Leg Exercises & Workouts : How to Do Hamstring Leg Exercises

Learn how to do hamstring exercises with expert tips on leg exercises in this free fitness video on leg exercises and workouts.

Expert: Katie Bowers
Bio: Katie Bowers is a nationally certified fitness instructor and personal trainer with over 8 years experience. Being a dancer and a former gymnast, she knows how important stretching is for muscles.
Filmmaker: Louis Nathan

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• do
• body
• fitness
• exercises
• lower
• leg
• workouts
• exercising

[georgert]

The hamstrings cross two joints, the hip joint and the knee joint. Because the origin of these muscles is the ischial tuberosity, the small bony projection on the bottom of the pelvis, just below the buttocks and the insertion is on the tibia and fibula, they hamstrings have two functions, to flex the knee AND to extend the hip. So, unfortunately mongobarn, you are incorrect. The demonstrated exercise is definitely exercising the hamstring musculotendinous group with hip extension.

[mongobarn]

that's not the hamstrings you're training!!!it's your ass!!

[ganherngyih]

Is this helpful for piriformis syndrome?

[kyla1ful]

Is it to gain muscle or lossing the fat??

[GiselleBellyDancer]

when i do this exercise i only feel working the gluteus, why is that?

[icramer]

In regards to both highly rated comments, @georgert and @monogbarn, you're both correct in some respects. What wasn't mentioned was the insertion and origin of the gluteus maximus, the posterior ilium and/or pelvis and the greater trochanter of the femur. The hamstrings AND the gluteus maximus are both extensors of the hip. Therefore, the exercise shown in this video is working both muscle groups. No, I didn't use wikipedia. Certified Athletic Trainer, at your service.

[georgert]

@JpeltakaCyberBeast

That's good, most runners ignore hamstrings until they pull. Flexibility in the hamstrings is key, so warm up dynamically before every workout. Bridges both two and one leg wi Swiss ball are great. Lunges, fore, aft & diagonal holding 5kg dbs. Sumo squats. Bench stepups wi wts. Deadlifts @ 85% 1RM 3x8. Super tough is kneel, have s/o hold your ankles, then see how far you can lower yourself to a prone position (most ppl can't exceed 45-deg.) before you have to catch yourself.

[JpeltakaCyberBeast]

@georgert thanks. what are some other good glute and hamstring exercises i can do with a barbell, dumbbells, exercise ball, and bench with leg attachment. i know some with the ball and obviously various squats, but would like some more. im trying to do build the back of my legs to run faster and prevent knee injury due to my quads overpowering them

[georgert]

@JpeltakaCyberBeast

The leg extension machine as potential cause of injury or pain from overuse, is a very lively debate that has not been resolved scientifically. However, emg testing has shown activity in the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis are stimulated in greater measure with squats than with the leg extension machine. More shear forces on the ACL present with the legex machine, so use moderation. Leg curls are very valid, but google "Razor Curl" as a more effective hamstring exercise.

[JpeltakaCyberBeast]

@georgert So i was partially right. Do you think that leg extention and leg curl machines are just setting people up for injury? you sound more like a physical therapist to me than a trainer, and if thats the case you probably would.

[georgert]

@JpeltakaCyberBeast

Au contraire. The hamstrings help extend the hip and are responsible for flexion (bending) of the knee. The quadriceps are responsible for knee extension. So, to answer your question, the hamstrings do not decelerate knee flexion, the quadriceps do. Muscles work as agonist/antagonist pairs. The quadriceps as agonists can accelerate the rate of knee extension while the hamstrings act as antagonists and can help decelerate that knee extension.

[JpeltakaCyberBeast]

@georgert I don't mean to argue with you because I can tell you've obviously well educated on the subject, but did you mean the main function of the hamstring is to decelerate knee bending and straighten the knee?