5 Hamstring Exercises for Home Gym Workouts

Five Alternative Hamstring Exercises for the Home Gym Owner –by Rob Brinkley Jr., NASM P.E.S., SFG 1, O.S. 1

When we think about accessory hamstring work, usually we visualize leg curls and Romanian deadlifts. Programmed and practiced correctly, these can be great. But I don’t have the budget, space or desire to buy a machine or purchase heavy dumbbells (my preferred RDL variation).

Here Are Five Alternative Hamstring Exercises, Designed Specifically for the Home Gym Owner:

Barbell Anchored Hammie Gravity Drop What you’ll need: Loaded barbell; with 2 to 4 extra loose plates; and one or two “padding items” (examples: yoga mat, towel, padded flooring, old stinky sweat shirt, or similar).

Set up: Wedge your loose plates in front of your loaded barbell so that it does not roll (behind if needed). Place one padding item a foot or so in front of the barbell, so that it can pad your knee. Optionally, but recommended, place another padding item where your hands will “fall” to absorb some of the shock.

Movement: Starting from a kneeling position (knees on padding), comfortably wedge lower leg against the bar. Bar touches lower leg somewhere a few inches above your ankle. Tuck hips under torso. Brace midsection*. Tense/flex hamstrings, and try to keep this tension; as you try to lower your body in slow motion towards the floor. There will be a point where you’ll sort of… fall. That’s where the “shock absorbing” padding will be your wrist’s friend.

Comment(s): Do your best to keep your torso & hips moving/falling as a unit. This means don’t exaggerate your low back arch. I start people off with sets of 1 rep. Take as much of a break as you need for your next rep to be your best possible next rep. You can get better at the movement by having more control and going slower, without having to add any reps. But as needed, add more reps. I rarely have folks do more than 5 reps per set. Video link: https://youtu.be/ZXuoy7PoE0E

Furniture Slider Hamstring Curls What you’ll need: Furniture sliders appropriate for your flooring (free sample carpet squares work too).

Set up: Lie down, face up, and position the sliders under your heels. You may need to adjust a few times before you discover your best placement. But with a few practices you’ll find your spot.

Movement: Dig your heels firmly into the sliders. Lift your butt off the ground. Brace your midsection*. Drag sliders towards your butt. As you are dragging heels toward your butt, keep elevating your hips. At the top position, you will be in a floor bridge position. Try to keep tension in your hamstrings as you slowly lower back into your starting position.

Comment(s): If you need to rest your hips on the floor between reps, go ahead. If you try to force through the move, but your body needs to take a quick break, you might feel a little discomfort in your lower back later. I usually have folks practice five to eight reps per set. If that “feels” easy, I’d encourage you to press heels harder into the floor and/or brace your mid-section harder. You can control the “intensity” of the tension without having to chase more repetitions. Video link: https://youtu.be/hWykDGpW44w

Bent Over Sled Drags What you’ll need: Sled, or something that can replicate a sled; chain or rope (strong resistance band will work); some sort of handle; something moderate to light for “weight”.

Set up: Connect your sled to rope/chain and connect your handle. Add your weight.

Movement: Face away from sled. Grab handle, holding it behind your legs (I hold a couple inches above my knee pit). Brace your mid-section* and form sort of a 90 degree with your legs and torso (no rounding of the back). Keep legs fairly straight, but with a slight knee bend, begin walking forward for time or distance.

Comment(s): Although this looks sort of funny, my wife laughs every time, I like it! I like how both my lower back and my hamstrings feel during and after this movement. If you don’t have a sled, there are numerous cheap and easy D.I.Y. options. Start off with weight that you might deem light to see how it “feels”. When you initially start to walk forward, slowly walk the chain/rope tight, then continue. If you start with slack in the line and then lurch forward, your lower back may become a shock absorber. Ouch. Video link: https://youtu.be/CK_ZoUpoq5E

Resistance Band Leg Curls What you’ll need: Resistance band; ankle strap & carabiner (or another way to attach to ankle); anchor for the band (properly loaded weight tree, power rack, 68 kg kettlebell, etc).

Set up: Attach band to your anchor item. Attach cuff or similar on your ankle(s). Connect your ankle cuff(s) to resistance band (I used a carabiner). Lie belly down and scoot away from your anchor point as needed for preferred resistance.

Movement: Curl your heel(s) towards your butt. Pause and flex your hamstring(s). Keep that tension in your hamstring(s) and slowly “un-curl” your leg(s). If you can, “re-curl” before the tension is fully gone. But if needed let all tension off and take a short break, as necessary for your next good rep.

Comment(s): You could practice these, one leg at a time or both at the same time. If you like, you can experiment with different heights of band attachment and possibly elevate yourself on a bench. I just lie on the floor and anchor my band to a large kettlebell. I do lay the kettlebell on its side, so it doesn’t fall over on the first rep. I think you’ll get the most out of this movement if you think of it as a negative hamstring curl. I think all the movements, but especially this one is heavily dependent upon your attention to mindfulness of the move. If you quickly curl your leg up and down, you won’t get much out of it. But if you put a little extra emphasis on curling with a purpose: push through your heel (pre-stretching/ tensing your hamstring, then slightly exaggerate the “curling” phase. At the end of your curl momentarily pause “flexing” your hamstring, then “uncurl” with a deliberate, slow cadence. The rep range here highly depends on your ability to create and slowly release tension. If you are really good at it – you may only need sets of one rep. If the tension is a new skill for you, you may need more reps to practice. Video link: https://youtu.be/lbApmjX6_T4

Suspension Hamstring Curl What you’ll need: Suspension Trainer (official TRX or D.I.Y.) somewhere secure to anchor to.

Set up: Adjust length so that the foot cradles line up with your mid-calf. Lie down on your back. Holding the foot cradles drop your heels into the foot cradles. Scoot back away from your anchor point as needed for difficulty level (closer easier, further is more difficult).

Movement: Lift your butt off the ground. Brace your mid-section*. Dig heel into the foot cradles and curl heels towards your butt. Reverse movement back to legs straight with control. If you need the movement to be a bit harder, lift your hips up as you curl. Basically, at the top you would then be in a suspended floor bridge.

Comment(s): If you need to set your butt back on the ground between reps in the beginning, that’s ok. Depending on your ability to brace, I typically have folks do 5 to 12 reps. More reps for someone that needs more practice. Video link: https://youtu.be/Kp6X5irvAJw

The “mid-section brace” is important for these movements because if you get sloppy and push through the move without “bracing” your lower back may get aggravated and tight for a few days. But if you brace well during these moves, not only will your lower back stay happy and strong – your skill of bracing will carry over into your other lifts. *Brace your mid-section = When I say brace your mid-section, I’m thinking of the Happy Gilmore batting cage scene. He is creating intra-abdominal pressure and bracing for impact. If you are unfamiliar try this:

• Four inches on each side of your belly button, jam your thumbs into your belly.

• Now with your stomach muscles push your thumbs out.

• Practice what it feels like to push your thumbs out.

This is “your mid-section brace”. It’s best if you can hold your brace and still breathe. After that starts to make sense, jam your thumbs into your sides, with the same “brace” push your thumbs out again. It is a skill. It takes practice.