thigh knee
Hamstrings exercises
Knee flexion, hip extension, and hinge control.
253
Exercises
95
Primary target
Related exercise guides
Home equipment tiers prioritize bodyweight, walls, chairs, towels, bands, and household loads before gym-only equipment.
90/90 Hamstring
Lie on your back with one leg straight and the other hip and knee bent to ninety degrees. Extend the bent leg straight into the air, pause briefly, then return and repeat. Switch legs.
Armbar-Finish Hip-Thrust Shadow
Aim: to build hip strength and control. Good for: Glute and hamstring strengthening; Floor hip thrust variation; Home mat workout.
Ball Leg Curl
Lie on your back with your ankles on top of an exercise ball. Raise your hips off the floor. Bend your knees to roll the ball in, pause briefly, then extend your legs to roll it back out.
Band Overhead Squat
Stand on a resistance band with the arms extended overhead against band tension. Lower into a squat while pushing the arms straight up and keeping the back straight.
Banded Knee Extension (Seated)
Seated knee extension using a resistance band. Home-friendly quad strengthening.
Barbell Back Squat
Classic barbell squat with bar across upper back. Foundational strength movement for lower body.
Barbell Deadlift (Conventional)
Foundation barbell hip hinge for total posterior chain strength development.
Barbell Frankenstein Squat
Balance a barbell across the front of the shoulders with both arms reaching straight forward. Perform a full squat without the arms holding the bar.
Barbell Hip Thrust
Heavy loaded hip thrust for maximal glute strength. The primary exercise for building powerful glutes to support SI joint.
Barbell Jump Squat
A light barbell rests across your upper back. You sit your hips back into a squat, jump so both feet leave the floor, and land softly.
Barbell RDL
Barbell Romanian deadlift for hamstring and glute development under heavier load.
Barbell RDL
Barbell Romanian deadlift for maximal posterior chain loading. Advanced exercise requiring excellent hip hinge mechanics.
Barbell Snatch Deadlift
Take a wide grip on a barbell and deadlift it from the floor to a tall lockout. The hips start lower than in a normal deadlift.
Barbell Snatch to a Full Overhead Squat Catch
Set up over a barbell on a wide grip with your knees bent and back flat. Pull the bar close past your legs, extend your hips, knees and ankles explosively, then drop under the bar to catch it locked out overhead in a deep squat.
Barbell Walking Lunge
You stand tall with a barbell resting across your upper back. You step forward with your right leg and bend both knees to lower your hips. Then you push through your front foot to stand and step forward with your left leg.
Bent-Over Dumbbell Row
Hinge at the hips and row dumbbells to your ribs. Fundamental free-weight back exercise.
Bent-Over Reverse Fly
Bend over and raise dumbbells out to sides. Works rear shoulders and upper back.
Bent-Over Row
Bend forward and row two dumbbells or barbell. Major back builder.
Bird Dog
On hands and knees, extend opposite arm and leg. Builds shoulder stability and core strength together.
Bird Dog (Contralateral Chain Training)
Trains the posterior chain to work diagonally across the spine - the way we actually move in life. Essential for spine stability.
Bird Dog (SI Safe)
Quadruped core stability exercise teaching anti-rotation control. Critical for SI joint stability during movement.
Bird Dog - Full (Contralateral)
Extend opposite arm and leg while on all fours. One of the most back-friendly core exercises that builds stability and coordination.
Bird Dog - Leg Only
On all fours, extend one leg straight back while keeping your hips level. This builds back and hip stability without aggravating most back conditions.
Bird Dog with Band Resistance
Bird dog with band around extending limbs for added resistance. Advanced anti-rotation core exercise.
Bird Dog with Elbow to Knee
Full bird dog with a crunch: bring elbow and knee together under your body, then extend. Adds dynamic movement to the classic exercise.
Bird-Dog
From hands and knees, extend opposite arm and leg. Classic core and back stability exercise.
Body Bar Curtsy Lunge
You stand with a weighted bar across your shoulders. You step one foot back and across behind your stance leg, bend both knees to lower, then return to standing. You repeat on the other side.
Bottom-Up Kettlebell Squat
Hold a kettlebell upside down by the handle at one shoulder, with the bell pointing to the ceiling. Balance it through a full squat.
Box Jump
Plyometric exercise jumping onto elevated surface for hip power development.
Box Jump (Low)
Jump onto a low box and step down. Develops power while practicing soft landings.
Box Jump (Low)
Explosive jumping onto box for power development. Only for those fully recovered with no symptoms during impact.
Box Jumps (Low Box)
Jumping onto a low box and stepping down. Plyometric exercise for power development and landing mechanics.
Box Squat
Squat to box or bench for controlled depth and safe hip strengthening.
Box Step-Off to Stick Landing
Step off low box and land softly, holding landing position. Trains deceleration and landing mechanics.
Bridge Hold (Isometric)
Isometric glute bridge hold for building endurance and control in the hip extensors.
Bridge with Adductor Squeeze
Glute bridge combined with inner thigh activation. Particularly effective for 'shear-type' SI pain patterns.
Bridge with Band Abduction
Glute bridge with band pushing knees outward. Activates both glute max and glute med simultaneously for complete hip stability.
