The 29 Best Hamstring Exercises for Your Workout
A good hamstring workout trains the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus — muscles that cross both the hip and the knee. Because of that, two different movement patterns both matter: hip hinging (stiff-leg deadlifts, deadlifts), which stretches the hamstrings under load, and knee flexion (leg curls), which works the muscle from the other side of the joint.
On this page you'll find 29 hamstring exercises curated by Befit, with execution videos, posture tips, and variations for the gym, home gym, and bodyweight training. Every exercise has been reviewed by a fitness professional specialized in strength training.
If you already know what you want, use the level and equipment filters to jump straight to the right exercise. If you'd rather start somewhere, check the top 10 below — the movements with the strongest consensus for hamstring hypertrophy and strength.
And if you want a hamstring workout built from scratch, personalized to your goal, your time, and your equipment, that's exactly what the Befit app does automatically.
How to build your Hamstrings workout
Volume per session: 3 to 4 exercises, 9 to 15 total sets.
Movement split: 1 hip-hinge exercise (stiff-leg deadlift with barbell or dumbbells) and 1 knee-flexion exercise (seated or lying leg curl) — the two patterns work the hamstrings from different angles.
Sets and reps: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps for hypertrophy, with load close to failure on the last reps and 60 to 90 seconds of rest.
Frequency: twice a week is enough, considering hamstrings are also activated during any squat or deadlift.
Top Hamstrings exercises
| # | Exercise | Level | Equipment | Muscle focus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Seated leg curl machine
|
Beginner | Flexor Machine | Hamstrings | See execution |
| 2 |
Barbell stiff leg deadlift
|
Intermediate | Olympic barbell | Hamstrings | See execution |
| 3 |
Lying leg curl machine
|
Beginner | Flexor Machine | Hamstrings | See execution |
| 4 |
Dumbbell stiff leg deadlift
|
Beginner | Dumbbells | Hamstrings | See execution |
| 5 |
Barbell Sumo Deadlift
|
Advanced | Olympic barbell | Hamstrings | See execution |
| 6 |
Kettlebell Romanian Deadlift
|
Intermediate | Kettlebell | Hamstrings | See execution |
| 7 |
Barbell Deadlift
|
Advanced | Olympic barbell | Hamstrings | See execution |
| 8 |
MTS Iso-lateral kneeling Leg Curl
|
Beginner | Flexor Machine | Hamstrings | See execution |
| 9 |
Smith Machine Deadlift
|
Beginner | Smith machine | Hamstrings | See execution |
| 10 |
Barbell Good Morning
|
Beginner | Standard barbell | Hamstrings | See execution |
Seated leg curl machine
Barbell stiff leg deadlift
Lying leg curl machine
Dumbbell stiff leg deadlift
Barbell Sumo Deadlift
Kettlebell Romanian Deadlift
Barbell Deadlift
MTS Iso-lateral kneeling Leg Curl
Smith Machine Deadlift
Barbell Good Morning
All 29 Hamstrings exercises
Hamstrings workout at home vs. at the gym
Training hamstrings at home works well with a pair of dumbbells — covers stiff-leg deadlifts and Romanian deadlifts, the two most important movements for this group.
With no equipment at all, single-leg glute bridges and an assisted nordic curl (anchoring your feet under a sturdy piece of furniture) are good bodyweight alternatives for knee flexion.
At the gym, the toolkit is bigger. You've got a barbell for heavy stiff-leg deadlifts and deadlifts, a leg curl machine (seated or lying) to isolate knee flexion, and a Smith machine for a guided deadlift.
Use the Bodyweight or Home Gym filter above to see only exercises that fit your setup.
How Befit builds your Hamstrings workout with AI
Picking an exercise is only half the problem. The other half is: how many sets, how many reps, what load, in what order, when to switch things up. And that changes every week as you progress.
Befit solves this with an AI that builds a personalized training plan for your goal (hypertrophy, strength, definition), your level, your time per session, and your equipment. Every week, the algorithm adjusts volume and load based on what you've logged.
You don't need to know how to program periodization. Just train and log it.
Safety tips for Hamstrings training
- On stiff-leg deadlifts and deadlifts, keep your spine neutral from start to finish — rounding your lower back under load is the most common cause of injury in these exercises.
- Don't hyperextend your knee at the top of the stiff-leg deadlift. Keep a slight, constant bend throughout the movement.
- Warm up with hip mobility work and a few unloaded reps before any heavy stiff-leg deadlift or deadlift session.
- On leg curls, control the return phase (knee extension) instead of letting the weight yank your leg back fast.
- Rest at least 48 hours between hamstring sessions.
Frequently asked questions about Hamstrings training
-
How many exercises should I do for a hamstring workout?
An effective hamstring workout has 3 to 4 exercises per session, covering at least 1 hip-hinge movement (stiff-leg deadlift) and 1 knee-flexion movement (leg curl). Total volume between 9 and 15 sets per week is enough, since hamstrings also work during any squat or deadlift.
-
How many sets and reps for hamstring hypertrophy?
For hypertrophy, 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps work well, with load close to failure on the last reps. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets.
-
What's the best beginner hamstring workout?
For beginners, a solid hamstring workout has 2 exercises: dumbbell stiff-leg deadlift (easier to learn than with a barbell) and leg curl. Focus on keeping your spine neutral before adding load to the stiff-leg deadlift.
-
Can you train hamstrings at home?
Yes. A dumbbell stiff-leg deadlift covers the main hip-hinge movement. Use the Bodyweight filter in the exercise list above.
-
Does training hamstrings and quads on the same day work?
It works very well — it's the most common split for a full leg day. Suggested order: quads first with a squat (which already activates the hamstrings too), then a stiff-leg deadlift or leg curl focused specifically on the hamstrings.
-
How many times a week should I train hamstrings?
Twice a week is enough for most people, considering hamstrings also get indirect stimulus on any squat day. Beginners get good results with one dedicated session a week in the first few months.
-
What's the best exercise for hamstrings?
The stiff-leg deadlift (barbell or dumbbell) has the strongest consensus for hamstring hypertrophy, by stretching the muscle under load in a hip-hinge pattern. Leg curls pair well by working the other movement pattern (knee flexion), which the stiff-leg deadlift doesn't stimulate.
-
How do I know I'm training hamstrings the right way?
You should feel the back of your thigh (between your glute and knee) working, not your lower back. If your lower back tires before your hamstrings do during a stiff-leg deadlift, check whether your spine is rounding during the movement. Film a set from the side and compare it to the execution video on Befit.
