Hello FitnessRX ladies,
Don’t we love leg training? I am going to add to last week’s article about quad training with this week’s specifically on hamstrings! It is super beneficial to split your leg training days to have the endurance and strength to maximize your results for muscle hypertrophy in all your muscle groups. I have worked consistently on bringing up both my hamstrings and quads to give my lower body balance. If I try to train both in the same day, I find myself losing the strength and drive to push myself on my second muscle group.
So, onto hamstrings. The key to building your hamstrings is keeping tension in your glutes and hamstrings with every exercise. Proper form is always a must, so if you notice you are feeling more tension in your back than legs, make sure to adjust your form before continuing your training… :)
Hamstring workout:
Free-Motion Single-leg Lunge
7 sets/20 reps (60-second rest between sets)
• Keep one foot forward on standing plate, extend back foot into a deep lunge
• As you stand, press through your heel and thrust your hips forward, keeping tension in your glutes and hams
• Slowly lower leg back down into a lunge keeping minimal weight on toe
• Do all repetitions for one leg, then switch legs and complete set
(Rest 60 seconds and then immediately begin your next set)
Standing Dumbbell Deadlifts
7 sets/20 reps (60-second rest period between sets)
• Stand feet shoulder-width apart
• Keeping weight on heels and back straight, slowly lower dumbbells toward floor
• Never lose tension in glutes and hamstrings
• Lower dumbbells just below knee, then squeeze glutes and stand up, thrusting hips forward
(Rest 60 seconds then immediately start next set)
