HEALTH KIK

H E A L T H K I K .COM

KRIS GETHIN’S

HAMSTRINGS
e-book

KRIS GETHIN | T R A N S F O R M AT I O N E X P E R T | FOUNDER

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INTRODUCTION

The hamstrings can be hard to target

and get a mind-muscle connection,
which can make building them
difficult! Powerful hamstrings are rare
these days but when trained correctly
they will grow into a very impressive
component of your physique. We
need to address common mistakes
first before we look at ultimate
training techniques. Prepare yourself,
this could get nasty!

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 10 REASONS
YOUR HAMSTRINGS ARE UNDERDEVELOPED
Hams tr in g t rain in g wil l be ea si e r to grasp once we l ook
a t s o m e of the mistakes a nd i ssue s th at can h ol d
bac k the ir grow th .

#1 PUSH THROUGH THE PAIN
Just like with quad training you’re going to
need a certain mental toughness to properly
apply the intensity needed for hamstring
growth. Not applying the necessary intensity
can often be simply down to giving into the
burn and brutality of the training. You need
to forgo that weak mindset if you’re to build
powerful hamstrings. Develop an iron mind
and inflict some damage!
#2 MOBILITY
It’s quite common to have lack of mobility
in the hamstrings. How easily can you
touch your toes without bending your
knees? Although this is a resolvable issue,
it is one that will hinder your hamstring
development if it’s not corrected. A lot of
the best hamstring exercises involve the hip
hinge movement that requires flexibility.
You need to work on this weekly with foam
rolling and deep tissue massage, along with
daily stretching.
#3 INSUFFICIENT LOAD
AND VOLUME
Hamstrings can do a lot of heavy work
and a lot of volume. Like the quads, they
need to be hit hard and with set after set
to really stimulate new lean muscle tissue.
Your intensity needs to be just as high
when hitting the hamstrings as it does
for the quads, if not more! Build up to
uncomfortable amounts of weight that scare
you and stack up the sets over time.
#4 LOWER BACK WEAKNESS
If you consider that some of the best
hypertrophy and strength exercises for the
hamstrings involve the hip-hinge movement,
the lower back can be an obvious and
glaring weakness. As is evident with the
deadlift, hamstrings can take a lot of strain!
But if the lower back is not up to the task,
you won’t lift anywhere near their capacity.
#5 POOR RANGE OF MOTION
The hamstrings are large long muscles that
cross multiple joints so a poor range of
motion will not fully maximize their growth
potential. To elicit growth, you need enough
mechanical tension in the muscle and this is
not achieved by only focusing on the mid-
range portion of the rep, the real tension
comes at the stretch and contraction points
of each rep. Don’t make things easier, make
them harder!

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10 YOU NEED TO PROGRESSIVELY
OVERLOAD THE MUSCLE TO SEE
CONSISTENT GAINS.

#6 FOCUSING ONLY ON CURLS

Lying, kneeling and seated hamstring curls
are great exercises that I would put in any
hamstring program, however they are not
all that’s out there. Neglecting the major
hip-hinge movements seriously limits your
growth potential, as it’s these big exercises
that put the most mechanical tension into
the hamstrings. There are also some savage
bodyweight exercises available too.

#7 NO PERIODIZATION
For a muscle group that relies a lot on big
they take utmost importance and not just
a supporting role to the quads. Leaving the
hamstrings as a lesser priority in your training
split is a rookie mistake.

compounds like Romanian Deadlifts, there’s
often a lack of proper periodization with
hamstring training. Progressive overload
is especially important with compound
movements to progressively overload the
muscle and see consistent gains. Sporadic
hamstring training will not provide sufficient
growth. Increase the loads on your main
hamstring exercises consistently.
#8 LEAVING THEM LAST
As with a lot of the ‘non-mirror muscles’,
the hamstrings are somewhat neglected
because they aren’t the first things you think
of showing off when someone asks you
to flex. But when you look at people with
really impressive physiques you’ll notice the
hamstrings stand out and that’s because
#9 INJURY
Hamstrings are notorious for picking up
strains and tears; often this is down to
poor mobility as I’ve already mentioned,
inadequate development and strength
in comparison to quads, and also an
insufficient warm-up. The hamstrings need
more than just some simple static stretching
to properly prepare them for relentless
heavy sets of straight-leg deadlifts and curls.
They need to be dynamically stretched and
warmed up thoroughly with plenty of sets
building into the first working set.
#10 LACK OF EXERCISE VARIETY
Would you believe there are more exercises
than just machine leg curls and straight-leg
deadlifts! Rarely do I see people doing glute/
ham raises, dumbbell leg curls or Swiss-ball
leg curls. Machine curls and deadlifts should
be part of all hamstring programs for sure,
but throwing in another exercise will vary
the stress and loads on the muscle and
help stimulate new growth. You can think
outside the box and deadlift on a hack squat
machine or with a cable for example.

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 10 WAYS TO
GET STRIATED HAMSTRINGS
Now t h at we ’ve ex pose d th e m i stake s,
let’ s hig h l ig h t t h e thin gs you sh oul d be doi ng for
ex pl osive h ams tri ng grow th .

