17 Ways to Strengthen Your Hamstrings at Home (Without Equipment)

Hamstring exercises at home provide an easy way to strengthen your muscles without equipment. At-home hamstring workouts incorporate various movements to build your muscles the same way you would at a gym. The only difference between hamstring exercises at the gym and at home is which is more accessible to you. An at-home workout provides more convenience without sacrificing your gains.

Our hamstrings form a fundamental part of our posterior chain. They are muscles that play a huge role in our functional day-to-day movements. Therefore, you need to pay them adequate attention when it comes to home training. And you don’t need to be doing heavy deadlifts and ham raises to do so!

If you want to know how to strengthen your hamstrings at home, this article is for you. Today, we’ll cover the top 17 hamstring exercises with no equipment required, that you can do anywhere, anytime.

Why do you need strong hamstrings?

You need strong strong hamstrings because they play a big role in our daily movements. Strong hamstrings allow your hips to sit in a better position, which relieves the postural issues that directly affect our lower back and knee comfort. Knee flexion and extension are also enhanced by having stronger hamstrings. And above all else, you’re far less likely to injure yourself with strong hamstrings. Anyone who has had a hamstring injury would know that they can be delipidating.

Unfortunately, weak and tight hamstrings affect most of us. Weakness through the hamstrings causes major problems, including the following. 

• postural issues
• lower back pain
• sore knees
• an increased chance of hamstring strain and/or muscles tears

Having strong and supple hamstrings is an important contributor to your overall functional well-being and comfort. Touching your toes daily and doing the ‘rag doll’ stretch is simply not enough to appropriately condition your hamstrings. You need to be actively strengthening and mobilizing them through functional, dynamic movements.

17 Hamstring exercises without equipment

Below you will find a list of at-home hamstring exercises that require little to no equipment. You’ll need a bench for three, but most require only your body weight. 

There’s something here for everyone – our list of home hamstring workouts includes exercises that are suitable for beginners, intermediate-level, and more advanced leg training exercises.

Your glutes and core will also get a thumping during most of these exercises – and there’s nothing to not like about that, right?!

1. Inchworms

Difficulty level: Beginner

This exercise makes a great beginner exercise, but also a great exercise to put at the beginning of your workout, regardless of your fitness level! Inchworms, aside from all the other benefits, give your hamstrings a great dynamic stretch.

Mobilizing your hamstrings will directly affect your ability to strengthen them. So, don’t skip these!

1. Start standing upright with your feet together.
2. Bend down and place your hands on the floor. Note, keep your legs as straight as your current hamstring mobility will allow.
3. Walk your hands out until your body is in a tabletop plank position, with a neutral spine and engaged core.
4. Walk your hands back to your feet, sending your hips upwards and creating that stretch through your hamstrings.
5. Once your hands get to your feet, stand up straight before going into your next inchworm repetition.

Watch out for: Excessive curvature (either way) of the spine.

Variation: Instead of walking your hands outwards and then walking them back to your feet, you can walk your hands outwards and then your feet towards your hands. This will result in you traveling forwards and is obviously space permitting.

2. Donkey Kicks

Difficulty level: Beginner

What makes this exercise ‘beginner level’ is the fact that it is easy to get right. Aside from being technically easy, donkey kicks are demanding on your hamstrings and a great starting place for baseline strengthening.

1. Start square on hands and knees. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart and your knees should be hip-width apart.
2. As this is a single-sided exercise, it’s recommended that you commence with your weaker side.
3. Keeping your leg bent to keep tension in the hamstring, lift it until your thigh is parallel to the floor and you feel your glute contract.
4. Hold here for a second and then bring back down to starting position without resting it on the ground.
5. Do all repetitions on one side before repeating on the other side.

Watch out for: Letting go of the bend in your knee and hyperextending through your lower back as you lift your leg. Lifting until your glute contracts (and then no further) is a good way to steer clear of this.

3. Glute Bridge 

Difficulty level: Beginner

Don’t let the name fool you – yes, it’s going to hit your glutes, but your hamstrings too, in a big way! And I’m going to give you some pointers to make it extra ‘hamstring-ish’, so be sure to check out the ‘how to’ notes below!

1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet shoulder-width apart flat on the floor.
2. The closer your hips are to your heels, the more load will be shifted onto your glutes; the further your hips are from your heels, the more load will be shifted onto your hamstrings.
3. Lifting your back and hips as one unit, push through your heels and send your hips upwards until you reach full hip extension.
4. Hold here for a second or two before returning to starting position which should be just before your butt fully rests on the ground again.

