Mariposas
Best Hamstrings Exercises
By Zachary, builder of Mariposas · Reviewed against published exercise-science sources (references)
· Last updated June 2026
The hamstrings are one of the most undertrained muscle groups in the gym, mostly because people can't see them in the mirror. They span two joints, crossing both the hip and the knee, which means you actually need two distinct movement patterns to develop them fully: hip-hinge movements that load them in a lengthened position (Romanian deadlifts, Nordic curls) and knee-flexion movements that work them through a shorter range (leg curls). Most programs stack quad volume and throw in a few halfhearted sets of lying leg curls as an afterthought, which is exactly why hamstring strains are so common and why so many lifters have a strength imbalance they don't even know about. Quality hamstring training earns its results by paying attention to the stretch position, controlling the eccentric, and choosing exercises that actually challenge the muscle under load rather than just moving weight from A to B. Track your sets, reps, and loads for free in Mariposas and collect pets along the way as a reward for actually showing up consistently.
How to train your hamstrings
Most people who train hamstrings effectively spread work across at least two sessions per week, pairing a hip-dominant exercise (think Romanian deadlift variations or good mornings) with a knee-flexion exercise (seated or lying leg curl, Nordic curl) rather than relying on one pattern exclusively. The seated leg curl tends to be better than the lying version for many lifters because the hip is in flexion during the movement, which keeps the hamstring under greater stretch and increases the stimulus. Volume anywhere in the range of 10 to 20 weekly sets is common in the literature for hypertrophy, with heavier loading (5 to 8 reps) often programmed for the hip-hinge work and moderate rep ranges (8 to 15) for the leg curl machines. Slow eccentrics on Nordic curls or Romanian deadlifts are a well-documented way to add challenge without loading more weight, and they have a strong track record for reducing injury risk in athletes.
FAQ
- Why do my hamstrings cramp so badly during leg curls?
- Cramping during leg curls almost always comes down to one of two things: the muscle is being worked through a range it isn't conditioned for, or you're starting the set in a position where the hamstring is already at its shortest. On a lying leg curl machine the hip is extended, which puts the hamstring in a shortened position before you even curl. Switching to a seated leg curl, where the hip stays flexed throughout, often eliminates the cramping for good. If it persists, the issue is usually accumulated fatigue over the course of a session or insufficient base conditioning in the hip-hinge pattern.
- Do I really need to train hamstrings separately if I deadlift and squat?
- Squats don't load the hamstrings in any meaningful hip-hinge way. The conventional deadlift does work the hamstrings, particularly through the hip-extension demand, but it shares a lot of neural and muscular resources with the glutes and spinal erectors, so it rarely provides enough isolated stimulus to fully develop the hamstrings on its own. Most powerlifters and strength coaches add Romanian deadlifts or leg curls on top of their main compound work for exactly this reason. The people who skip direct hamstring work and rely on squats and deadlifts tend to show up in studies with notable quad-to-hamstring strength imbalances by the time they get tested isokinetically.
- What's the deal with Nordic curls? They look impossible.
- They are hard, which is precisely the point. The Nordic curl is an eccentric-dominant exercise, meaning the hamstrings are working hardest as they lengthen under load, resisting your bodyweight as your torso falls toward the floor. That stretch-under-tension stimulus is difficult to replicate with machines. Research on Nordic curls in soccer players is some of the most compelling injury-prevention data in sports science. The entry barrier is real though: most people can't do a full rep at first, and the common workaround is to use a band for assistance or to only do the lowering phase (falling slowly) without the concentric pull back up.
- Should I train hamstrings before or after quads in a leg session?
- There's no universal rule, but exercise order matters because whichever muscle you train first gets the most neural drive and recovers better between sets. If hamstring development is a weak point, a reasonable approach is to start with a hamstring-dominant movement like Romanian deadlifts before moving into squats or leg press. Some lifters find the opposite sequencing works better for them because they don't want any fatigue in the hamstrings before pulling heavy. The honest answer is that both orders have been used effectively by experienced trainees, and the consistency of hitting the work at all matters more than which comes first.