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10
#1 HIP-HINGE
MOVE THE HAMSTRING
COMPOUND EXERCISES
TO THE TOP OF THE LIST
AMONGST YOUR SQUATS
AND LEG PRESSING.

Deadlift movements that involve a hip-hinge

should be at the center of your hamstring
training. These are the exercises where you
can progressively overload to heavier weights
and really put maximum tension into the
muscle and create the most stimuli for
growth. Examples of these would be stiff
legged deadlifts.
#2 STRETCH THE MUSCLE
Whether you’re doing a straight-leg
deadlift or a lying leg curl, you need to
take full advantage of the stretch. Open
the hamstrings up, stretch the fibers and
expand the fascia for blood volumization. A
lot of tension is placed on the muscle in a
full stretch position and that can provide a
growth response.

#3 SQUEEZE HARD
Your hamstrings are effectively the biceps of the legs and you’ve heard time
and time again about squeezing the biceps hard when you train them.
Repeat this for the hamstrings and allow the full mechanical tension to
create forces and loads that will create the activation needed for
muscular development.

#4 HIP CONTROL #5 WORKOUT PROGRAMMING

The position of the hips in any hamstring
movement can alter the level of tension
on muscles. In any standing hip-hinge
movement, be sure to push the hips back to
create the stretch at the top insertion point.
With lying hamstring exercises, keep the hips
pushed down to fully isolate the hamstrings
and stop secondary muscles doing more of
the work.
Rather than leave your entire hamstring
exercises until the end when fatigue levels
are higher, move the hamstring compound
exercises to the top of the list amongst your
squats and leg pressing. You can leave your
hamstring isolation exercises until later in
the workout but if you want to move heavy
weight in your compounds you need high
levels of energy.

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#6 WORK PAST FAILURE
The hamstrings can be particularly stubborn so doing just enough won’t cut it in the long term. To
force adaptation, you need to create higher and higher stimuli and one way to do that is to work
past failure be incorporating forced or partial reps. Just because you can’t do a full range of motion
rep, it doesn’t mean the hamstrings have been worked to full capacity. Use a spotter to assist you
in getting a few forced reps out to really take your training to the next level.

TO FORCE ADAPTATION,
YOU NEED TO CREATE
HIGHER AND HIGHER STIMULI
AND ONE WAY TO DO THAT IS
TO WORK PAST FAILURE BE
INCORPORATING FORCED
OR PARTIAL REPS.

#7 STRETCH BETWEEN SETS #9 ECCENTRICS

The hamstrings can get tight and this
limits their growth potential. One way to
continually allow more blood flow and
improvements in mobility is to stretch
between sets. Rather than hold static
stretches, opt for dynamic alternatives such
as some bodyweight straight-leg deadlifts to
maximize blood flow, clear lactate and keep
the motor units firing ready for the next set.
#8 SINGLE LEG EXERCISES
You can do single leg variations with
almost any hamstring exercise and avoid
the stronger leg dominate the movement.
Furthermore, single leg versions of
straight-leg deadlifts put a whole different
level of tension through the muscle with
a bigger range of motion and need for
control and balance.
Hamstrings grow well under high tension
stretching, so get on the seated or lying leg
curl, use a weight that’s too heavy to perform
a concentric rep with and have a spotter
push the concentric for you but then leave
you to deal with a slow excruciating negative.
Muscles have more strength in the eccentric
part of a movement so put that to the test.
#10 MIX UP WORKOUTS
Mix up the movements you do over the
workouts rather than do the same thing
over and over again. You need to hit the
hamstrings with different angles, tensions,
rep ranges and techniques. Constantly
rotating exercises and pushing to find
more intensity as you inflict mass destruction
on the hamstrings will inevitably lead to
muscle mass.

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 5 EXERCISES
FOR HAMSTRING GROWTH
The sa m e rul es appl y he re a s th ey do w i th your quads,
utter d e struc tion an d in ten si ty l eve l s th at woul d scare
mo st p eopl e away! Th e re are a few exe rc i se s you are n’t

#1
doin g t h at you shou l d be , so re ad on!

#1 GLUTE HAM RAISE

If you have a glute ham raise machine, use

it otherwise kneel on a seated calf raise or
lat pulldown machine facing the wrong
way with your ankles secured under the
pad that would usually sit across your lap
(load some weight plates on to stop it
toppling over). Start with your knees bent
at 90 degrees so your body is straight and
perpendicular to your lower legs. Brace
your core and slowly lower your torso
forwards until you are horizontal. Then
return to the starting position explosively
by contracting your hamstrings. This is
not an easy exercise, be patient and be
prepared for some serious doms!

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#2
#2 ROMANIAN DEADLIFT

I’m including this exercise because although it should be a staple in your hamstring training, it can
often be overlooked in favor of leg curls, but this is your main hamstring building exercise for mass.
You are effectively doing a halfway deadlift with only a small amount of knee bend. Lower the
weight below the knees stopping at mid shin level, pause with the tension in your hamstring and
lever yourself up. Imagine your hamstrings are steel cables that have to winch the weight back up.