Bulgarian Bag Good Morning
You stand with a crescent-shaped bag across your shoulders and upper back, holding its handles. You push your hips back to hinge forward with a neutral spine, then drive your hips forward to stand tall.
Bulgarian Bag Reverse Lunge, Zercher Hold
You cradle a Bulgarian bag in the crooks of both elbows against the front of your torso. You take a large step back into a lunge, then return to standing.
Bulgarian Bag Swing and Catch
You stand with a wide stance, holding a crescent-shaped weighted bag by its handles. You push your hips back to swing the bag between your legs, then drive your hips forward to swing and catch it.
Bulgarian Bag Zercher Squat
You cradle a crescent-shaped Bulgarian bag in the crooks of both elbows across the front of your body. You squat down, then stand back up.
Bulgarian Split Squat
Single-leg squat with rear foot elevated. Builds unilateral leg strength and hip stability for SI joint support.
Bulgarian Split Squat (Rear Foot Elevated)
Split squat with rear foot elevated on a bench. Excellent single-leg strength and quad development.
Cable Glute Dominant Step-Up
You stand with a belt around your waist attached to a low cable, facing away from the pulley. You place one foot on a sturdy box, lean forward, and step up while squeezing your glutes at the top. You repeat on the other side.
Cable Pull-Through
Cable hip hinge movement for glute and hamstring activation with constant tension.
Cable Reverse Lunge
You stand facing a low cable arm, holding one handle at your waist with both hands. You step one leg back and lower your knee close to the ground, then push back up. You repeat on the other side.
Cable Squat
You stand facing a low cable tower and squat down to hold a handle in each hand near your ankles with your back flat. You stand up while pulling on the handles, then lower back down.
Conventional Deadlift
The classic barbell deadlift. Builds whole-body strength when performed with proper technique. Requires good hip hinge mechanics.
Cutting Drill (45-degree)
Jogging forward then cutting at a 45-degree angle. Sport-specific movement for athletes returning to cutting/pivoting activities.
Depth Drop to Stick
Step off box and land with immediate controlled stop (stick). Trains rapid force absorption and ankle stiffness.
Depth Jump
Step off box, land, and immediately explode into jump. Advanced plyometric for reactive power.
Donkey Kick
Hip extension exercise in quadruped position targeting glute max activation.
Dumbbell Donkey Kick
You kneel on all fours with a dumbbell held behind the knee of one leg. With that knee bent, you lift the leg until you feel your glutes working at the top, then lower it. You repeat on the other side.
Dumbbell Plyo Squat
You stand with a dumbbell hanging in each hand and drop into a partial squat. You then jump straight up so both feet leave the floor, and land softly.
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
Weighted hip hinge targeting glutes and hamstrings. Foundation posterior chain strengthening.
Elephant Walk (the Folded Trunk-Swing Gait)
You bend forward at the hips with your back parallel to the floor and your clasped hands hanging down. You take big steps while your body and hands sway from side to side.
Elevated Pistol Squat on the Plyo Box Edge
Stand on the edge of a box balancing on one leg. Squat down on the support leg, letting the free leg dangle alongside the box. Push back up through the support leg to the standing start.
Figure-8 Squats
Hold a low quarter squat while passing one kettlebell hand to hand through the legs in a continuous figure-8.
Frog Pumps
Lie on your back in a glute bridge with the soles of the feet together and the knees fallen outward. Pump the hips up in fast, short reps.
Front Squat
Barbell squat with bar in front rack position. Emphasizes quadriceps and requires upright torso.
Gada Push-and-Pull Swing
A momentum swing with a long bamboo-style mace. You push it upward to fall, brace your core, pull hard just before the lowest point and quarter-turn it back up.
Glute Bridge
Foundation glute activation exercise. Essential for hip strength and low back health.
Glute Bridge
Hip lift exercise that strengthens glutes and hamstrings. Strong hips reduce load on the knee.
Glute Bridge (Basic)
Foundational glute and core exercise for SI joint stability. Builds the posterior chain strength essential for SI health.
Glute Bridge (Spine-Safe Hip Extension)
Strengthens the glutes while keeping the spine in a safe position. Strong glutes take load off the low back in the spine chain.
Glute Bridge with March
Hold a bridge position and alternate lifting each foot off the floor. This adds anti-rotation challenge and single-leg work.
Goblet Squat
Squat while holding a weight at your chest. The counterbalance often helps depth and form.
Goblet Squat (Full Range)
Full-depth goblet squat for those who tolerate deep hip flexion. Builds complete lower body strength through full range.
Goblet Squat (To Box)
Front-loaded squat to a box for depth control. Builds lower body strength while limiting range to protect SI joint if needed.
Good Morning
A hip hinge with barbell on your upper back. Advanced exercise for posterior chain strength when proper form is established.
Good Morning (Bodyweight)
Bodyweight hip hinge exercise for posterior chain activation and hamstring flexibility.
Hack Squat Machine Squat
Stand with your back against the pad and your shoulders under the yoke pads on a hack squat machine, feet shoulder-width on the platform. Lower the sled by bending your knees to ninety degrees. Press through your heels to return.