Like our quadriceps and calves, our hamstrings play an important role in our ability to move and especially to run. So today we’re going to look at some great hamstring exercises to help you avoid injury and get the most power in your stride.
Having strong and mobile hamstrings can pay dividends when it comes to your running as they help with speed and power. However, the hamstrings can be easily injured putting a damper on your ability to run and do other activities. They often also don’t get the attention they deserve when it comes to strength training.
In this article, we’ll learn more about our hamstrings and why the muscle group is important for runners. From there we’ll share some of the best hamstring strength exercises for runners, as well as a few to ensure that while we’re getting stronger we’re also maintaining our mobility.
What are the Hamstrings?
The hamstrings, as you probably know, are on the back of your thighs and are made up of 3 separate muscles. Yep, as in hamstrings plural.
The three muscles are the semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and the biceps femoris. There will be a spelling quiz at the end.
Just kidding!
These three muscles connect to both your pelvis and your knee helping to extend the hip as we step forward and bending the knee after our feet leave the ground to then cycle through to the next step.
As you can see our hamstrings are a critical component to our ability to run, and walk too!
What Do Hamstrings Do for Runners?
To dig a little deeper into how the hamstrings work for running, let’s focus on our strides.
When we start running, each time we land a step the hamstring acts as a brake, contracting to allow us to continue forward motion. It continues to contract by bending the knee allowing our heel to lift towards our rears to allow the cycle to progress.
As our leg swings through, the hamstrings then stretch or lengthen allowing the foot to come forward and prepare to strike the ground again.
Why It’s Important to Have Strength and Mobility in Our Hamstrings
Clearly our hamstrings do a lot of work when we move. Having sore or injured hamstrings or even hamstring tightness can make just about all movement pretty difficult.
As I’ve discussed in an article on running hamstring pain, the hamstrings can be easy to injure and if not injured, they’re often just inactive or weak.
Strong and mobile hamstrings can positively impact our running, specifically with our power and speed, but also with improved form. If you’re trying to improve your paces and finishing times, ensuring your hamstrings are in good shape will help!
7 Best Hamstring Exercises for Runners
Below you will find several exercises to help ensure you have happy, healthy, and functional hamstrings. These exercises range from activation to strength-building to mobility-focused..
A number of exercises may have variations included to ensure you can perform them whether you’re at a gym with a ton of equipment available or at home with minimal equipment. There are also options for modifications provided to simplify or advance particular moves.
#1 Hamstring Bridges
While bridges are often a suggested exercise for strengthening the glutes, they also engage the hamstring. They also can be done without any equipment or can be leveled up with weights or bands. It’s a great exercise to activate your muscles ahead of doing other hamstring exercises.
To do a basic bridge, start by laying on your back on the floor with your knees bent, heels pressed in to the floor, feet slightly farther away than a standard bridge and hip-width apart.
First engage your glutes and then lift your hips and lower back off the floor. Slowly lower back down.
To advance this, you could put a band above your knees. You’ll want to constantly resist the tension of the band trying to bring your knees together.
Another option to level up is to add a weight to your hips. You’ll need to hold it in place as you lift and lower, but it will add some additional resistance.
Do 2-3 sets of 10 reps.
#2 Donkey Kick (and Curl)
To perform donkey kicks, start on your hands and knees. Hands should be shoulder-width apart directly under your shoulders and knees in line with the hips.
While keeping a flat back and your core engaged, lift one leg behind you keeping your knee bent at 90-degrees. Once lifted, extend your foot out behind you and curl back to 90-degrees and return to the starting position.
To advance this, consider holding your leg up to perform all the leg curls at once before lowering back to start. Another option is to wear an ankle weight for increased resistance.
Perform 1-2 sets of 10 reps on each side.
#3 Stability Ball Hamstring Curl
This next exercise requires a stability ball. They’re staples in gyms, but also a great inexpensive piece of equipment to keep around your home.
Start by lying on your back and place your feet on top of the ball. You’ll have to play with how close the ball is to your knees as this exercise challenges stability.
Using your feet, roll the ball in towards your butt while simultaneously lifting your hips into the air. While holding your hips up, slowly roll the ball back away from you. Repeat by rolling the ball back in keeping your hips up the entire time.
Perform 1-2 sets of 10 reps.
Note: If you don’t have a stability ball, you can also use sliders or two small towels if you have a slippery surface you can use and simply do this exercise on the floor.
#4 Nordic Hamstring Curls
This is a great exercise to do with a partner. No partner? As long as you can anchor your feet under something, this will work.This is a more advance exercise so keep that in mind.
You’ll want to be on a soft surface or mat. Get into a kneeling position. Slowly fall forward keeping your body in a straight line from your head to your knees. You’ll gently catch yourself with your hands as you get closer to the floor.
To get back to the start, you can bend at the hips and walk your hands back to get into the kneeling position.
Do 1-2 sets of 10 reps.
#5 Romanian Deadlift
The Romanian Deadlift is a popular exercise to use to strengthen the hamstrings.
To do this form of a deadlift, you’ll want to stand with feet hip-width apart. This should be closer than you would stand if you were doing regular deadlifts.
Holding one or two dumbbells at the front of your legs with your palms toward your legs, stand up tall with your shoulders back and a soft bend in the knees. They should not be locked out.
Hinge at the hips as you slowly slide the dumbbells toward the floor, keeping them close to your legs. Think of reaching your hips toward the wall behind you. Knees should remain soft, bending a little but not so much you’re doing a squat. Keep a flat back and your head in a neutral position.
Descend until you feel a stretch and then rise back up.
You can also perform this exercise holding a barbell instead of dumbbells. Eventually this would allow you to perform the exercise with more weight than you may be able to manage with dumbbells.
To advance this exercise, you could perform it in staggered stance to target one leg at a time. You can also further advance it and challenge your balance by doing a single leg deadlift. To do this you lift one left off the ground straight behind you when performing a rep.
Do 2-3 sets of 10 reps. If don’t one side at a time, make sure you do the same number of sets and reps on each side.
#6 Seated Toe Reach
The next two exercises on this list are meant to help ensure that while you’re strengthening your hamstrings, you’re also keeping them flexible.
To do the seated toe reach, sit on the ground with your legs straight out in front with your toes pointed toward the ceiling. Sitting with a nice tall posture, reach toward your feet. If you can touch your toes, great! If not, reach as far as you can and hold it.
You should not feel pain, just a nice stretch in the back of your legs.
Hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds.
#7 Supine Hamstring Stretch
Another great hamstring stretch is performed lying on your back.
Have the right leg straight and left leg bent at the knee. Lift the right leg up putting your hands on your thigh and gently pulling it toward your torso keeping your leg as straight as you can and your foot flexed.
Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the left side.
As with many other articles where we provide exercises and stretches, please know you don’t need to do all of these exercises every time you work out. Pick a few to add to your routine and regularly change them up.
Don’t forget to always do a few stretches post-workout too.
Need more training tips?
- Understanding Hamstring Injuries
- Total Runner Strength Programs (which will address hamstrings)
- Foot Strength Exercises for Runners
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