Hamstring exercises: which work your hamstring most?

The hamstrings bend the knee and extend the hip. Hip hinges such as the Romanian deadlift load them in a stretch, and leg curls train their knee-bending role.

Last reviewed 13 November 2026. Every study cited is listed at the end.

The muscles that make up your hamstrings

• Three musclesThe biceps femoris on the outside, and the semitendinosus and semimembranosus on the inside of the back of the thigh.^[1]
• Two jobsMost of the hamstrings cross both the hip and the knee, so they bend the knee and straighten the hip. That is why leg curls (knee) and hip hinges such as the Romanian deadlift (hip) train them in different ways.^[1]

Exercises where the hamstring is a primary mover

Ranked by how much of the work the hamstring does in each exercise.

• Good Morningalso glutes, lower back (erector spinae)
• Leg Curlalso calves
• Romanian Deadliftalso glutes, lower back (erector spinae)
• Deadliftalso glutes, lower back (erector spinae)
• Kettlebell Swingalso glutes, lower back (erector spinae)
• Sumo Deadliftalso glutes, quads, adductors
• Hip Thrustalso glutes, adductors
• Glute Bridgealso glutes
• Lungealso quads, glutes

Exercises that also work the hamstring

The hamstring assists in these, but is not the main target.

• Back Squatalso quads, glutes, adductors
• Step-Upalso quads, glutes
• Bulgarian Split Squatalso quads, glutes, adductors
• Burpeealso quads, chest, abs
• Goblet Squatalso quads, glutes, adductors
• Leg Pressalso quads, glutes, adductors
• Wall Sitalso quads

How to train your hamstrings: what the research shows

Squats are not enough. In a 10-week MRI study, full and half squats did not change hamstring size.^[2] Add a curl and a hinge.

Seated leg curls beat lying ones. In a 12-week study, 20 adults trained one leg with seated leg curls and the other with lying leg curls. Hamstring volume grew 14% with seated curls versus 9% with lying curls. Sitting bends the hips, which keeps the hamstrings stretched while they work.^[3]

Hinges and curls grow different parts. In a randomised 9-week study of 36 untrained adults, the stiff-leg deadlift group grew the semimembranosus by about 11%, while the Nordic curl group grew the semitendinosus by about 24%.^[4] In 16 elite female handball and football players, kettlebell swings and Romanian deadlifts worked the semitendinosus more than the outer hamstring, while leg curls did the opposite.^[5] Use both kinds of exercise.

Reps. Light and heavy loads built muscle about equally across studies when sets were taken close to failure; heavier loads built more maximal strength.^[6] A weight you can lift 6 to 15 times with good form, with the last two reps hard, is a practical range.

Sets. In a pooled analysis of 15 studies, more weekly sets per muscle led to more growth.^[7] Romanian deadlifts, good mornings, swings and curls all count.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best hamstring exercise?

A hip hinge such as the Romanian deadlift plus a leg curl. They grew different hamstring muscles in a 9-week study, so the pair covers the whole muscle.

Seated or lying leg curl?

Seated. In a 12-week MRI study, seated curls grew the hamstrings about 14% versus 9% for lying curls.

Do squats work the hamstrings?

Only a little. Hamstring size did not change after 10 weeks of squats in an MRI study.

Are Nordic curls worth it?

They are very hard, but they grew the semitendinosus by about 24% in 9 weeks. Start with a short range and lower slowly.

Other muscle groups

Sources

1. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, section 11.6: Appendicular muscles of the pelvic girdle and lower limbs. Rice University, 2022. https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/11-6-appendicular-muscles-of-the-pelvic-girdle-and-lower-limbs
2. Kubo K, Ikebukuro T, Yata H. Effects of squat training with different depths on lower limb muscle volumes. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2019; 119(9):1933-1942. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31230110/
3. Maeo S et al. Greater hamstrings muscle hypertrophy but similar damage protection after training at long versus short muscle lengths. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2021; 53(4):825-837. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33009197/
4. Morin T et al. Robustness of hamstring muscle activation strategies following selective hypertrophy induced by Nordic hamstring curl and stiff-leg deadlift exercises. Journal of Applied Physiology, 2025; 139(1):296-307. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40586278/
5. Zebis MK et al. Kettlebell swing targets semitendinosus and supine leg curl targets biceps femoris: an EMG study with rehabilitation implications. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2013; 47(18):1192-1198. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22736206/
6. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2017; 31(12):3508-3523. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28834797/
7. Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 2017; 35(11):1073-1082. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27433992/

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Muscle involvement varies with form, grip and individual anatomy.