Exercises that train the Hamstrings

The fastest way to train the Hamstrings is Seated Leg Curl, which covers 95% of a session on its own.

The hamstrings run down the back of the thigh and do two separate jobs - bending the knee and extending the hip. That split is why one exercise rarely covers them: a leg curl trains the knee action, a Romanian deadlift trains the hip action, and a program built only on squats trains neither properly.

Equipment that can take Hamstrings all the way to a session target on its own: Resistance bands, Barbell, Bodyweight, Dumbbells, Kettlebells, Machines, Smith machine, Suspension trainer.

Percent of one session's target for that muscle. Anything at 100% finishes that muscle on its own.

• Seated Leg Curl 95% Machines
• Lying Leg Curl 95% Machines
• Romanian Deadlift 90% BarbellIntermediate
• Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 90% DumbbellsIntermediate
• Smith Machine RDL 90% Smith machine
• Stiff-Leg Deadlift 90% BarbellProfessional
• TRX Hamstring Curl 90% Suspension trainerIntermediate
• Good Morning 85% BarbellProfessional
• Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift 85% DumbbellsIntermediate
• Smith Machine Good Morning 85% Smith machine
• Kettlebell Swing 80% KettlebellsIntermediate
• Ball Leg Curl 80% Exercise ball
• Banded Standing Leg Curl 80% Resistance bands
• Sumo Deadlift 75% BarbellProfessional
• Band Romanian Deadlift 75% Resistance bands
• Conventional Deadlift 70% BarbellProfessional
• Cable Pull-Through 70% Cable machine
• Band Good Morning 70% Resistance bands
• Dumbbell Deadlift 70% DumbbellsIntermediate
• Bodyweight Good Morning 65% Bodyweight
• Kettlebell Deadlift 65% KettlebellsIntermediate
• Trap-Bar Deadlift 60% BarbellIntermediate
• Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift 55% Kettlebells
• Rack Pull 50% BarbellIntermediate
• Back Extension (45°) 40% Back extension bench
• Kettlebell Windmill 40% KettlebellsProfessional
• Step-Ups 35% DumbbellsBenchIntermediate
• Dumbbell Windmill 35% DumbbellsIntermediate
• Bulgarian Split Squat 30% DumbbellsBenchIntermediate
• Bodyweight Step-Ups 30% Bodyweight
• Cossack Squat 25% Bodyweight
• TRX Lunge 25% Suspension trainer
• Barbell Hip Thrust 25% BarbellBenchIntermediate
• Split Squat 25% Bodyweight
• TRX Pistol Squat 20% Suspension trainerIntermediate
• Sumo Goblet Squat 20% Dumbbells
• Glute Bridge 20% Bodyweight
• Cable Glute Kickback 20% Cable machine
• Jumping Jacks 20% Bodyweight
• Barbell Squat 15% BarbellIntermediate
• Jump Squat 15% BodyweightIntermediate
• Single-Leg Press 15% Machines
• Pistol Squat 15% BodyweightProfessional
• Dumbbell Lunges 15% DumbbellsIntermediate
• Barbell Reverse Lunge 15% BarbellIntermediate
• Sumo Squat 15% Dumbbells
• Smith Machine Split Squat 15% Smith machine
• Superman 15% Bodyweight
• Leg Press 10% Machines
• Hack Squat 10% Machines
• Dumbbell Front Squat 10% DumbbellsIntermediate
• Front Squat 10% BarbellProfessional
• Smith Machine Squat 10% Smith machine
• Bodyweight Squat 10% Bodyweight
• Kettlebell Front Squat 10% Kettlebells
• Band Squat 10% Resistance bands
• Dumbbell Squat 10% Dumbbells
• Smith Machine Front Squat 10% Smith machine
• TRX Squat 10% Suspension trainer
• Horizontal Leg Press 10% Machines