The Best 5+ Powerful Eccentric Hamstring Exercises

Hamstring Anatomy

The back of your leg is a muscle with four muscles. Of your leg, make up the hamstring, including the biceps fascia (a pair of muscles), semitendinosus, and the semimembranosus.

The hamstrings of your torso play an important part in jumping, running, or walking, among other sports. Hamstrings typically activate to bend your knee when you lift your knee from the ground.

They also aid in leg extensions (moving your legs forward). In general, the hamstrings help to give stability and strength to lower body movements.

Benefits Of Eccentric Hamstring Exercises

Concentric contractions occur when the length of a muscle decreases. In contrast, eccentric contraction occurs when the muscle lengthens.

For instance, the upwards movement that a curl bicep produces can be described as the concentric phase of the exercise, while the downwards movement is the eccentric phase.

Though any exercise that targets your hamstrings can be important, eccentric exercises for your hamstrings should be a priority due to these reasons.

#1 Greater & Stronger Hamstrings

Exercises that are eccentrically hamstring-based intensely stimulate the muscle fibers within your hamstrings. This causes muscle cells can grow in the process of hypertrophy.

With more muscles, you’ll be able to improve your performance on other exercises like the barbell squat and deadlift.

In addition, stronger hamstrings can provide greater explosiveness within your lower part. The added strength will result in better athletic performance across various activities.

#2 Reduced Risk Of Injury

Hamstring injuries are quite frequent. A torn or strained hamstring could keep you out for weeks and limit your performance over the long term.

Exercises that work your hamstrings in a circular pattern can strengthen your hamstring muscles and help them take on the strain of an overloaded tension.

If performed correctly, eccentric hamstring exercises may enhance your mind-muscle bond.

This is why the exercises listed below can help increase your hamstring strength and help avoid future injuries.

#3 Improved Aesthetics

A lot of the time, bodybuilders and weightlifters who are novices alike are prone to overtrain their quads and then neglect their hamstrings.

A uniformly sized muscle mass isn’t just visually pleasing and more attractive throughout the body. Still, it’s more beneficial to increase equilibrium as well.

So we’ll look at the 5 exercises for hamstrings that are eccentric!

The Best 5 Eccentric Hamstring Exercises

#1 Nordic Hamstring Curl

While this eccentric hamstring workout can be challenging to master at home with no partner, it is extremely effective. Nordic hamstring curl can be an extremely efficient hamstring exercise.

SETUP

• You should begin by sitting on your knees, keeping your spine straight.
• Make sure your ankles are secured with an object or ask a friend to keep them in place.

ACTION

1. Tighten your glutes, hamstrings, and abs.
2. Maintaining your spine straight. Slowly move towards the floor. Note that most people cannot control their move all the way to the floor. Lean forward as much as you can until you slide forward, and then take hold of yourself.
3. Engage your hamstrings in a squeeze to lift your body back up to the original position. Do not hesitate to lift yourself off the ground if you require an initial booster!
4. Squeeze hamstrings and glutes with a lot of force on top to maximize the contraction. Repeat!

#2 Single-Leg RDL

A single-leg romanian deadlift will increase your balance and hamstring strength within minutes.

SETUP

• Take a stand with your feet close to each other.
• Put all your weight onto one foot and then balance your feet.
• Engage your core and pull your shoulders back down.

ACTION

1. While keeping your back straight, bend your hips forward and begin to lean towards the front. While your leg planted should be close to straight, you can let your trail leg lean slightly.
2. Lean forward until your body is in line with the floor. You should feel a strong stretching in the hamstrings.
3. Now, reverse the movement as you return to your standing position. Squeeze your glutes.
4. Keep tightness in your core; repeat!

#3 Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift

Also called the stiff leg deadlift with dumbbells, This eccentric hamstring workout will stretch your hamstrings to their maximum.

SETUP

• Assume a standing posture with your feet shoulder-width apart. You can hold the dumbbells using your palms facing your direction.
• Connect your abdominal muscles, bring your shoulder blades in a tidal motion and keep your chest up.

ACTION

1. With a slight tilt in your knees, bend your knees slowly at the waist. Then, pull your hips back and place the dumbbells on the top of your legs until you can feel a strong stretching in your hamstrings. Keep your back straight and your core muscles tight.
2. Now, tighten your hamstrings while returning to your standing position. Then, squeeze your glutes.
3. Maintain your tightness in your core, and repeat!

#4 Glute-Ham Raise

If your gym is equipped with an exercise machine for glutes and hams, you’re fortunate. This eccentric hamstring workout is among the top exercises to strengthen your glutes and hamstrings.

SETUP

• Set your feet on the plate, allowing your calves to push on the hooks of your ankles. Your knees should lie slightly behind or directly on your knees.
• Begin with your upper body parallel to the floor. You should feel like you can draw an upward line between your head and your knees.

ACTION

Tighten your glutes, hamstrings, and abs.

1. Lower yourself slowly until you are level with the floor.
2. Then, push your feet into the footplate and lift your body by using the muscles in your hamstrings (and some assistance with the glutes).
3. Squeeze hamstrings and glutes on top of the body to maximize contracture.
4. Stay controlled and gradually lower yourself down, repeating.

#5 Barbell Romanian Deadlift

The barbell RDL provides the opportunity to increase your weight and push yourself to the limit in your lower body workout.

SETUP

• Set up an exercise bar on the ground using a weight ranging from light to moderate.
• Stand up with your feet shoulder-width apart. Move forward until your barbell is above the middle of your feet.
• Hold your waist in place, then bend the knees to the point that your back is in line with the floor.
• Hold the bar while your palms face you, and the hands slightly larger than your shoulder length apart.
• Lift the barbell to a standing posture.

ACTION

1. With a slightly bent knee and your waist in a hinge, lift the barbell using a straight back. Slowly lower the barbell to the floor. There should be a noticeable stretching in your hamstrings as your hips bend forward.
2. Pause for one second at the bottom, then reverse the exercise when you return to your standing position. Press your glutes with all the force you can in this position.
3. Maintain your tightness in your core, and repeat!