Hamstrings are the group of muscles on the back of your upper leg. They’re responsible for extending your foot, bending your knee, and rotating your lower leg. Hamstring exercises are great for building strength and power in your lower body.
There are a variety of dumbbell hamstring exercises you can do to strengthen your legs. All you need is a pair of dumbbells and a flat surface to perform these exercises. Hamstring exercises are important for overall leg health and can help prevent injuries.
There are a variety of dumbbell hamstring exercises that you can do to target different areas of your hamstrings. Some exercises focus on the upper hamstrings, while others focus on the lower hamstrings. You can also do exercises that target both the upper and lower hamstrings at the same time.
Here are some dumbbell hamstring exercises you can do in your workout routine.
Dumbbell Deadlift
The dumbbell deadlift is one of the best compound exercises for increasing the strength of your hamstrings and improving your lower-body development. It’s a great exercise to do not only to get bigger muscles but also because it can help you build functional strength in daily activities.
Here is how you do this exercise:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
- Hinge at your hips and lower your torso until it’s parallel to the floor. Keep your back straight and your core engaged.
- Extend your hips and knees to return to the standing position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Dumbbell deadlifts, like any exercise, can cause injury if you don’t perform them correctly. To do them effectively, you’ll need to get into the correct position and move your body with a “neutral spine”—in other words, straight up and down with good posture. It’s also important that you isolate the movement to just your hips and knees; don’t let your back round or your lower back extend beyond neutral.
Dumbbell Box Squat
Dumbbell Box Squat exercise is a great lower body workout that helps in building up your legs. The legs, glutes, and hamstrings will be trained through the exercise. This exercise is performed using dumbbells, thus making it very user-friendly and safer as compared to barbell or machine squats which can cause injury if not used properly.
To do this exercise:
- Stand in front of a box or bench holding a pair of dumbbells at shoulder level with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward.
- Lower your hips and buttocks back and down as if you were going to sit on the box or bench, keeping your knees behind your toes and you’re back straight.
- Once your hips are level with the height of the box or bench, pause for a moment and then press back up to the starting position.
The Dumbbell Box Squat is an effective exercise to strengthen the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Because when performed it will involve your core. It can be done as precautions go, however, we suggest you consult with your physician or a professional trainer before beginning with this routine to ascertain if it’s right for you and if you are performing it correctly.
Dumbbell Leg Curl
The leg curl is an exercise often performed when building the hamstrings. It is an effective isolation exercise for this muscle group as it works to bend at the knee. Using a dumbbell or barbell, the weight can be elevated to assist in performing this movement which then engages more stabilizers and abdominal muscles to balance out the body fully.
Here is how you do this exercise:
- Begin by lying face down on a flat bench with a dumbbell between your feet.
- Place your hand palms down on the bench beside you for stability.
- Keeping your core engaged, raise your legs towards your glutes, bending at the knees to curl the weight up.
- Squeeze your glutes and hamstrings at the top of the curl before lowering the weight back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
The dumbbell leg curl is a great exercise to target the hamstrings, particularly when using heavier weights. When first performing this exercise, ensure you have perfect form to reduce the risk of injury. Also, ensure that you control the movement through its entirety to reduce any strain and avoid injury.
Weighted Glute Bridge
Weighted Glute Bridge with dumbbells is a great exercise to strengthen your hamstrings and core. By putting pressure on your lower body you create resistance which makes your glutes and hamstrings work harder. The result is better definition in these areas as well as improved balance, coordination, and posture which will show in the mirror!
To do weighted glute bridge:
- Grab a medium to heavy dumbbell and place the dumbbell on top of your lower abdominals.
- Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the ground hip-width apart.
- Drive your heels into the ground and raise your hips until your thighs and torso are in line with each other, and you’re balanced on your shoulder blades and feet.
- Hold for two seconds, and then slowly lower your hips back to the starting position.
This is a great exercise for beginners, it doesn’t require any strength or experience and it works the hamstrings without lifting heavy weights or doing squats. It’s a compound exercise which means you engage more muscles at once as this gives greater results. Before you begin make sure you warm up properly and align your body correctly.
Dumbbell Good Morning
A dumbbell good morning is the perfect exercise for beginners and intermediate lifters. Good mornings work your entire lower body from your abs to your hamstrings, glutes and even calves. The movement will also strengthen your core, shoulders, biceps and triceps.
Here is how you do this exercise:
- Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell at shoulder level.
- Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, bend at your hips and lower your torso until it is almost parallel to the floor.
- Allow your knees to bend slightly as you lower your body.
- Once you have reached the bottom position, raise your torso back to the starting position by extending at your hips and contracting your glutes.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
If you want a great lower body workout that also strengthens your whole core, this exercise is for you. It will help you build a few different muscles and can be performed anywhere with minimal equipment. Also, the dumbbell good morning is great for athletes because it teaches you to bend at the hips, an important movement to learn in many sports. If you want to feel the burn and get your heart rate up while lifting weights, then this might be the perfect exercise for you!
Dumbbell Reverse Lunge
A dumbbell good morning is a perfect exercise for beginners and intermediate lifters. Good mornings work your entire lower body from your abs to your hamstrings, glutes, and even calves. The movement will also strengthen your core, shoulders, biceps, and triceps.
Here is how you do this exercise:
- Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell at shoulder level.
- Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, bend at your hips and lower your torso until it is almost parallel to the floor.
- Allow your knees to bend slightly as you lower your body.
- Once you have reached the bottom position, raise your torso back to the starting position by extending at your hips and contracting your glutes.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
If you want a great lower body workout that also strengthens your whole core, this exercise is for you. It will help you build a few different muscles and can be performed anywhere with minimal equipment. Also, the dumbbell good morning is great for athletes because it teaches you to bend at the hips, an important movement to learn in many sports. If you want to feel the burn and get your heart rate up while lifting weights, then this might be the perfect exercise for you!
Workout Routine
Here is a sample of a dumbbell routine that you can do to strengthen your hamstrings.
| Exercise | Sets | Repetition |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbell Deadlift | 3 Sets | 8-10 Reps |
| Dumbell Box Squats | 3 Sets | 8-10 Reps |
| Dumbbell Leg Curl | 4 Sets | 10-12 Reps |
| Weighted Glute bridge | 3 Sets | 10-12 Reps |
Remember always start with a warm-up. The warm-up is very important in any exercise routine as it prepares your body for the workout, it also helps to reduce soreness and muscle fatigue. You can also change up the order of your workout routine to make it more interesting.
Conclusion
Dumbbell hamstring exercises are a great way to work on your hamstrings without the need for a lot of equipment. All you need is a pair of dumbbells and a flat surface to perform these exercises. Hamstring exercises are important for overall leg health and can help prevent injuries.