Unique Hamstring Exercises

If you do the same exercises over and over, your fitness will not improve. If you want to get the most from your workouts, you should periodically mix things up by performing unusual exercises. To improve the strength and conditioning of your hamstrings, don't rely on one exercise.

  1. Hamstring Anatomy

    • Located on the back of your thigh, your hamstrings have three main functions: flexing or bending your knee, extending your hip to the rear and rotating your knee inward. Many exercisers mistakenly focus on knee flexion and use a leg curl machine as their main hamstring exercise. While these is nothing wrong with leg curls, there are other exercises that will provide a unique stimulus and result in continued fitness gains.

    Dumbbell Hamstring Curls

    • Dumbbell hamstring curls involve more than just knee flexion, they also involve medial knee rotation. This makes them significantly different than regular machine leg curls. Performing this exercise on a slightly declined exercise bench makes it even more effective. Lie on your front with your knees on the edge of the bench. Tightly clamp a dumbbell between your feet. While continuously squeezing your feet together, bend your legs and curl the weight up toward your butt and then extend the legs back to the start position. Do not relax your grip on the dumbbell otherwise it may slip and fall on you.

    Natural Glute Ham Raise

    • Many gyms have a device called a glute-ham developer or GHD for short. These are used for a number of exercises including the glute ham raise, which is a very challenging hamstring exercise. You can replicate this exercise almost anywhere to provide an unusual way to work your posterior thigh muscles. Kneel down on an exercise mat with your thighs vertical and anchor your feet under something solid behind you. Using the strength in your hamstrings to control the speed of your descent, slowly lower your body down to the floor. Use your arms to provide additional braking. Push with your arms, contract your hamstrings and return to the starting position. Make this exercise harder by wearing a weighted vest.

    Towel Heel Slides

    • Heel slides combine two hamstring functions into one exercise -- knee flexion and hip extension. Requiring nothing more than a towel and some smooth flooring, this unusual exercise is ideal to do at home. Lie on your back with your legs extended and your heels resting on a towel. Lift your hips and simultaneously bend your legs. Pull your feet in toward your butt. At the midpoint of the exercise, your weight should be supported on your shoulders and heels only and your hips should be elevated as high as is comfortable. Lower your hips and extend your legs to return to the starting position. Make this exercise more demanding by using one leg at a time or holding a weight across your hips.