Develop Your Hamstrings and Glutes With This Workout
Posterior (the muscles you can’t see in the mirror directly) can be the hardest to develop as it’s difficult to establish a mind-muscle connection with muscles you can’t see while training.
Pancakes look great on a plate and not in jeans. If you have non-existent hamstrings and glutes, this workout will help put an end to your suffering. Leave no stones unturned while following this workout.
Dumbbell Sumo Squat – 3 Set 15-12-10 Reps
Squats are arguably the best leg building exercise. In this workout, you’ll be performing the dumbbell sumo squats as they are better at targeting your hamstrings and glutes as compared to the conventional squats.
For the dumbbell sumo squat, stand on a couple of aerobic steppers to create a deficit between yourself and the floor. Hold a dumbbell with your arms fully extended towards the floor. At the bottom of the movement, the lowest part of the dumbbell should go below the top of the steppers.
Barbell Hip Thrusts – 3 Sets 15-12-10 Reps
Barbell hip thrusts are one of the most underutilized exercises. Most people make the mistake of overloading the bar and following a small range of motion. Don’t let your ego ruin the exercise and use weights with which you can follow the complete range of motion.
The barbell hip thrusts focus primarily on developing your glutes. At the top of the movement, your quads and upper body should be in a straight line while your lower legs should be perpendicular to the floor.
Leg Curls – 3 Sets 20-15-10 Reps
Leg curls are a staple in most leg training workouts but many people leave gains on the table by performing the exercise incorrectly. While performing the leg curls, place your ankles under the pad so they are a fist’s distance apart.
Lift the weight in an explosive manner. Hold and squeeze your hamstrings at the top of the movement for a couple of seconds. Return to the starting position with a slow and controlled movement. Repeat for the recommended reps without resting at the bottom of the movement.
GHD Extensions – 3 Sets 15-12-10 Reps
We can thank CrossFit for bringing the GHD extensions to the mainstream. If you don’t have access to a GHD machine at your gym, you can ask someone to sit on your lower legs while you perform the exercise on a flat bench.
The GHD extensions work your hamstrings and glutes. If you have relatively weaker glutes and hamstrings, you would want to work on them by performing other exercises before tackling the GHD machine.
Good Mornings – 3 Sets 15-12-10 Reps
Good mornings are a golden-era classic exercise. To perform the good mornings, stand with a barbell placed across your shoulders and feet in a shoulder-wide position. Slowly lower your torso by bending at your hips while keeping your knees slightly bent.
The right motion while performing the good mornings should feel like doing the stiff-legged deadlifts but with the barbell on your shoulders instead of your hands. You should also consider using safety bars while performing the good mornings to eliminate any risk of injury.
Which is your favorite hamstring exercise? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements
