we’ll dive into hamstring anatomy and explain why targeting both the hip and knee functions of this muscle group is essential for full hamstring development. You’ll also get a rundown of hip- and knee-dominant exercises to help you achieve balanced strength, size, stability, and overall muscle resilience. By the end, you’ll have all the tools to fortify your hamstrings and your entire posterior chain, enhancing performance and reducing injury risk.
Hamstring Anatomy & Functioning for Performance
The hamstrings are a biarticulate muscle group, meaning they cross two joints—the hip and the knee—giving them a dual role in movement. The hamstring group consists of three main muscles: the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. These muscles originate at the pelvis’ ischial tuberosity (sit bones) and insert at various points on the lower leg, spanning the hip and knee joints.
This biarticulate nature allows the hamstrings to contribute to two primary actions: hip extension and knee flexion. During hip extension, as in deadlifts or sprints, the hamstrings work alongside the glutes to drive power from the hips. This action primarily engages the proximal (upper) portion of the hamstrings, which is critical for explosive and high-force movements.
On the other hand, during knee flexion, as in leg curls, the hamstrings activate their distal (lower) portion to bend the knee and stabilize the joint. This function is essential for controlling deceleration and absorbing impact forces during rapid changes in direction. Because the hamstrings influence the hip and knee, training them through both joint actions is critical for comprehensive development, injury prevention, and overall lower-body strength.
‘Bulletproofing’ the Posterior Chain Through Hamstring Development Training
Ah, bulletproofing. This beautiful pop-word that has made its rounds through practical and clinical applications in training and rehab. In simple terms, bulletproofing just means making your muscles and tendons more resilient—aka stronger. But why is bulletproofing a catchy training principle, specifically for your hamstrings?
It begins with a balanced approach to training. Balanced hamstring training is essential to fortify the entire posterior chain—a system comprising the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back that collectively drives strength, stability, and resilience. The hamstrings play a pivotal role here, bridging movement mechanics of the hips and knees to distribute force across the posterior chain. Strength across both hip and knee functions helps prevent compensations that could overload other muscles or joints, reducing injury risk and enhancing performance longevity.
Integrating both hip-dominant and knee-dominant exercises builds structural integrity and muscular balance. Hip-dominant exercises reinforce the proximal (closer to your hip joint) hamstrings, enhancing top-end power for hip extension. At the same time, knee-dominant movements develop the distal (closer to your knee joint) hamstrings, supporting knee stability and resilience under high-impact forces. Slow eccentrics and isometrics are invaluable tools to reinforce hamstring strength and durability further. Slow eccentrics increase the muscle’s capacity to handle tension and resist strain during high-force movements, while isometric holds enhance stability by increasing tendon stiffness, particularly around vulnerable joint angles.
This multifaceted approach strengthens the hamstrings for size, power, and resilience, safeguarding against strains and injuries—especially in high-impact sports or explosive movements. With a comprehensive hamstring regimen, you build a posterior chain foundation equipped to handle the demands of heavy lifting, sprinting, and dynamic directional changes.
The Best Hip- and Knee-Dominant Exercises for Hamstring Development Training
When it’s time to pull up the exercise menu for programming, these are my signature selections for posterior options. If you’re not sure how to properly plug these exercises into your workouts, here are a couple of quick concepts:
- Use hip-dominant exercises in your strength block.
- Use knee-dominant exercises in your accessory or secondary block.
- If you’re only using one posterior exercise per workout, program a hip-dominant movement earlier in the week and a knee-dominant movement later.
- Aim to include at least one hip- and one knee-dominant exercise each week.
- Target 10–20 sets per week for balanced strength and muscle growth.
Hip-Dominant Hamstring Development Training Exercises
These are your compound, hamstring development exercises to drive strength and power. Tried and true, these exercises will get you closer to new PRs.
Deadlift
How to Do It:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, barbell in front of your shins.
- Hinge at your hips and grip the bar just outside your knees.
- Brace your core, keep your back flat, and drive through your heels to lift the bar.
- Lock out at the top, squeezing your glutes, then lower with control.
Sets/Reps: 3-4 sets of 4–6 reps for strength; 3 sets of 8–10 reps for hypertrophy.
Variations: Banded deadlifts, chain deadlifts, and block deadlifts for positional work.
Stiff Leg Deadlift
How to Do It:
- Stand with a barbell, feet hip-width apart, soft bend in the knees.
- Hinge at your hips, lowering the bar toward your feet while keeping your legs relatively straight.
- Raise back up by driving your hips forward.
Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 6–8 reps for strength; 3 sets of 10–12 reps for hypertrophy.
Variation: Dumbbell or kettlebell stiff leg deadlifts for better range of motion.
Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
How to Do It:
- Hold a barbell or dumbbells with a shoulder-width grip.
- Hinge at your hips, lowering the weights until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Drive your hips forward to return to standing.
Sets/Reps: 3–4 sets of 6–8 reps for strength; 3 sets of 10–12 reps for hypertrophy.
Variations: Dumbbell, kettlebell, and toe-elevated options can increase your working range of motion.
Single-Leg RDL
How to Do It:
- Hold a dumbbell in one hand, standing on the opposite leg.
- Hinge at your hips, extending the non-working leg straight behind as you lower the weight.
- Return to standing by driving through your heel.
Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 8–10 reps per leg for balance and hypertrophy.
Variations: Start with supported single-leg RDLs to improve balance and enhance movement quality.
Good Mornings
How to Do It:
- Rest a barbell across your shoulders, feet hip-width apart.
- Hinge at the hips, lowering your torso forward while keeping your spine neutral.
- Drive your hips forward to return to standing.
Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 8–10 reps for hypertrophy; go light to prioritize form.
Variations: Barbell and Safety Squat Bar are my hamstring development go-to’s .
Knee-Dominant Exercises
Knee-dominant exercises enhance resilience and strengthen your foundation for hip-dominant compound lifts. Use these movements to fill gaps in your training, grow the lower half of your hamstrings, and boost knee health.
Seated Leg Curl
How to Do It:
- Sit in a leg curl machine with your ankles under the pad.
- Curl the pad down by bending your knees, contracting the hamstrings.
- Return to the start position with control.
Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 10–15 reps for hypertrophy.
Lying Leg Curl
How to Do It:
- Lie facedown on the machine with your ankles under the pad.
- Curl the pad toward your glutes by flexing your knees.
- Slowly lower the pad back down.
Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 10–15 reps for hypertrophy.
Variation: For an added challenge, switch to a single-leg lying leg curl.
Nordic Curls
How to Do It:
- Anchor your feet and kneel on a padded surface.
- Slowly lower your torso toward the floor by extending your knees.
- Return to the start using your hamstrings (or push up slightly if needed).
Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 6–8 reps; tough but worth it.
Stability Ball Hamstring Curl
How to Do It:
- Lie on your back, heels on a stability ball.
- Lift your hips and curl the ball toward you by bending your knees.
- Roll back to the start with control.
Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 10–12 reps.
Slider Leg Curls
How to Do It:
- Place sliders under your heels and lie on your back.
- Lift your hips, then slide your heels toward your glutes.
- Extend your legs back out with control.
Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 10–12 reps for hypertrophy and knee stability.
Extended Leg Glute Bridge
How to Do It:
- Lie on your back with your feet out far enough to feel a hamstring stretch.
- Press through your heels to lift your hips, engaging your hamstrings.
- Lower down slowly.
Sets/Reps: 3 sets of 12–15 reps.