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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Adjust leg pad to contact lower legs just above the ankle. Lie face down and align knees with pivot point on machine. Stay in good body alignment (abs tight, chest up, back straight). Position legs to keep kneecaps pointing straight down. In a controlled motion, flex the knees by drawing feet up and toward the body as far as possible. Contract hamstring muscles fully without compromising form; avoid any hip movement. While maintaining the controlled motion, return to starting position without setting down weight or relaxing the muscles. Do not allow the knee to hyperextend.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Primary Muscle Group: Hamstrings
Other Muscle Groups Worked in This Exercise: Lower Back, Traps, Calves
Breathing: Breath out as you start the exercise movement, and breath in as you move back to the start position.
Execution: Place kettlebell between your feet. To get in the starting position, push your butt back and look straight ahead. Clean kettlebell to your shoulder. Drop kettlebell to a hanging position between your legs while keeping the hamstrings loaded.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Primary Muscle Group: Hamstrings
Other Muscle Groups Worked in This Exercise: Lower Back, Traps, Calves
Breathing: Breath out as you start the exercise movement, and breath in as you move back to the start position.
Execution: Place two kettlebells between your feet. To get in the starting position, push your butt back and look straight ahead. Clean one kettlebell to your shoulder and hold on to the other kettlebell. With a fluid motion, drop the top kettlebell while driving the bottom kettlebell up. This is an advanced move, so use caution.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Primary Muscle Group: Hamstrings
Other Muscle Groups Worked in This Exercise: Lower Back, Traps, Calves
Breathing: Breath out as you start the exercise movement, and breath in as you move back to the start position.
Execution: Place two kettlebells between your feet. To get in the starting position, push your butt back and look straight ahead. Clean one kettlebell to your shoulder and hold on to the other kettlebell. Take the cleaned kettlebell back to the floor and then clean the other kettlebell.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Stand with knees slightly bent and feet no more than shoulder width apart. Place strap around ankle. Stabilize upper body by grasping stationary support on cable machine. Stand in good body alignment (abs tight, chest up, back straight). Keep stationary knee slightly bent and fixed throughout movement. In a controlled motion, flex the knee by drawing foot back and up as far as possible. Contract hamstring muscles fully without compromising form; avoid any hip movement. While maintaining the controlled motion, return to starting position without setting down weight or relaxing the muscles. Do not allow the knee to hyperextend.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Primary Muscle Group: Back of upper leg
Muscle Groups Worked in This Exercise: Biceps femoris; long and short heads; Semimembranosus; Semitendinosus and Gastrocnemius
Preparation: Attach the band to a sturdy object at floor level. Since you'll only use one end of the band, make sure that the other end is secure. Attach the loose end to an ankle strap and place around the ankle of your starting leg. Lie on your stomach with the band coming from behind your feet. Both legs should be straight.
Breathing: Breathe out as you bend your knee; breathe in as you straighten back to start position.
Execution: Bend your starting leg at the knee until your heel is near your buttocks; pause and then slowly straighten your leg back to start position. After completing all reps, repeat with opposite leg.
Comments: Keep your hips still and your knees together during the range of motion.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Primary Muscle Group: Quadriceps femoris, Gluteus
Muscle Groups Worked in This Exercise: Buttock, Hamstrings
Preparation: Lie on your back, bend your knees and place both feet against the ball. Your arms should be resting at your sides with palms facing down. Lift your hips and low back off the floor. You will be balancing on your heels (on the ball) and your upper back.
Breathing: Inhale as you bend your knees in, exhale as you straighten your legs out again.
Execution: Now, bend your knees and pull the ball towards your hips. Don't forget to inhale! To make this one a little harder, lift your torso higher until only your shoulders are touching the floor. Extend your legs out again and exhale.
Comments: This slight variation really packs a punch and you'll notice the difference in your glutes right away.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Adjust leg pads to contact lower shin just above the ankle. Adjust seat back to align knees with pivot point on machine. Sit in good body alignment (abs tight, chest up, back straight). In a controlled motion, flex the knees by bringing feet down and back as far as possible. Contract hamstring muscles fully without compromising form; avoid any hip movement. While maintaining the controlled motion, return to starting position without setting down weight or relaxing the muscles. Do not allow the knee to hyperextend.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Primary Muscle Group: Hamstrings
Other Muscle Groups Worked in This Exercise: Lower Back, Traps, Calves
Breathing: Breath out as you start the exercise movement, and breath in as you move back to the start position.
Execution: Place two kettlebells between your feet. To get in the starting position, push your butt back and look straight ahead. Raise the kettlebells straight up as fast as possible and take the kettlebells to your shoulders. Lower the kettlebells back to the floor and repeat.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Primary Muscle Group: Hamstrings
Other Muscle Groups Worked in This Exercise: Calves, Shoulders, Glutes
Breathing: Breath out as you start the exercise movement, and breath in as you move back to the start position.
Execution: Place two kettlebells between your feet. Push back with your butt and bend your knees to get into the starting position. Make sure that your back is flat and look straight ahead. Swing the kettlebells between your legs forcefully. Quickly reverse the direction and drive though with your hips taking the kettlebells straight out to chest level. Let the kettlebells swing back between your legs and repeat.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Primary Muscle Group: Hamstrings
Other Muscle Groups Worked in This Exercise: Lower Back, Traps, Calves
Breathing: Breath out as you start the exercise movement, and breath in as you move back to the start position.
