Body & Balance Studio
Posture scan

Kneeling Half-Split Hinge

stretchhipintermediateHamstrings (front leg)

Content last reviewed: 2026-07-06

Kneeling Half-Split Hinge — start/setup and end/loaded positions
Left: start / setup position. Right: end / loaded position.

How to do it

  1. From half-kneeling, straighten the front leg with the heel on the floor and toes pulled up.
  2. Keep the front knee straight and the back knee under your hip.
  3. Hinge forward over the front leg from the hips, keeping the spine long.
  4. Drive the hips back and down toward the front heel until you feel a deep hamstring stretch.
  5. Hold, then return to the start by driving the hips forward.

Form cues

  • Long, flat spine — lead with the chest, not the head
  • Front knee stays locked straight
  • Sit the hips back to load the hamstring, not the low back

Dosage

  • Frequency: daily
  • Volume: 2–3 sets × 6–8 slow hinges each side
  • Hold: 2–3 s at end range
  • Keep the front knee straight throughout.

Muscles worked

hamstrings — anatomical illustration
hamstringsAnatomical illustration derived from BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, licensed under CC BY-SA.

Stretches: hamstrings

Target muscles

Hamstrings
Posterior Neck Stretch (Chin Tuck, Supine)Shoulder Adductor / Lat Stretch (Supine Overhead Reach)Lateral Neck Flexor Stretch (Side Tilt)Neck Extensor Stretch (Seated/Supine Flatten Neck)Pectoralis Minor Stretch (Supine Assisted)One-Joint Hip Flexor Stretch (Supine, Knee to Chest)