Free Hamstring Exercises & Nordic Curls for Strength & Injury Prevention – Elite Performance Institute
Hamstring Exercises
Progressive hamstring and posterior-chain drills to build strength, tendon tolerance, and sprint-ready capacity for runners, field athletes, and active adults.
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Foot Elevated Single-Leg Glute Bridge Intermediate–Advanced
Single-leg bridge with the foot elevated to drive hip extension, load the hamstrings in a longer position, and challenge trunk control at higher intensity.
Hamstring Slide Exercise Intermediate–Advanced
Slider leg curls emphasizing slow, controlled lowering to build eccentric hamstring strength while keeping the hips lifted and level.
Isometric Hamstring Curl With Resistance Band Beginner–Intermediate
Band-based holds at different knee angles to build hamstring tension with minimal movement—ideal when you want strength with lower joint stress.
Isometric Hamstring Exercise With Chair Beginner–Intermediate
Drive your heels down into a weighted chair to create a strong, scalable static hamstring contraction—intensity adjusts simply by pushing harder.
Isometric Hamstring Exercise With Swiss Ball Beginner–Intermediate
Static heel-press holds on a Swiss ball to build hamstring and tendon tolerance with a simple setup that stays joint-friendly and easy to progress.
Isometric Nordic Hamstring Curl Intermediate–Advanced
Hold near your strongest catch point in the Nordic position to build serious end-range strength before progressing to full eccentrics.
Kickstand RDL Intermediate
Hip-hinge pattern with a light kickstand toe for balance—lets you load the lead-leg hamstring hard without full single-leg balance demands.
Kickstand RDL With Band Intermediate
Kickstand RDL paired with band tension to increase glute and hamstring demand and improve anti-rotation control through the trunk and pelvis.
Nordic Hamstring Curls Advanced
High-level eccentric hamstring training using an anchored heel setup—one of the best options for sprinting strength and deceleration capacity.
Nordic Hamstring Curl Variation: Mini Range Beginner–Intermediate
Small-range Nordic lowers limited to the portion you can control—your cleanest pathway from not ready to full Nordics over time.
Nordic Hamstring Curl With Swiss Ball Assist Intermediate
Use a Swiss ball for light support so you can train the full Nordic range with scalable assistance while still emphasizing strong eccentrics.
Nordic Hamstring Curl: 123 Variation Advanced
Two controlled partial lowers followed by one full rep—an efficient way to stack eccentric volume and build next-level hamstring strength.
Prone Hamstring Curl With Swiss Ball Beginner–Advanced
Prone Swiss ball curls that can be done double- or single-leg to strengthen the hamstrings through a long range with smooth, controlled reps.
Single-Leg Glute Bridge Intermediate
Unilateral bridge that loads the hamstrings and glutes while improving pelvic control and addressing side-to-side strength differences.
Single-Leg Glute Bridge Isometric Intermediate
Hold the top position to build posterior-chain endurance and improve control—great when you want strength without a lot of motion.
Isometric Single-Leg Glute Bridge With Wiggle Intermediate
A single-leg bridge hold with a small controlled wiggle to build hamstring endurance, hip stability, and posterior chain control.
Single-Leg Glute Bridge With Foam Roller Intermediate–Advanced
Foot on a foam roller adds instability, forcing the hamstrings and glutes to stabilize while you maintain a level pelvis through the lift.
Single-Leg Glute Bridge With Med Ball Intermediate–Advanced
Med-ball cueing or loading to increase challenge and reinforce strong hip extension mechanics while keeping the hamstrings involved.
Single-Leg Glute Bridge With Resistance Band Intermediate–Advanced
Add band tension to increase overall demand and clean up knee and hip alignment while you train unilateral hip extension strength.
Single-Leg Glute Bridge With Swiss Ball Intermediate–Advanced
Swiss ball support increases instability and posterior-chain loading—excellent for hamstring control once basic single-leg bridges are solid.
Single-Leg RDL Intermediate–Advanced
Classic single-leg hinge to load hamstrings and glutes while training balance, trunk stiffness, and hip control under real-world demand.
Single-Leg RDL With Foam Roller Intermediate
A single-leg hip hinge variation that uses a foam roller to improve hamstring loading, glute control, balance, and clean movement mechanics.
Swiss Ball Hamstring Curl Intermediate
Bridge plus curl combo that strengthens the hamstrings while keeping the hips up—great for building endurance and control through the posterior chain.