Work on your hamstrings at home!

Not all of us have the possibility of some larger fitness equipment, such as dumbbells, racks and the like, so we have to make do with our own bodies, or at best a TRX, balance balls, or even some dumbbells. Today we will show you how to target your thighs at home. As far as the quadriceps are concerned, we can train them at home in one go, squatting can be done almost everywhere, in various variations.

But what about the hamstrings?

Today we're going to show you 6 exercises that will help you focus on the back of your thighs!

You don't need a dozen different machines to build your hamstrings. All of the exercises on this list require minimal equipment, making them ideal for at-home workouts.

1. Nordic Eccentric Lifts

This is a variation on the Nordic lunges, which most exercisers don't have the strength for. Here, you'll focus on the negative part of the exercise and help yourself in the positive. It's an effective and brutal alternative.

If you want to get into real stumbling, pull a rubber band behind you and hold it above your head. The rubber will pull you back a bit, and your body won't feel as heavy.

How to do it:

• Place the axle on the ground, and load enough on it to hold you up, and wedge your toes down under it. Don't have a fulcrum? You can have a partner hold your feet, wedge them under a heavy piece of furniture, etc.
• Put a mattress, mat or other suitable pad under your knees so they don't rub against the hard floor.
• Starting from the top position, squeeze your hips to full extension and engage your glutes and hamstrings.
• Slowly and controlled lower yourself to the floor to a kneeling push-up position.
• Explosively push off the floor using the hamstrings. Use these to also pull yourself all the way back to the starting position.

2. Nordic inclinations

Another variation on Nordic lunges, but this time you won't focus on the eccentric part of the movement, but on activating the hamstrings with the lever.

During the exercise, hold hip extension so that the hamstrings are engaged as much as possible. However, this must be tolerable. This will gradually increase the load on the hamstrings. The range of motion will be either moderate or greater, depending on how advanced you are.

How to do it:

• Start as you did with the previous exercise, i.e., place the axle on the floor, and load enough on it to hold you up, and wedge your toes down underneath it. Don't have a fulcrum? You can have a partner hold your feet, wedge them under a heavy piece of furniture, etc.
• Put a mattress, mat or other suitable pad under your knees to stop them rubbing against the hard floor.
• Start at the top with your hips tilted back and your torso forward. Then perform a forward hip extension.
• Allow your torso to rise up to a perpendicular position, pushing your hips forward and attempting full extension.
• When you feel the hamstrings can't take it anymore, pull the hips back and lower the torso to lower the lever.

3. Variations on self weight stumbling

You can practice them either on a rubber ball or on a sling. Unlike the previous two exercises, this one targets the entire range of motion with the same intensity. It will also heavily engage the middle of the body, especially when you practice on the ball.

Since this exercise works with your own weight, the resistance will vary quite a bit in different parts of the exercise. There will be a strong contraction at the peak.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your heels either in a sling or on a ball.
• Place your arms flat on the floor.
• Raise your hips and use the center of your body to stop any unwanted rocking.
• Pull the heels towards the hips. Keep the hips at full extension and maintain the bridge position until it is physically impossible to pull the heels closer to the body.
• Hold the top position for a moment to further improve hamstring engagement. Then return the heels to the starting position in a controlled manner.

4 . Romanian deadlift on one leg

Can be practiced on one leg, requiring balance and ankle stability. Or you can rest the back foot lightly on the floor.

While the hamstrings are the main muscles involved, the glutes will assist throughout the performance.

Range of motion at the hip is key here. Without proper hip flexion, the hamstrings will not engage properly and stretch under tension.

How to do it:

• Start by leaning back with the toe of your back foot, but most of your weight will be on your front foot.
• Then, either lift the back leg to achieve hip flexion or lean it all the way through the execution. When leaning, the movement will start with a bend at the hips.
• Keep the hips back and lower the one-armed leg to the ankle of the front leg. Keep the spine in a neutral position and get as low as possible. Allow the knee to bend slightly, but you need to feel the tension and stretch in the hamstrings and avoid unwanted flexion of the spine.
• From the bottom of the movement, engage the glutes and push the hips forward. When returning to the starting position, ensure that you lift the single arms as perpendicular to the floor as possible.

5. Burying from the hitch

This variation is similar to tripping with your own weight. The key difference is the direction of movement. Instead of pulling the object towards you, you will pull your whole body towards the hinge in an upside down tripping motion.

You'll need to be able to hold onto the hang, and you'll need to be in a reverse pull-up position with your arms extended. This way you have to hold the entire series while your body swings like a pendulum.

How to do it:

• Set the rings or TRX sling at chest height and set the bench about 1.5 feet from the handles.
• Grab the rings or handles and lift your legs up onto the bench. Lower yourself into a bridge position with your hips at full extension.
• Pull yourself towards the bench through your heels. Once you can no longer pull yourself closer, lower yourself back down in a controlled manner.

6. Stumbling with one hand in lying position

This exercise is best practiced on a negatively inclined bench because of the constant tension. It's similar to biceps on a Scott bench.

It's a great way to work the top of the biceps (femoris) even without access to a stumbling machine. At the top of the movement, the hamstring is as shortened as possible because the single arm between your legs will force you to have a toe extension. This will induce a strong peak contraction.

It will also load up the adductors, which will have to work the entire series to keep the single leg between your feet.

How to do it:

• Lie down on a bench, ideally negatively inclined. If that doesn't work, put a roller, foam or towel under your pelvis to create a slight tilt in your thighs. This way you won't lose tension at the top of the movement.
• Put a one-handed bar between your feet and hold it there with adductors. You'll be lying face down on the bench, of course.
• Flex your toes (dorsiflexion) and stumble upwards. Keep your hamstrings tight the whole time. Squeeze them hard at the top. Lower as controlled as possible.

Many more exercises for home training can be found in our Exercise Database.

Source: www.t-nation.com - 6 Hamstring Exercises for the Home Lifter
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