6 Best Resistance Band Exercises to Build Athletic Hamstrings

Whether you’re an athlete wanting to build strong and flexible hamstrings or a typical fitness enthusiast wanting to develop balanced legs, resistance bands can help you do that effectively.

Resistance bands are easy to use and provide similar results to machines and free weights when it comes to building fundamental strength.¹ Lopes, Jaqueline Santos Silva et al. “Effects of training with elastic resistance versus conventional resistance on muscular strength: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” SAGE open medicine vol. 7 2050312119831116. 19 Feb. 2019, doi:10.1177/2050312119831116

In this article, I’ll show you how to bolster your hamstrings with the following resistance band exercises:

1. Good Morning
2. Lying Leg Curl
3. Seated Leg Curl
4. Romanian Deadlift
5. Single Leg Deadlift
6. Lying Hamstring March

These exercises target the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus and build solid hamstrings.

Whether you train at home or lift in the gym, incorporating these movements will help you build athletic legs over time.

The 6 Best Resistance Band Hamstring Exercises

1. Good Morning

The resistance band Good Morning is a hip hinge exercise that strengthens the hamstrings and lower back.

Doing it consistently will help you improve your posterior chain flexibility and minimize the risk of a hamstring injury.

Steps to Perform

1. Stand upright in a hip-width stance, place the band under your feet, and wrap the other end of the band around your neck.
2. Bend your torso forward without bending your knees until your chest is parallel to the floor.
3. Pause for a moment in that position for a couple of seconds and then slowly return to the upright position.

When to Perform

Doing two to three sets of 10-15 reps will help activate your posterior chain muscles and prepare you for compound lifts, such as deadlifts and squats.

2. Lying Leg Curl

The banded leg curl involves lying on the floor, wrapping the band around your ankles, and flexing your knee.

This move bolsters the hamstring muscles (rear thigh) and makes the lower body more functional.

Besides hammies, you’ll also feel the work in your calves while curling your legs.

Steps to Perform

1. Anchor the band, wrap it around your ankle, and lie prone on your stomach.
2. Curl your legs toward your buttocks until your knees are fully bent and hamstring and glute engaged.
3. Hold for a moment in that position, and return your legs until they are straight.

When to Perform

The lying leg curl is a primary hamstring exercise, so I suggest doing it at the start of your hamstring training.

For example, if you train your entire legs in one session, you can perform this exercise (3-4 sets of 10-15 reps) right after the quad exercises.

The leg curl will activate your biceps femoris and prepare you for a Romanian deadlift.

3. Seated Hamstring Curl

The seated leg curl invoves more hip flexion than the lying leg curl, providing your hamstrings more stretches and promotes hypertrophy.² Maeo S, Huang M, Wu Y, et al. Greater Hamstring Muscle Hypertrophy but Similar Damage Protection after Training at Long versus Short Muscle Lengths. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2021;53(4):825-837. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000002523

If you want to build firm and defined hamstrings, I suggest performing both seated and lying leg curls for decent results.

Steps to Perform

1. Attach the band to a firm object close to the ground.
2. Wrap it around your ankle, and sit on a flat bench with your feet slightly off the floor.
3. Slightly lean back and firmly grip the bend with your hands. That’s the start.
4. Pull the band in until you feel a good contraction in your hamstrings.
5. Pause for a moment before returning to the start.

When to Perform

Perform 3-4 sets of 15-20 reps at the start of your hamstring workout or superset with leg extension or lunges. This exercise can fit into any workout.

You can also do single-leg curls to work on each individually. This will be great for those who want to correct the strength imbalance between their legs.

4. Romanian Deadlift

The Romanian deadlift (RDL) is a great exercise for strengthening the entire posterior chain, including the hamstrings.³ McAllister MJ, Hammond KG, Schilling BK, Ferreria LC, Reed JP, Weiss LW. Muscle activation during various hamstring exercises. J Strength Cond Res. 2014;28(6):1573-1580. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000000302

The RDL involves bending at your hips (this stretches the rear thigh) and lifting the band by pressing your feet against gravity (this puts stress on your hamstrings), allowing your posterior thigh to work from top to bottom.

Besides hamstrings, the RDL also engages the lower back, glutes, and quads, helping you build stronger legs.

