Muscle group
Hamstrings Exercises
They bend the knee and extend the hip, and most people train only one of those. A Romanian deadlift covers the hip; a leg curl covers the knee; neither substitutes for the other.
Run one of each. Hamstrings take particularly well to loaded stretch, which is what makes Romanian deadlifts and stiff-leg work so effective. 8–16 sets a week between the two patterns.
23 hamstrings exercises in Gym Journal
15 compound and 8 isolation, each with a default rep range and rest interval already set. Everything here is in the free app.
| Exercise | Equipment | Type | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banded Deadliftalso Glutes, Lower back, Traps | Other | compound | 10–15 |
| Banded Good Morningalso Glutes, Lower back | Other | compound | 12–20 |
| Banded Leg Curl | Other | isolation | 12–20 |
| Cleanalso Glutes, Traps, Quads | Barbell | compound | 8–12 |
| Double Leg Butt Kick | Bodyweight | isolation | 10–15 |
| Dumbbell Cleanalso Glutes, Traps, Quads | Dumbbell | compound | 8–12 |
| Dumbbell Deadliftalso Glutes, Lower back, Traps | Dumbbell | compound | 8–12 |
| Glute Ham Raisealso Glutes, Lower back | Bodyweight | compound | 8–12 |
| Kettlebell Cleanalso Glutes, Traps, Shoulders | Kettlebell | compound | 5–8 |
| Kettlebell Romanian Deadliftalso Glutes, Lower back | Kettlebell | compound | 8–12 |
| Leg Curlsalso Calves | Machine | isolation | 10–15 |
| Lying Leg Curlalso Calves | Machine | isolation | 10–15 |
| Nordic Hamstring Curl | Bodyweight | isolation | 10–15 |
| Romanian Deadliftalso Glutes, Lower back | Barbell | compound | 8–12 |
| Romanian Deadlift Dumbbellsalso Glutes, Lower back | Dumbbell | compound | 8–12 |
| Seated Leg Curlalso Calves | Machine | isolation | 10–15 |
| Single Arm Kettlebell Swingalso Calves, Glutes, Lower back, Shoulders | Kettlebell | compound | 8–12 |
| Single Leg Romanian Deadliftalso Glutes, Lower back | Dumbbell | compound | 8–12 |
| Slider Leg Curlalso Glutes | Bodyweight | isolation | 10–15 |
| Smith Machine Romanian Deadliftalso Glutes, Lower back | Smith machine | compound | 8–12 |
| Standing Leg Curlalso Calves | Machine | isolation | 10–15 |
| Straight Leg Deadliftalso Glutes, Lower back | Barbell | compound | 8–12 |
| Wide Stance Stiff Leg Deadliftalso Adductors, Glutes, Lower back | Barbell | compound | 8–12 |
Log them, and watch the numbers move
Every exercise here is in the free app, with form instructions, its own progression chart and PR tracking. No account needed to start.