Hamstrings
Exercises that target the hamstrings, grouped by whether they stretch or strengthen it.
The hamstrings are three muscles along the back of the thigh: biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. They bend the knee, extend the hip, and help control the leg and pelvis during walking, running, landing, and forward bending. Most of the group crosses both the hip and knee, so position at either joint changes the demand.
A sensation of hamstring tightness does not always mean the tissue is physically short. Training load, fatigue, neural sensitivity, hip position, previous injury, and tolerance to stretch can all influence how the back of the thigh feels. A standing pelvic angle also cannot identify the hamstrings as the cause of a posture pattern.
Mobility work can use comfortable static, dynamic, or contract-relax variations. Strength work should include both knee-flexion and hip-extension patterns over time, such as curls, bridges, hinges, and suitable progressions. Increase range and loading gradually, especially after a previous strain.
Sharp pain, bruising, sudden loss of strength, or tingling that travels below the knee is not a cue to stretch harder. Those symptoms need appropriate assessment and a more specific return-to-activity plan.
