Best Hamstring Exercises

The best hamstring exercises are the Romanian deadlift, seated leg curl, lying leg curl, single-leg RDL, and deadlift. Hamstrings do two jobs, so train both: hip extension under load at length with the RDL and deadlift, knee flexion with the curls. Two hamstring sessions a week covers most lifters.

The 5 best hamstrings exercises

  1. Romanian DeadliftHeavy hinge compound

    Hips back, soft knees: the hamstrings take the stretch, and you can keep adding weight for years.

  2. Seated Leg CurlStretch-position isolation

    Hip stays flexed the whole set, so the hamstrings curl from a stretched position instead of a slack one.

  3. Lying Leg CurlKnee-flexion accessory

    Pure knee flexion with no lower-back cost, so you can push it hard late in a session.

  4. Single-Leg RDLEquipment-light unilateral

    One dumbbell and a wall for balance covers it, and it exposes the weaker side fast.

  5. DeadliftHeavy full-body pull

    Heaviest way to train the hinge, though the hamstrings move through less range than on an RDL.

Every hamstrings exercise (6)

Below is every hamstring movement in the FORMA library, including the good morning, each with a demo, setup cues, common mistakes and sets-and-reps guidance. Pick by the equipment you actually have.

Deadlift demonstrationDeadliftHamstrings · BarbellRomanian Deadlift demonstrationRomanian DeadliftHamstrings · BarbellLying Leg Curl demonstrationLying Leg CurlHamstrings · MachineGood Morning demonstrationGood MorningHamstrings · BarbellSeated Leg Curl demonstrationSeated Leg CurlHamstrings · MachineSingle-Leg RDL demonstrationSingle-Leg RDLHamstrings · Dumbbell

Common questions

How often should you train hamstrings?

Two sessions a week works for most lifters. Put a hinge, Romanian deadlift or deadlift, in one and leg curls in the other, or run both in the same session if you only train legs once a week. Hard RDLs leave hamstrings sore for a couple of days, so give them 48 hours before the next heavy hinge.

Do squats train the hamstrings enough?

No. Squats load the quads and glutes hard while the hamstrings mostly stabilize the knee and hip without changing much in length. If squats are your only leg work, add a Romanian deadlift for the hip-extension side and a lying or seated leg curl for knee flexion. That combination covers what squatting leaves out.

Seated leg curl or lying leg curl: which is better?

Seated, if you only pick one. The hip stays bent, so the hamstrings start each rep long and finish short, and that stretched start is what a lying curl gives you less of. Lying curls still earn a spot on days the seated machine is taken; just keep your hips down on the pad instead of jerking them up. Keep reps around 8 to 15 on both.

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