Hamstring Stretch

How to do the Hamstring Stretch

1. Lie on your back with one leg extended above you, with the hip at ninety degrees. Keep the other leg flat on the floor.
2. Loop a belt, band, or rope over the ball of your foot. This will be your starting position.
3. Pull on the belt to create tension in the calves and hamstrings. Hold this stretch for 10-30 seconds, and repeat with the other leg.

Muscles worked

Role	Muscles
Primary	hamstrings
Equipment	no equipment
Difficulty	beginner
Type	isolation

Train the same muscles a different way

6 alternatives for the same hamstrings, with and without kit.

Hamstring-SMR Foam Roller Band Good Morning Resistance Bands Band Good Morning (Pull Through) Resistance Bands Ball Leg Curl Exercise Ball Chair Leg Extended Stretch Other Equipment Intermediate Groin Stretch Other Equipment

Harder than the Hamstring Stretch

Seated Hamstring expert · Bodyweight Lying Hamstring expert · Other Equipment World's Greatest Stretch intermediate · Bodyweight

Common questions

What muscles does the Hamstring Stretch work?

The Hamstring Stretch primarily works the hamstrings. Chair Leg Extended Stretch, Hamstring-SMR, and Intermediate Groin Stretch train the same muscle, across 9 equipment types.

What equipment do you need for the Hamstring Stretch?

None — the Hamstring Stretch is bodyweight, so it works at home, in a hotel room or outdoors. Chair Leg Extended Stretch and Hamstring-SMR also need nothing.

Is the Hamstring Stretch suitable for beginners?

Yes, the Hamstring Stretch is rated beginner. Seated Hamstring, Lying Hamstring, and World's Greatest Stretch are the progressions from here.

Where should the Hamstring Stretch go in a workout?

Late — the Hamstring Stretch is isolation work, so it follows your compounds.

Similar exercises

Chair Leg Extended Stretch Other Equipment Hamstring-SMR Foam Roller Intermediate Groin Stretch Other Equipment Lying Hamstring Other Equipment Prone Manual Hamstring Bodyweight Runner's Stretch Bodyweight