How To Strengthen Hamstring Muscles

Weak hamstrings are one of the most common reasons women plateau in their lower body training. Most programs over-rely on squats and leg press, which feel like a hamstring workout but actually fall short when it comes to building real hamstring strength and size. Understanding why that happens, and what to do instead, is the first step to building a stronger, more balanced lower body.

This guide covers the anatomy behind hamstring exercises, the best hamstring workout options for gym and home, and how to structure your training for consistent progress.

Why Most Women Are Under-Training Their Hamstrings

The hamstrings are biarticular muscles, meaning they cross two joints rather than one. They are responsible for both hip extension and knee flexion. This is the detail that most training programs miss.

During a squat or leg press, the hamstrings lengthen at the hip and shorten at the knee simultaneously. The result is a net zero change in tension across the muscle. That means squats and leg press, despite feeling demanding, provide very little stimulus for hamstring strengthening exercises.

To effectively strengthen your hamstrings, you need exercises that challenge both functions separately: movements that create tension through the hip hinge and movements that create tension through knee flexion.

Best Hamstring Exercises for Strength and Size

The following exercises for hamstrings are selected based on two criteria: they must challenge the muscle through either hip extension or knee flexion with meaningful resistance, and they must be practical for women training at various experience levels.

1. Nordic Curl

The Nordic curl is widely considered the most effective exercise for hamstring strength and injury prevention. It challenges the hamstrings eccentrically through knee flexion, which is where the greatest growth stimulus comes from.

How to perform it:

• Anchor your feet at the lat pulldown station, under a heavy barbell, or with a partner holding your ankles
• Start kneeling with your body upright
• Lower your torso toward the floor as slowly as possible, controlling the descent with your hamstrings
• Use your hands to push off the floor at the bottom and pull yourself back up

You do not need a dedicated Nordic curl machine. The lat pulldown station works perfectly, and you can also do these at home if someone can hold your feet.

2. Romanian Deadlift (RDL)

The RDL is the most practical hip hinge hamstring exercise for women at all training levels. It creates tension through hip extension, which is the other half of hamstring function that the Nordic curl does not cover. For a detailed breakdown of RDL versus SLDL and which one is better for your goals, see our complete guide on RDL vs SLDL

How to perform it:

• Hold a barbell or dumbbells in front of your thighs
• Hinge at the hip, pushing your hips back as the weights lower toward the floor
• Keep a soft bend in the knees and a neutral spine throughout
• Drive your hips forward to return to standing

Adding a resistance band above the knees or around your hips increases resistance and provides a useful cue to push the hips back on the way down and forward on the way up.

3. Leg Curl (Machine or Banded)

Leg curls isolate knee flexion and are a direct way to add volume to hamstring workouts without the technical demands of a Nordic curl. Both lying and seated variations work well.

If you are training at home, a banded leg curl performed lying face down with a band anchored at foot height is a practical alternative.

4. Glute Ham Raise

The glute ham raise is an advanced hamstring strengthening exercise that challenges both knee flexion and hip extension in a single movement. It requires a glute ham raise machine or a creative setup, but it is one of the most comprehensive hamstrings exercises available for women who are ready for it.

5. Single Leg RDL

The single leg RDL adds a stability demand to the hip hinge pattern and helps address side-to-side imbalances. It also increases time under tension per rep, making it a useful addition to any hamstring workout focused on building size.

At Home Hamstring Workout

You do not need a gym to train your hamstrings effectively. This at home hamstring workout covers both knee flexion and hip extension with minimal equipment.

Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets. Prioritize control over speed, especially on the eccentric (lowering) phase of each movement.

Gym Hamstring Workout

This hamstring workout for the gym pairs a knee flexion movement with a hip hinge movement in every session to ensure full hamstring development.

How Often Should You Train Hamstrings?

For most women, training hamstrings 2 times per week is the sweet spot for building strength and size without overloading the connective tissue. A well-structured program will have dedicated hamstring strengthening exercises on lower body days while managing total hip hinge volume across the week.

Best Hamstring Stretches to Support Recovery

Strength work builds the muscle. Stretching supports recovery and maintains the range of motion needed to train effectively. These are the best hamstring stretches to include after your hamstring workouts.

Standing hamstring stretch: Stand tall, extend one leg forward with a soft heel, hinge at the hip until you feel a stretch in the back of the extended leg. Hold for 30 seconds per side.

Lying hamstring stretch: Lie on your back, raise one leg and hold the back of your thigh. Gently straighten the knee until you feel the stretch. Hold for 30 seconds per side.

Seated hamstring stretch: Sit on the floor with legs extended, hinge forward from the hips and reach toward your feet. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds. Avoid rounding the lower back.

Dynamic leg swing: Before training, swing the leg forward and back through a comfortable range. 10 to 15 swings per side.

Common Hamstring Training Mistakes

Relying only on squats and leg press. These movements produce near zero tension change in the hamstrings. They are excellent quad exercises but not effective workouts for hamstrings.

Skipping eccentric work. The eccentric phase of hamstring exercises is where the most growth stimulus occurs. Rushing through the lowering phase dramatically reduces effectiveness.

Not training through a full range of motion. Partial reps limit the stretch placed on the hamstring. Lower the weight if necessary and use full range on every rep.

Neglecting both functions of the muscle. A hamstring workout that only includes RDLs misses knee flexion. One that only includes leg curls misses hip extension. Both need to be covered.

Track Your Hamstring Training With the Push App

A structured program makes the difference between consistent progress and spinning your wheels. Erin Stern’s Push App includes progressive hamstring workouts built into complete lower body training programs, with workout tracking, nutrition tools, and voice-guided sessions.

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