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#3
#3 SINGLE LEG STRAIGHT-LEG DEADLIFT

Use a dumbbell or kettle bell and hold it in the hand of the standing leg you’ll be working.
Keeping your knee straight, bend forward at the hips lowering the weight towards your toes whilst
letting the non-standing leg swing back out behind you to counter balance. Try lightly holding on
to something with your free hand if balance is an issue. Keep your spine straight and your head
neutral, do not try and look up. You’ll feel the ultimate stretch when done correctly!

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 #4 #4 SWISS BALL HAMSTRING CURLS

You won’t see this done often in your local gym but
it’s got to be one of the most savage hamstrings exercises
out there. Put your heels up onto a swiss ball with your legs
fully extended and raise your hips off the ground into a
glute-bridge position with your arms flat on the floor.
Curl the swiss ball towards you rolling it towards you
with your feet but pulling from the hamstrings, and be
prepared for an insane contraction at the top. With control,
roll the ball away from you again maintaining the bridge
position and repeat.

#5
#5 HACK SQUAT SDL
This is a straight-leg deadlift (SDL) done using a hack squat machine
and facing the wrong way. Get your heels lined up close to the top of the
footplate, your shoulders under the shoulder pads but facing inward and
bend only at the hips. Bend down to 90 degrees at the hips pushing
your rear end back. Then drive your hips forward as you straighten up
and squeeze! Start light, go slow and assess the stress on your lower
back before you increase the weight.

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 – SAMPLE –
TRAINING PLAN
It’ s time to in corporate t h e l e ssons you’ve now l e arne d and
the w ide varie ty of exe rcises you h ave at your di sposal . No
lo nger s hal l your hamst rin g s be a we akne ss but stri ate d,
shr edded st ren gt h ! Eithe r pair h am stri ngs w i th quads and do
two f u ll leg days a week or spl i t h am stri ngs and quads and
do o ne wo rkout of e ac h a week . You can pl ug th i s i nto any of
your c urre n t workouts you w i sh .

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**TEMPO GUIDE**
You will notice there are 4 numbers under the “tempo” section. The first number is the eccentric
(negative), the second number is the first isometric pause, the third number is the concentric and

WEEK 1-4
the fourth number is the second isometric.

WEEKS 1-4: HAMSTRINGS A

EXERCISE SETS REPS TEMPO REST (S)
Lying Leg Curls 3 Warm up 10-12 2011 90

Lying Leg Curls 4 10-12 2011 90

Straight-leg Deadlift 4 10-12 2010 90

Seated Leg Curls 4 10-12 2011 90

WEEKS 1-4: HAMSTRINGS B

EXERCISE SETS REPS TEMPO REST (S)
Seated Leg Curls 3 Warm up 10-12 2011 90

Seated Leg Curls 4 10-12 2011 90

Hack Squat SDL 4 10-12 2010 90

WEEK 5-8
Single Leg Straight-leg Deadlift 4 10-12 2010 90

WEEKS 5-8: HAMSTRINGS A

EXERCISE SETS REPS TEMPO REST (S)
Lying Leg Curls 3 Warm up 10-12 2011 90

Romanian Deadlifts 4 8-10 2010 90

Glute/Ham Raise 4 8-10 2010 90

Lying Leg Curls 4 8-10 2011 90

WEEKS 5-8: HAMSTRINGS B

EXERCISE SETS REPS TEMPO REST (S)
Seated Leg Curls 3 Warm up 10-12 2011 90

Hack Squat SDL 4 8-10 2010 90

Swiss Ball Hamstring Curls 4 8-10 2010 90

Seated Leg Curls 4 8-10 2011 90

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* = DROP-SET ** = SUPER-SET *** = GIANT-SET

WEEK 9-10
WEEKS 9-10: HAMSTRINGS A
EXERCISE
Seated Leg Curls

* Seated Leg Curls

SETS
3 Warm up

4
REPS
10-12

10-12
TEMPO
2011

2011
REST (S)
75

75

**Lying Leg Curls 4 14-18 2011 75

**Hack Squat SDL 4 14-18 2010 75

WEEKS 9-10: HAMSTRINGS B

EXERCISE SETS REPS TEMPO REST (S)
Lying Leg Curls 3 Warm up 10-12 2011 75

***Lying Leg Curls 4 14-18 2011 75

***Romanian Deadlift 4 14-18 2010 75

***Swiss Ball Hamstring Curls 4 14-18 1010 75

WEEK 11
WEEKS 11: DTP HAMSTRINGS
EXERCISE
Seated Leg Curls

Romanian Deadlift
SETS
4

4
REPS
25,20,15,10

10,15,20,25
TEMPO
2011

2010
REST (S)
45

45

WEEK 12
Glute/Ham Raises 4 8-10 2010 60

WEEKS 12: DTP XTREME HAMSTRINGS

EXERCISE SETS REPS TEMPO REST (S)
**Lying Leg Curls 4 25,20,15,10 2011 25,20,15,10

**Hack Squat SDL 4 10,15,20,25 2010 10,15,20,25

** Seated Leg Curls 4 25,20,15,10 2011 25,20,15,10

**Hack Squat SDL 4 10,15,20,25 2010 10,15,20,25

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