Hamstring Exercises As Part Of Thighs Workout

Wall Knee-flexion

Hamstring Exercises Position 1

This exercise targets your hamstrings and it might looks simple and ridiculous but bank on it, it’s not.

• Stand with your back to the wall, positioned 6-8 inches from the wall

• Your stance should be hip-width apart

• Flex your knee gradually until the heel of your foot is rubbing the wall at early stage of the knee flexion

• Keep rubbing the heel all the way up until it gets as close as possible to your buttocks.

Position 2

You should feel the hamstring (backside of your thigh muscles) is contracting fully.

Think of it this way- if you’re performing biceps curls you begin lifting the weight from where your arm is straight, then all the way up to the end where your hand is almost touching your front shoulder.

Supine thigh bridge (Chair)

Position 1

Position 2

• Lie on your back with both legs bent and heels firmly placed on elevated platform (chair, ottoman, bench and so forth)

• Your resting butt should be about 10-12 inches from the platform

• Both hands resting on the floor (palms facing up)

• Now push with your thighs (especially the hamstrings) and not your arms and lift your buttocks and most of your upper body as high as you can

• Then slowly bring your body back to the floor

After few weeks you can use a stability ball which is more challenging or stick with a chair but use one leg to lift your body (much harder).

The hamstring exercises target the knee flexors:

-Biceps femoris

-Semimembranosus

-Semitendinosus

-Sartorius and

-Gracilis

The above hamstrings muscles when developed; you will have good looking, and curvy thighs where it can separate the back side of your thighs from the butt area. So it does not look like one straight and flat line that is less appealing and weak posterior chain of muscles.

Visually is attractive and also as important is having a strong and functional hamstrings instead underdeveloped and atrophied hamstrings.

Balancing the strength ratio between the two sides; the knee flexors muscles and the knee extensors muscles is crucial to prevent injuries as well.

Bunny Hops (Ouch!)

This exercise involves more of an explosive movement than anything else, and it can help give you the look of the sprinter thighs. Let’s do it.

• Stand about hip-width apart (or wider) and feet pointing straight

• Bend your knees like you’re going to squat and arms straight pulled parallel to your butt ( like a swimmer getting ready in a race)

• Now, push off with your legs explosively and swing your arms forward at the same time

• Land on both feet and bend your legs to absorb the landing impact

• Don’t lean to forward when you land or you might tip forward

• Breathe every time you land from the hop

All the above exercises are demanding on the body but particularly the Bunny Hops and body weight squats, so gradually introduce yourself to them and take it one step further when you are ready. Just be patient and consistent.