Intermediate Hamstring Workout: Build Strength From the Ground Up
This session is for intermediate lifters who already have a solid foundation in basic movement patterns and are ready to push their hamstring development further. If you've been training consistently for at least six months and want stronger, more resilient legs — both for the gym and for everyday life — this is your session. We'll walk you through a focused routine that challenges your hamstrings through their full range of motion, so the future you will thank you.
What the research says
A few things from the research are worth knowing before you train. On warm-ups: one study compared a higher-intensity treadmill warm-up with ballistic stretching against a lower-intensity treadmill warm-up with static stretching, and found no significant difference between the two on hamstring range of motion. The study concluded that athletes should continue with whichever warm-up style they are already comfortable with. On when to stretch: a separate study found that placing static stretching before or after a workout made no significant difference to hamstring flexibility outcomes. On stretch duration: research comparing different passive static stretching approaches found that longer stretching durations — specifically ten minutes — produced superior acute and chronic flexibility gains in hamstrings compared to shorter durations, with the treadmill warm-up group also outperforming the 30-second group for immediate effects.
The evidence here is moderate — the stretching studies use relatively small samples and focus on flexibility outcomes, not strength, so they inform warm-up and cooldown choices but don't speak to the full training session.
A study comparing two warm-up protocols — a higher-intensity treadmill session with ballistic stretching versus a lower-intensity treadmill session with static stretching — found no significant differences between the two on hamstring range of motion. The study stated that athletes who already perform a warm-up and stretch should continue with the routine they are most familiar and comfortable with.
View study →A study in college-age men and women found no significant differences in hamstring flexibility whether static stretching was performed before or after a workout.
View study →A study comparing passive static stretching approaches in healthy women found that all experimental treatments improved hamstring flexibility compared to a control group. The 10-minute stretching group and the treadmill warm-up group showed superior acute effects compared to the other conditions, and the 10-minute group showed the greatest chronic (long-lasting) effect.
View study →The routine
Warmup
Lie on your back, with one leg extended straight out. With the other leg, bend the hip and knee to 90 degrees. You may brace your leg with your hands if necessary. This will be your starting position. Extend your leg straight into the air, pausing briefly at the top. Return the leg to the starting position. Repeat for 10-20 repetitions, and then switch to the other leg.
Stand next to a chair or other support, holding on with one hand. Swing your leg forward, keeping the leg straight. Continue with a downward swing, bringing the leg as far back as your flexibility allows. Repeat 5-10 times, and then switch legs.
Stand with your feet close together. Keeping your legs straight, stretch down and put your hands on the floor directly in front of you. This will be your starting position. Begin by walking your hands forward slowly, alternating your left and your right. As you do so, bend only at the hip, keeping your legs straight. Keep going until your body is parallel to the ground in a pushup position. Now, keep your hands in place and slowly take short steps with your feet, moving only a few inches at a time. Continue walking until your feet are by hour hands, keeping your legs straight as you do so.
Main
Place two kettlebells between your feet. To get in the starting position, push your butt back and look straight ahead. Clean one kettlebell to your shoulder and hold on to the other kettlebell in a hanging position. Clean the kettlebell to your shoulder by extending through the legs and hips as you pull the kettlebell towards your shoulders. Rotate your wrist as you do so. Lower the cleaned kettlebell to a hanging position and clean the alternate kettlebell. Repeat.
Place two kettlebells between your feet. To get in the starting position, push your butt back and look straight ahead. Clean one kettlebell to your shoulder and hold on to the other kettlebell. With a fluid motion, lower the top kettlebell while driving the bottom kettlebell up.
Begin standing with a dumbbell in each hand with your feet shoulder width apart. Lower the weights to the floor by flexing at the hips and knees, pushing your hips back until the dumbbells reach the floor. This will be your starting position. To initiate the movement, violently jump upward by extending the hips, knees, and ankles to acclerate the weights upward. Maintaining a neutral grip on the dumbbells, keep the arms straight until full extension is reached. After full extension, rebend the hips and knees to receive the weight in a squat position. Allow the arms to bend, guiding the dumbbells to your shoulders. Upon receiving the weight in the squat position, extend the hips and knees to finish in a standing position with the weights on your shoulders.
Begin by adjusting the equipment to fit your body. Place your feet against the footplate in between the rollers as you lie facedown. Your knees should be just behind the pad. Start from the bottom of the movement. Keep your back arched as you begin the movement by flexing the knees. Drive your toes into the foot plate as you do so. Keep your upper body straight, and continue until your body is upright. Return to the starting position, keeping your descent under control.
Begin with a bar on a rack at shoulder height. Rack the bar across the rear of your shoulders as you would a power squat, not on top of your shoulders. Keep your back tight, shoulder blades pinched together, and your knees slightly bent. Step back from the rack. Begin by bending at the hips, moving them back as you bend over to near parallel. Keep your back arched and your cervical spine in proper alignment. Reverse the motion by extending through the hips with your glutes and hamstrings. Continue until you have returned to the starting position.
Cooldown
Sit upright in a chair and grip the seat on the sides. Raise one leg, extending the knee, flexing the ankle as you do so. Slowly move that leg outward as far as you can, and then back to the center and down. Repeat for your other leg.
In a seated position, extend your legs over a foam roll so that it is position on the back of the upper legs. Place your hands to the side or behind you to help support your weight. This will be your starting position. Using your hands, lift your hips off of the floor and shift your weight on the foam roll to one leg. Relax the hamstrings of the leg you are stretching. Roll over the foam from below the hip to above the back of the knee, pausing at points of tension for 10-30 seconds. Repeat for the other leg.
Set and rep ranges are general starting suggestions based on this guide's level — adjust to your own experience, and progress gradually.
This content is educational and not a substitute for medical advice — if you have a history of hamstring injury, lower back issues, or any joint pain, check with a qualified health professional before attempting this session. Intermediate does not mean invincible: warm up fully, choose a load you can control through the entire range of motion, and stop if something feels sharp or wrong.