Execution: Place kettlebell between your feet. To get in the starting position, push your butt back and look straight ahead. Clean kettlebell to your shoulder. Return kettlebell back to the floor briefly while keeping the hamstrings loaded.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Primary Muscle Group: Quadriceps femoris, Gluteus
Muscle Groups Worked in This Exercise: Buttock, Hamstrings
Preparation: Lie on your back, bend your knees and place both feet against the ball. Your arms should be resting at your sides with palms facing down. Lift your hips and low back off the floor. You will be balancing on your heels (on the ball) and your upper back.
Breathing: Inhale as you bend your knees in, exhale as you straighten your legs out again.
Execution: Now, bend your knees and pull the ball towards your hips. Don't forget to inhale! Extend your legs out again and exhale.
Comments: If you can feel your glutes and the backs of your thighs working, you're doing just great!
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Adjust leg pad to contact lower leg just above the ankle. Adjust seat back to align knees with pivot point on machine. Sit in good body alignment (abs tight, chest up, back straight). Position legs to keep kneecaps on top. Lock top pad comfortably on quadriceps. In a controlled motion, flex the knees by bringing feet down and back as far as possible. Contract hamstring muscles fully without compromising form; avoid any hip movement. While maintaining the controlled motion, return to starting position without setting down weight or relaxing the muscles. Do not allow the knee to hyperextend.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Primary Muscle Group: Hamstrings
Other Muscle Groups Worked in This Exercise: Calves, Shoulders, Glutes
Breathing: Breath out as you start the exercise movement, and breath in as you move back to the start position.
Execution: Place one kettlebell between your feet. Push back with your butt and bend your knees to get into the starting position. Make sure that your back is flat and look straight ahead. Swing the kettlebell between your legs forcefully. Quickly reverse the direction and drive though with your hips taking the kettlebell straight out. Let the kettlebell swing back between your legs and repeat. Switch arms with each set.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Primary Muscle Group: Hamstrings
Other Muscle Groups Worked in This Exercise: Shoulders
Breathing: Breath out as you start the exercise movement, and breath in as you move back to the start position.
Execution: Place two kettlebells behind your feet. Bend your knees and sit back to pick up the kettlebells. Swing the kettlebells between your legs forcefully and reverse the direction. Drive through with your hips and lock the ketttlebells overhead in one uninterrupted motion.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Primary Muscle Group: Hamstrings
Other Muscle Groups Worked in This Exercise: Lower Back, Traps, Calves
Breathing: Breath out as you start the exercise movement, and breath in as you move back to the start position.
Execution: Place two kettlebells between your feet. To get in the starting position, push your butt back and look straight ahead. Clean one kettlebell to your shoulder and hold on to the other kettlebell in a hanging position. Drop the cleaned kettlebell to a hanging position and clean the alternate kettlebell. Repeat.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Primary Muscle Group: Hamstrings
Muscle Groups Worked in This Exercise: Hamstrings, Glutes
Preparation: Start jogging in place.
Breathing: Breath through entire exercise movement.
Execution: Begin to quickly bring your heel up toward your buttock; as fast as you can alternate your legs. While doing butt kicks, the back is straight with a slight forward body lean. The body lean is as natural as the athlete assumes while running. Do butt kicks for 15 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds between sets.
Comments: Remember, arms are simply legs higher up, so keep pumping and driving them throughout the drill.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Primary Muscle Group: Back of upper leg
Muscle Groups Worked in This Exercise: Biceps femoris; long and short heads; Semimembranosus; Semitendinosus and Gastrocnemius
Preparation: Attach the band to a sturdy object at floor level. Since you'll only use one end of the band, make sure that the other end is secure. Attach the loose end to an ankle strap and place around the ankle of your starting leg. Stand with feet hip width apart with the band coming from in front of you.
Breathing: Breathe out as your bend your knee, breathe in as you straighten your leg back to start.
Execution: Standing on one leg, flex the opposite leg (with the ankle strap) at the knee so that your knee is at hip height. Now, extend your bent leg at the knee until your leg is straight. After completing all reps, repeat with opposite leg. Keep your hips stable and your knees together during this range of motion.
Comments: If you need support, place a stable object such as a chair back next to you to hold on to.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Primary Muscle Group: Hamstring
Muscle Groups Worked in This Exercise: Hamstring, Calf, Inner Thigh
Preparation: Lie in prone position on the floor with a stability ball squeezed between the sides of your feet on the floor extended outward.
Breathing: Breath out on the contraction of the muscle and breath back in on the way back to the start position.
Execution: Curl your feet upward towards your glutes as your squeeze the ball between your feet and focus on squeezing in your hamstring muscles. Move back to start position and repeat.
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Exercise Techniques -
Hamstring exercises
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Primary Muscle Group: Lower Back, Hamstrings
Preparation: Sit on the ball with both feet flat on the floor.
Breathing: Exhale as you reach forward, inhale as you return to the starting position.
Execution: Slowly reach forward and try to grab your feet. Feel the lower back stretch. Hold for ten seconds and release.
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A variety of hamstring exercises you can execute at home or at the gym. Each of these hamstring exercises include instructions and illustrations of how to perform them. 
