Best Hamstrings Exercises for Endurance — Top 10 Ranked
Building hamstrings endurance requires the right exercise selection. Not all hamstrings exercises are created equal — some are dramatically better for endurance than others. We ranked these based on muscle activation, progressive overload potential, and how well they match the 15-25 reps rep range that endurance training demands.
Exercises are ranked by: (1) Hamstrings muscle activation percentage, (2) compatibility with 15-25 reps rep ranges, (3) progressive overload potential, and (4) injury safety at the required intensity.
The lying leg curl isolates the hamstrings through knee flexion. It is the complement to the leg extension and an essential exercise for balanced leg development and knee health.
Key Form Cue
Lie face down on the machine with the pad just above your ankles.
The seated leg curl provides a slightly different stimulus than the lying version because the hips are flexed, which puts the hamstrings on a greater stretch. Many lifters find the seated version produces a stronger contraction.
Key Form Cue
Adjust the back pad and leg pad to fit your body — the knee pivot should align.
The Nordic curl is one of the most effective hamstring exercises and the gold standard for eccentric hamstring strength. Research shows it significantly reduces hamstring injury rates in athletes.
Key Form Cue
Kneel on a pad with your feet anchored under something heavy or by a partner.
The glute-ham raise works both functions of the hamstrings — knee flexion and hip extension — in a single movement. It builds bulletproof hamstrings and requires serious posterior chain strength.
Key Form Cue
Set up on a GHD machine with your knees on or just behind the pad.
The floor glute-ham raise is a bodyweight exercise where you kneel and slowly lower your torso toward the floor using only hamstring strength. It is one of the most challenging hamstring exercises and develops eccentric strength that protects against pulls.
Key Form Cue
Kneel on a pad and anchor your heels under something heavy or have a partner hold them.
The Smith machine Romanian deadlift uses the fixed bar path to simplify the hip hinge and let you focus purely on loading the hamstrings. It is excellent for beginners learning the RDL pattern or experienced lifters chasing a hamstring pump.
Key Form Cue
Stand inside the Smith machine with the bar on your thighs and feet hip-width apart.
The resistance band hamstring curl isolates the hamstrings with a simple setup that works anywhere. Anchor the band low, loop it around your ankle, and curl your heel toward your glute while standing.
Key Form Cue
Anchor the band at a low point and loop it around one ankle.
The Romanian deadlift is the best hamstring exercise and a foundational hip-hinge movement. It loads the hamstrings through a deep stretch while building the entire posterior chain.
Key Form Cue
Stand with feet hip-width, holding the barbell with an overhand grip just outside your thighs.
The stiff-leg deadlift keeps the knees straighter than the Romanian version, putting more stretch on the hamstrings. The bar starts from the floor on each rep, unlike the RDL which is done top-down.
Key Form Cue
Stand with feet hip-width apart, barbell on the floor.
The resistance band leg curl is a prone hamstring curl you can do anywhere by anchoring a band to a low point and looping it around your ankle. It isolates the hamstrings through knee flexion with accommodating resistance that peaks at full contraction.
Key Form Cue
Anchor the band to a low sturdy point and loop it around one or both ankles.
Put these exercises into a real program
Revy's AI combines the best exercises for your goals into a personalized training program with progressive overload built in.