Watch out for: Your knees collapsing inwards when you push up into hip extension. And be sure to not overextend into lower back hyperextension at the top of the movement.

Variation: Try out the single-sided version for an extra challenge. Have one leg suspended whilst you perform the glute bridges/hip extensions on the grounded leg – burn baby, burn!

4. Alternating Reverse Lunges  

Difficulty level: Beginner

This version of the lunge is a better version for targeting your hamstrings than the standard forward lunge. This is due to your back leg being the driving force of the lunge as opposed to your front leg, making it easier to control. This allows you to focus on the muscles you should be using – hamstrings (and glutes) over quads! 

1. Start standing with your feet together.
2. Take a wide step backwards with your weaker leg first.
3. Bend both your knees to lower your body towards the ground, though keeping your torso upright.
4. Your front knee should stay behind your toes and you should concentrate your weight in the heel of your front foot.
5. Step back to your starting position before stepping back with the other leg into your next reverse lunge.

Watch out for: Your knee extending in front of the toes of your front foot. Make sure you aren’t collapsing through the chest – keep your torso upright.  

Variation: Alternating reverse lunges shifts the load from your right to left leg through your repetitions. If you’re looking for a bit more concentrated tension, step back into the lunge with the same leg for the desired amount of repetitions before commencing on the other leg.

5. Bench Squats   

Difficulty level: Beginner

The bench squat is used to teach people to squat to depth. However, I have always found it particularly effective in assisting with building the hamstring strength appropriate for performing good, safe squats.

It’s not loaded, and you have a bench for guidance, meaning you can focus on developing that mind-to-muscle connection with your hamstrings without an overload of other things to think about.

1. Stand about half a foot in front of a bench or solid surface (roughly gym bench height).
2. Your feet should be just over hip width apart.
3. Keep your weight in your heels and push your hips back like you would in a normal squat but focussing on driving your hamstrings down to the bench.
4. Think of it this way – you’re wanting your hamstrings to tap the bench rather than your glutes.
5. As your hamstrings touch the bench, drive back to up standing position, locking out your hips and squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.

Watch out for: Your knees collapsing inwards at any stage of the moment and not maintaining a neutral spine. Don’t sit on the bench either! Tap and go!   

6. Sumo Squat to Stand   

Difficulty level: Intermediate

The sumo squat to stand is another great way to mobilize your hamstrings to get the most out of your hamstring strength training. It’s important that you go through the motion of this exercise slowly as it does require going into full hamstring extension. Slow and steady wins the race. 

1. Start in a full squat with your hands gripping the front of your shoes/fingers under your toes.
2. Your chest should be upright and your spine in a neutral position.
3. From here, keeping your hands where they are, straighten your legs by extending through the knees.
4. This will send your hips upwards and will fully stretch your hamstrings.
5. Once you are at full extension, bend your knees again to go back into a full squat before going into your next repetition.

Watch out for: Overdoing it! Work well within your range. If you are unable to reach full hamstring extension or get your legs fully straight, build up to it over time or over your repetition range.

7. Straight Leg March   

Difficulty level: Intermediate

Of all the dynamic movements for lengthening through the hamstrings and prepping them for load, this would have to be one of my favorites – the straight leg march. It looks relatively easy to do, but you do need adequate core strength and hip mobility to be able to perform it safely.

1. Start standing upright with your feet together.
2. Engaging your core and keeping your leg straight (but not locked at the knee), lift it towards the ceiling then back down to the ground before repeating with your other leg, moving you forward in a march like motion.
3. The foot of the leg being lifted should remain flexed to encourage extension of the hamstring.

Watch out for: Leaning back when lifting your leg up (this is where your core comes into play). Also, be mindful of starting slow. Don’t fling your leg up to the heavens and beyond without testing out your hamstring flexibility first.

8. Skater Jumps

Difficulty level: Intermediate

I love skater jumps! Perhaps because they’re the closest to ever being a skater that I’ll get, but also… they are a great dynamic movement for building lateral strength and power through your lower body, specifically your hamstrings and glutes.

If you’re into high-intensity style exercises, you’re going to love this one. They’ll have you burning a few calories!

1. Stand with your feet together and bend your knees to propel yourself laterally.
2. Leap as far as you can to your left or your right.
3. If you leapt to the left, for example, then you need to land on your left foot, absorbing any impact by landing on a bent and soft knee.
4. Your right leg goes behind your left foot and only slightly rests on the ground, whilst your right hand comes down to the ground in front of your left foot.
5. Stay low and get a good rhythm going as you repeat these skater jumps from your left to right side.
6. Aim to cover as much distance as you can with each jump!

