Hamstring exercises at home: 9 exercises + 4-week schedule

In short

Anyone who wants to train hamstrings at home usually encounters two problems: there is no leg curl machine, and many online lists mix up beginner, strength and rehabilitation exercises. The result is often chaos.

A good home program does three things:

• it builds tension without complex equipment
• it combines hip and knee dominant patterns
• it has a clear progression

That's why you not only get individual exercises here, but also a simple schedule.

Research on Nordic variants mainly shows that eccentric hamstring loading is relevant for strength building and fascicle length, but this does require a logical build-up from lighter home variants ( Medeiros et al., 2020 ).

How do you choose the right hamstring exercise at home?

Use this format:

• Beginner: first feel tension and build up control
• Intermediate level: more range, more eccentric load
• Advanced: heavier variants, more one-legged or more Nordic-specific

It is also useful to know whether you mainly want to become stronger, be able to handle sprint loads better or simply want to train more consistently at home. For the latter, simplicity is more important than perfection.

9 hamstring exercises at home

1. Glute bridge with heel pressure

An easy start to learning to feel tension at the back of the legs.

2. Hamstring walkout

From a bridge position, step your heels forward piece by piece. Very effective without equipment.

3. Sliding leg curl

Use towels or sliders on a smooth floor. Strong home variation for knee-dominant hamstring strain.

4. Swiss ball leg curl

If you have a ball, this is a good stepping stone between beginner and intermediate.

5. Single-leg Romanian deadlift

Good for hip dominant strength, balance and control.

6. Good morning with backpack or belt

Easy way to add extra load at home without a machine.

7. One-legged bridge

More load per leg, without a complicated setup.

8. Eccentric half Nordic

Good advanced step if you want to move towards heavier hamstring strain.

9. Nordic hamstring curl with stable fixation

The heaviest variant on this list. Not the starting option for everyone, but a strong final step in a home program.

For a more general explanation of the last exercise, you can go to everything about the Nordic hamstring curl.

A simple 4-week schedule

Train 2 to 3 times a week. Leave 48 hours between heavier hamstring sessions.

Week 1

• Glute bridge: 3 x 10
• Hamstring walkout: 3 x 6
• Single-leg Romanian deadlift: 3 x 8 per leg

Week 2

• Sliding leg curl: 3 x 8
• One-legged bridge: 3 x 8 per leg
• Good morning with light load: 3 x 10

Week 3

• Sliding leg curl: 4 x 8
• Single-leg Romanian deadlift: 3 x 8 per leg
• Eccentric half Nordic: 2 x 4

Week 4

• Hamstring walkout: 3 x 8
• Good morning: 3 x 10
• Eccentric half Nordic or Nordic regression: 3 x 4 to 5

You don't have to keep every exercise forever. The purpose of a plan is for you to know what you are doing, not for you to stick to all 9 exercises at once.

Pain rules and structure

A little muscle fatigue or training pain is normal. Sharp pain, increasing irritation high in the hamstring or pain that clearly limits your day after is a different story.

Therefore, use three rules: 1. Never increase volume and difficulty at the same time. 2. Keep 1 to 2 reps "in reserve" on the heaviest sets. 3. If an exercise feels worse every session, it is still too hard or too early.

For real injury questions, it is smarter to look at specific injury content, such as hamstring injury: what to do .

When will you switch to Nordic hamstring curls?

The Nordic is not a mandatory start, but it is a logical advanced step if:

• neatly mastered your hamstring walkouts and sliding curls
• your eccentric load can be tolerated
• you have a stable fixation

That is also the moment when a fixed setup becomes really useful. If your program is going well, but your limiting factor is the setup for heavier Nordics, then is the Nordbelt How-to guide relevant. If you want to go directly to a feasible solution, you can also go to the product page.

Common mistakes

• moving to the toughest variant too quickly
• only do hip dominant exercises
• have no plan for progression
• underestimating home exercises and therefore performing them sloppily

At home, simplicity almost always wins over variation without direction.

FAQ

Can you train hamstrings at home without equipment?

Yes. With bridges, walkouts, sliding curls, Romanian deadlifts and regressions towards Nordic you can build a strong program at home without machines. As long as you have a clear structure and do not make everything harder at the same time, you can go surprisingly far with simple means.

How often should I train hamstrings at home?

For most athletes, 2 to 3 times a week is enough, depending on sprint and strength schedule. The harder you sprint, jump or train your legs, the more important it becomes to keep volume low and leave at least 48 hours between the toughest hamstring sessions.

What is the best hamstring exercise at home?

That depends on your level. For many people, sliding leg curls and hamstring walkouts are the best start, because they are easy to perform at home and provide immediate tension without a complex setup. The best exercise is usually the exercise that you do technically well and can build up week after week.

When does Nordic hamstring curl make sense?

Nordic hamstring curl will make sense once you have built up basic control, tension and a stable setup. Think of it as an advanced next step: first build up tension and tolerance with simpler variants, then move towards heavier eccentric loading ( Medeiros et al., 2020 ).