How to Build
Hamstrings
Terry Stokes
Hamstrings
Terry Stokes
The 'old school' leg curl machine works great for building the hamstring muscles
Women are beginning to realize that well-developed hamstrings make the legs look great. In order to build a great set of hamstrings you must do the proper exercises. Contrary to popular belief, the #1 exercise for building hamstrings above all others is NOT Deadlifts.
The best hamstring developer is the Lying Hamstring Curl. All other exercises are second in building up the back of the legs. A lot has been written about deadlifts being a great exercise for building hamstrings. This is complete nonsense. In order to fully develop the hamstrings you need full extension and full contraction of the hamstring muscle - you can only accomplish this by bending your knees. Imagine trying to build your biceps without bending your elbows... NOT going to happen!
The best hamstring developer is the Lying Hamstring Curl. All other exercises are second in building up the back of the legs. A lot has been written about deadlifts being a great exercise for building hamstrings. This is complete nonsense. In order to fully develop the hamstrings you need full extension and full contraction of the hamstring muscle - you can only accomplish this by bending your knees. Imagine trying to build your biceps without bending your elbows... NOT going to happen!
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Besides the Lying Hamstring Curl there is the Seated Leg Curl which I would say is the #2 hamstring building exercise. Then there is the Standing Leg Curl where you can do one leg at a time. The key with all of exercises is full extension and full contraction of the hamstring muscle. I like the Lying Hamstring Curl the most because the position gives you extra leverage so you can lift heavier weights. If you have access to 2 or all 3 of these machines, I would suggest using each one because each exercise hits the muscle a little differently... but the majority of your sets and reps should come from the Lying Leg Curl.