Watch out for: Landing with too much impact and tending your weight into the front of your landing foot rather than the back.

9. Bodyweight Good Mornings

Difficulty level: Intermediate

Good mornings are a well-loved weighted exercise but are still very effective using only your body weight. Your hamstrings are the primary driving force of this movement, making this exercise a ‘must-do’ when it comes to hamstring workouts at home!

1. Stand with your feet just under hip-width apart.
2. Have your legs mostly straight with only a slight bend in your knees.
3. Hinge forward at the hips, sending your chest towards the ground and your hips backward.
4. Always maintain a neutral spine.
5. Once your torso is parallel to the ground or once you feel enough stretch through your hamstrings, engage your glutes and pull back up to a standing position.

Watch out for: Bending too much through the knees, rounding through the upper back, and hyperextending through the lower back.

10. Hamstring Walk Outs 

Difficulty level: Intermediate

Your hamstrings will feel this one for sure! Hamstring walk outs work your hamstrings in two ways. Firstly, through flexion of the knee, and secondly, through the extension of your hips. Make sure you’re adequately warmed up for this one, otherwise you could end up with painful hamstring cramping!

1. Commence as you would for a standard glute bridge, lying flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Push your back and hips up as one unit into full hip extension so that only your upper back and shoulders are left on the ground.
3. From here, lift your toes off the ground and walk your legs out on your heels, step by step until your legs are almost straight.
4. Then walk them back on your heels until you reach starting position, which should be with your feet about a foot away from your hips.

Watch out for: Collapsing through the knees and hyperextending through your lower back.

Variation: Try the elevated version by resting your upper back and shoulders on an elevated platform before performing your walk outs.

11. Hip Thrusts 

Difficulty level: Intermediate

Like the glute bridge, but with an added range of motion! Added range of motion = greater strength gains! Yup, you want to be doing this one! Again, this is a well-loved loaded gym exercise. But they’re going to work for you, loaded or not, and doing the body weight version means you can do them from anywhere.

1. Lean against a bench or elevated surface that is around gym bench height with your upper back/shoulders.
2. Have your knees bent and your feet hip-width apart, flat on the floor.
3. Pushing through your heels, drive your hips upwards into full extension.
4. Hold there for a second before lowering back down to starting position to go into your next repetition.
5. Like the glute bridge, the further your feet are away from your hips to begin with, the more load you will feel on your hamstrings.

Watch out for: Collapsing through the knees and hyperextending through your lower back.

Variation: Try one leg at a time… if you’re brave! 

12. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Difficulty level: Intermediate

This exercise is very much like a single-leg version of the good morning and follows an almost exact same range of motion. Balance is the name of the game here, and you want to do these slow and controlled to get the most out of them – your hamstrings and glutes will love you for it!

1. Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Lift one foot slightly off the floor and place a small bend in the knee of the leg that you’re standing on.
3. Hinging forward at the hips, drive your backside as far behind you as you can, whilst lowering your torso towards the ground and your non-working leg upwards (think pivot) with a neutral spine.
4. You should finish with a straight line from the foot of your non-working leg to your hips to your shoulders and head and you should feel a solid pull in your hamstrings.
5. Once you feel a solid pull in the hamstring of your stabilizing leg, engage your glute of said leg and pull back upwards to be standing upright.

Watch out for: Locking out the knee of your stabilizing leg, excessive rounding of the upper back and hyperextension through the lower back.

13. Bent Leg Reverse Hypers

Difficulty level: Intermediate

Reverse hypers are amazing for developing your hamstrings, and the bent leg version – even more so. These can be done with a machine in the gym, but on the edge of a bench, bed or table at home!

1. Lie face down on a flat surface with the crease of your hips in line with the edge of the surface.
2. Start with a 90-degree bend in the hips and your knees bent.
3. Make sure you are secured on the surface then lift your knees upwards to form a straight line with your body.
4. Hold for a second in this position and then lower your knees back down to starting position.

Watch out for: Hyperextension through the lower back at the top of the movement.

Variation: If you’d like to focus on one hamstring at a time, you can do the single-sided version. Whilst most single-sided variations are a level-up, the single-sided version of this exercise is probably the easier of the two.

14. Bulgarian Split Squats

Difficulty level: Advanced

In my opinion, this is one of the most bang-for-your-buck exercises you can do. It is challenging as it requires a solid base of balance, strength, muscular endurance, and mobility to execute. When it comes to your hamstrings, this exercise is testing.