Steps to Perform

1. Stand straight in the hip-width stance and place the resistance band under your feet.
2. The starting position is to firmly grab the other end of the band with an overhand grip and maintain an upright posture.
3. Pushing your hips back, lean your torso forward until the band reaches your shin level. From that stance, pull the band as you return to the standing position until your hips are entirely extended. Make sure to keep your arms straight while lifting the bar. You’ll feel the work on your hamstring muscles during the movement.

When to Perform

After leg curls, do three to four sets of 8 to 10 reps because the leg curls fully charge the hamstrings so that you can lift heavy weights during the RDL.

I suggest using power bands for Romanian deadlifts so you can work on strength and size simultaneously.

5. Single Leg Deadlift

The single-leg deadlift (SLDL) is a strength and mobility exercise that engages multiple muscles simultaneously, including the hamstring, glutes medius, and lower back.⁴ Diamant, Wiktor et al. “Comparison of EMG Activity between Single-Leg Deadlift and Conventional Bilateral Deadlift in Trained Amateur Athletes – An Empirical Analysis.” International journal of exercise science vol. 14,1 187-201. 1 Apr. 2021

This exercise is perfect for those who want to improve their balance while strengthening hamstring muscles.

Steps to Perform

1. Place the band under your left foot and grab the other end with both hands.
2. Raise your right leg behind you and lower your torso toward the floor simultaneously until they are parallel to the ground.
3. Pushing your right foot into the ground, slowly return to the upright position.

When to Perform

You can do SLDL as many times as you like, with hamstring exercises and any other muscle group. However, I suggest substituting the RDL with single-leg deadlifts during hamstring training.

6. Lying Hamstring March

If you’re looking for a resistance band exercise that targets the glutes maximus, hamstrings, and lower spine all at the same time, consider adding the hamstring march to this lineup.

The hamstring march involves lying on the floor and keeping your feet elevated on the bench or box with a loop band around your feet. This exercise trains the hammies from a different angle and helps improve strength and muscle definition.

Steps to Perform

1. Wrap a mini band around your feet and lie on the floor against a bench.
2. Extend your legs and place them over the bench with your knees bent and toes pointing upward.
3. Keep your arms straight by your sides and brace your abs, core, and thighs. That’s the start.
4. Lift your hips off the floor and bring your right knee toward your chest.
5. Return your right leg to the start, then repeat on the opposite side.

When to Perform

After targeting your hamstrings with leg curls and deadlifts, perform this exercise at the end of your workout. This gives your hamstring workout a decent finish.

Finishing it Off

Strengthening hamstring muscles with resistance bands is as easy as dumbbells, barbells, and machines.

Resistance band hamstring exercises build strength, mobility, and flexibility in your legs, enhance muscularity, and boost athletic performance.

You can do these exercises at home or in the gym, wherever you train.

This is how you can design a banded hamstring workout routine:

• Good Morning: 2 sets x 10 reps
• Lying Leg Curl: 3 sets x 15 reps
• Seated Leg Curl: 3 sets x 10 reps
• RDL/SLDL: 3 sets x 8-12 reps
• Hamstring March: 2 sets x 10 reps on each side.

References

• 1
  Lopes, Jaqueline Santos Silva et al. “Effects of training with elastic resistance versus conventional resistance on muscular strength: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” SAGE open medicine vol. 7 2050312119831116. 19 Feb. 2019, doi:10.1177/2050312119831116
• 2
  Maeo S, Huang M, Wu Y, et al. Greater Hamstring Muscle Hypertrophy but Similar Damage Protection after Training at Long versus Short Muscle Lengths. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2021;53(4):825-837. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000002523
• 3
  McAllister MJ, Hammond KG, Schilling BK, Ferreria LC, Reed JP, Weiss LW. Muscle activation during various hamstring exercises. J Strength Cond Res. 2014;28(6):1573-1580. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000000302
• 4
  Diamant, Wiktor et al. “Comparison of EMG Activity between Single-Leg Deadlift and Conventional Bilateral Deadlift in Trained Amateur Athletes – An Empirical Analysis.” International journal of exercise science vol. 14,1 187-201. 1 Apr. 2021