Best Hamstrings Exercises for Mass — Top 10 Ranked
Building hamstrings size requires the right exercise selection. Not all hamstrings exercises are created equal — some are dramatically better for muscle building than others. We ranked these based on muscle activation, progressive overload potential, and how well they match the 8-12 reps rep range that muscle building training demands.
Exercises are ranked by: (1) Hamstrings muscle activation percentage, (2) compatibility with 8-12 reps rep ranges, (3) progressive overload potential, and (4) injury safety at the required intensity.
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 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 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 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 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 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 good morning is a barbell hip-hinge exercise that loads the hamstrings and spinal erectors. It builds posterior chain strength that directly transfers to squats and deadlifts.
Key Form Cue
Place the barbell on your upper back as you would for a squat.
The dumbbell Romanian deadlift uses dumbbells for a greater range of motion and more natural hand position than the barbell version. Hinge at the hips with a slight knee bend, feeling a deep stretch in the hamstrings before driving your hips forward to stand.
Key Form Cue
Hold dumbbells in front of your thighs with a neutral grip and pull your shoulders back.
The single-leg Romanian deadlift isolates each hamstring individually while challenging balance and hip stability. Hold a dumbbell in the opposite hand of the working leg, hinge forward, and let the free leg extend behind you as a counterbalance.
Key Form Cue
Hold the dumbbell in the hand opposite to the standing leg for natural counterbalance.
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