Whilst you use a variety of lower body muscles to perform Bulgarian split squats, your hamstrings work as stabilizers in this movement. This makes it a unique challenge for them, in comparison to some of the other exercises on this list.

1. Elevate one leg by placing your feet/toes on a step/bench/ledge, (roughly gym bench height).
2. Hop forward with the other leg until you are standing in a wide split stance.
3. Keeping your torso upright and your spine neutral, bend both knees to go into a deep lunge.
4. Hold for a second at the bottom of the movement and then push back up until your front leg is straight.
5. Do all repetitions on one leg before commencing on the other leg.

Watch out for: Collapsing through the chest and allowing the knee of your front leg to move in front of your toes.

15. Natural Leg Curls

Difficulty level: Advanced

Though this exercise requires no equipment, you do need something to secure your feet under, whether it be a bar of some sort, or a person holding them.

This is one of the most difficult body weight exercises that you can do! Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

1. Kneel on the ground with your knees and feet together.
2. Have something over the top of your ankles/lower legs, securing them the ground.
3. Start upright with a 90-degree bend in the knees.
4. Maintaining a straight line from your head to your hips and to your knees, lower your body towards the floor by increasing the angle at the knees.
5. Hold the tension on your hamstrings for as long/far down as you can, then catch your body weight on the floor with your hands.
6. A small push off the ground with your upper body will be required to pull yourself back up to starting position.
7. Note, your hamstrings should be working in both phases of the exercise.

Watch out for: Hyperextension through the lower back or bending forward through the hips. Your hips should remain extended – the movement comes from flexing and extending through the knees.

16. Incline Straight Leg Hip Thrust

Difficulty level: Advanced

This is a less commonly known exercise, though a super effective one for the hamstrings! This incline straight leg hip thrust forms part of the bridge/hip extension family, but with most of the load on the hamstrings.

A benefit of being in this straight-leg, incline position is that your quads will not be able to fire, so little assistance from the front of your body will be available for your hamstrings.

1. Elevate your feet by placing them on a step/bench/ledge, (roughly gym bench height).
2. Have your upper body and hips flat on the floor and a small bend in the knees.
3. From here, push your hips upwards into extension and until your legs are straight but not locked out at the knees.
4. Hold for a second and return to starting position. Let your hips touch the ground lightly before pushing up into your next repetition.

Watch out for: Too much bend in your knees and hyperextension through your lower back.

Variation: Keep one leg on the bench and the other one slightly elevated above the bench to do a single-leg straight leg incline hip thrust.

17. Sliding Leg Curls 

Difficulty level: Advanced

This exercise replicates the motion of a traditional hamstring curl that you would do in the gym with a machine. I, personally, find this version the more challenging of the two! And the best part about it is that it places little to no stress on your knees or back.

You can use the fancy foot slider pads for this one, but anything that slides will do – even a dish cloth! But maybe don’t use it for the dishes after it has been sliding all over the floor.

1. Lie on your back with your legs extended and heels on the slider pads.
2. Lift your hips off the ground slightly and then pull your feet back towards you, contracting your hamstrings.
3. Extend your legs back outwards on the slider pads, but without resting your hips on the floor again, i.e. keep the tension on your hamstrings the whole time.

Watch out for: There’s not too much you can do wrong here but watch out for cramping – make sure you’re adequately warmed up!

Variations: Try squeezing a rolled-up towel between your thighs as you perform these sliding leg curls. Or if you’re up for an extra challenge, go one leg at a time!

Example hamstring workout at home

There’s no shortage of hamstring workouts you can do at home. Our example consists of 7 exercises, 3 rounds, and 2 minutes of rest in-between rounds. Follow the steps below to complete the hamstring workout. 

1. Inchworms x 10, 10 seconds rest
2. Standing Straight Leg March x 20 (alternating from right to left leg), 10 seconds rest
3. Hamstring Walk Outs x 10 (each walk in and out is 1 x rep), 30 seconds rest
4. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift x 12 each leg, 30 seconds rest
5. Bent Leg Reverse Hypers x 12, 30 seconds rest
6. Bulgarian Split Squats x 12 each leg, 45 seconds rest
7. Incline Straight Leg Hip Thrust x 12

Conclusion

Hamstring exercises at home are simple to execute. The exercises listed in the article above require little to no equipment and are suitable for a range of skill levels. There are no excuses for not getting your hamstring work done, regardless of what you may or may not have access to! Don’t let the body weight and equipment-free factors trick you into believing there are no gains to be made here. The exercises we’ve explored are enough to activate your hamstrings. Strength, mass, and muscular endurance gains will be yours if you incorporate exercises into consistent practice.

Happy hamstring training!