What Would Happen if You Ate Three Eggs a Day?

To target this important area, you'll need a range of workouts, but pay special attention to hip extension and knee flexion.

1 squat leg curl

Sets 4 reps 8 to 10 sec rest

With the pad on your calves, lie face-down on the leg curl machine. Maintain a flat torso and press your hips into the pad. Starting with your legs completely extended, curl them as far as you can without lifting your hips or torso off the mat. Hold for a little moment, then gently descend.

2 deadlifts in Romania

Sets 4 reps 10–12 rest 2 minutes

Take a firm overhand grip on the bar. Knees should be slightly bent, chest up, and shoulders drawn back. Lift the bar as high as you can while pushing your hips back. To go back to where you were, thrust your hips forward.

3 45 degree back extension

Sets 3 reps 12 to 15 seconds rest

The pad should be positioned just below your hips to allow for pelvic rotation. Lower yourself while keeping your lower back in a neutral position. When you get to the bottom, push through your heels, force your hips into the pad, and tighten your hamstrings and glutes to go back to the beginning.

swiftly and slowly

According to body composition specialist Tom MacCormick of flatwhitesfreeweights.com (opens in new tab), hamstrings are not exclusively composed of fast-twitch muscle fibers as is commonly assumed. Therefore, it is recommended to use a variety of reps with both moderate and quick contractions. The best way to build up your training volume is to do the majority of your hamstring work in the eight-to-12 rep range.

Not every move is equal.

According to MacCormick, not all hip extension exercises equally engage the hamstrings. "Standing hip extension exercises, such as Romanian deadlifts, exhibit the maximum level of activation at the bottom of the movement, whereas 45-degree back extensions exhibit levels of activation that are more constant over the course of the entire range of motion. The maximum amount of activation is seen during hip extension activities where the body is horizontal, such as back extensions. For the most hamstring hypertrophy, perform all three exercises.

Flex and extend

According to MacCormick, "how you practice leg curls can boost activation and also target certain parts of the hamstrings." "As opposed to putting the feet in a toes-up position, you can target the hamstrings more effectively by pointing your toes down. The burden is shifted more on the hamstrings when you point your toes because it contracts the calves and reduces their ability to help with leg curls.