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Hamstring Muscle
Hamstrings are extremely important to work for any type of athlete. Quadriceps and Hamstrings should be given equal attention to avoid injury. Biceps Femoris are made up of 2 main and 2 smaller muscles.Function
The function of the Biceps Femoris (Hamstrings) are for knee flextion, external rotation and interal rotation. Also it extension of the hip.
Origin
The origin of the hamstrings are at the ishial tuberosity and posterior of the femur.
Insertion
The hamstrings insert onto the Tibia at the lateral condyle and medial condyle. Two of the biceps femoris insert onto the head of the fibula.
Exercises
| Picture | Name of Exercise | ||||
 | Butt or Gluteus Maximus Kickbacks This butt kickback can be performed as shown by kneeling down with one leg behind your body slightly raised and bent in a 90 degree position. Now raise the leg as high as you can ... | ||||
 | Good Mornings While standing, place a barbell across the back of your shoulders as you would for squats. Keeping your legs rigid, bend forward at the waist, with head up, until your upper b... | ||||
 | Clean and Jerk Clean: Start in a bent over position with your knees slightly bent and feet shoulder width apart. Grip the bar just wider than shoulder width. Pull the bar off the ground keeping... | ||||
 | Hack Squat With your body firmly under the pads and your feet slightly out raise the machine with your calves and then unhook the safeties. Now lower your body until your knees reach a 90 de... | ||||
 | Exercise Ball Hamstring Curls This hamstring isolation exercise can be performed by lying in a bridge position with your hips completely off the floor and your weight entirely on your shoulders using your arms ... | ||||
 | Straight Leg Deadlifts While standing, hold a barbell with extended arms in front of your thighs. Keeping your legs rigid, bend forward at the waist, with head up, until your upper body is parallel w... | ||||
 | Leg Curl or Hamstring Curl 1. Lie on the machine comfortably while hooking your legs underneath the pad. If you are on the seated chair leg curl then sit comfortably with your legs between the pads. 2. ... | ||||
 | One Legged Smith Split Squat Stand underneath a smith machine with the bar lying against your trapezius muscles. With one leg behind your body on a bench or ball lower your body slowly using the front leg. N... | ||||
 | Deadlift (Bent Leg) Bend over with your hands as an alternate grip. With your knees slightly bent and your arms locked out lift with your lower back, hamstrings and quads. Raise in a powerful quick ... | ||||
 | Walking Lunges To begin a walking lunge stand upright with or without weights in your hands. Now take a lunge forward while never letting your knee go 'over' your toe. Once at the bottom of the... | ||||
 | Squats (Elastic Band) Start with the band underneath your feet and the other ends over your shoulders with both hands gripping either end. Now slowly complete a squat by not letting your knees go over ... | ||||
 | Jump Squat To perform the dumbbell Jump Squat grab light dumbbells and put them at your side. Next, proceed into a squat position with your thighs level with the ground. Explode up pushing ... | ||||
 | Calisthenics Elbow Instep Lunge The calisthenic elbow instep lunge is performed like an ordinary lunge with the exception of extending your body forward and putting your similar leg and elbow together as shown. ... | ||||
 | Wide Stance Squats (Duck Squats) Take a wide stance with toes pointing out while holding a dumbbell with both hands. While keping your back straight and head up, bend at the knees until your thighs are parall... | ||||
 | Front Squats Rest a barbell over the front part of your shoulders by crossing your arms and holding the bar in place. Squat down, keeping your back straight and head up, until your thighs ... | ||||
 | Split Lunge on the Ball Start by standing tall and then putting one leg back on a ball. You may need support so have your spotter close by. Now while never letting your knee over your front toe lower yo... | ||||
 | Elastic Band Lunges Start with the band underneath your feet with one leg out in front and one leg behind you. Now without letting your knee go over your toe let your body come down and without letti... | ||||
 | Cable Squats To perform Cable Squats stand upright with the straight bar in a curled position. ... | ||||
 | Push Press This exercise is meant for overall power and strength. This exercise should only be performed if you are an advanced trainer or supervised by a spotter. Start by standing up with... | ||||
 | Safety Squats A safety squat is identical to a regular 90 degree bent leg toes straight ahead squat except a special bar is used. The bar allows easy entry into a deep squat which keeps your ba... | ||||
| DeadLift To begin the Deadlift stand with your feet shoulder width apart and while keeping your back straight bend at your knees to pick up the barbell (with an alternate hand grip). | ||||
 | Ball Squats Start by having the ball in the small of your back against the wall. Now while your in the standing position slowly lower your body keeping your knees behind your toes. Lower unt... | ||||
 | Squats With the barbell on the rack (at shoulder height), approach it with the back of your shoulders having the weight. While keeping your back and head straight, lift the weight off th... | ||||
 | Lunges Start by standing vertical and grasping weights in either hands. Then proceed to extend one leg forward (as shown), and then with your back straight and head up lower your body by... | ||||
 | Step Ups Start by looking at a bench infront of you and begin by lifting your any leg and then step-up onto the bench. You can either return to the starting position or lift the opposing l... | ||||
 | Leg Press Position yourself on the leg press machine comfortably. Put your feet up and hands on the grips at the side. While keeping your back pressed against the support and head straight... | ||||
 | Two Foot Long Jump To start the two foot long jump dip into a 45 degree squatting position and swing your arms backwards. Now lean forward and throw your arms infront of your body as you explode upw... | ||||
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Cardiovascular
| Picture | Name of Cardiovascular Exercise |
 | Swimming:Swimming is an excellent cardiovascular/muscular defining exercise. Swimming is a great rehab exerc... |
 | Football:American football is america's most popular sport and involves high intensity exercise for usually a... |
 | Golf:Golf is the most popular sport for people over the age of 40 and is growing rapidly. This social wa... |
 | Boxing:This is definitely one of the most intense cardiovascular exercises known to man. Boxing must be in... |
 | Aerobics:Aerobics is the most popular aerobic exercises performed mostly by women. There are many different... |
 | Hockey:Hockey is a great sport that can be played by just about anyone at any age. Performance recommendat... |
 | Skiing:Skiing is an incredible cardiovascular workout that is usually around 5-10 minutes of instense squat... |
 | Squash:Squash is a great anaerobic exercise that can be played by all ages. Here are some great squash lin... |
 | Yoga:Yoga isn't usually considered a cardio exercise but it does make you sweat and improves your flexibi... |
 | Stepper:This exercise was made popular by the popular myth of spot reducing (you cannot lose the fat ... |
 | Shuttle Run:To begin this exercise stand in the middle of two lines. In this example we will use the 0, 20 and ... |
 | Treadmill:This is the most popular cardiovascular exercise. Due to the impact on the knees and other joints, ... |
 | Running or Jogging:Jogging is probably one of the most popular exercises in the world and with good reason. It is as i... |
 | Biking or Cycling:Biking or cycling is a tremendous cardiovascular workout and requires very little equipment which mo... |
 | Walking:While intense walking is a good aerobic exercise it is probably more used as a weight loss tool than... |
 | Housework or Cleaning:While most people wouldn't call this a cardiovascular exercise, it certainly is one. Cleaning the h... |
 | Dancing:Dancing is an excellent cardio workout that can be done by anyone at any level.... |
 | Recumbent Bike:This exercise is very popular for people who do not want to jog and run. Make sure to adjust the se... |
 | Elliptical or Cross Trainer:This is the newest in cardiovascular equipment, and because of its low impact on the knees it will b... |
 | Cross-Country Skiing:Similar to the elliptical machine but this exercise is a sport. It is mostly performed at a slower ... |
 | Baseball:Baseball needs no introduction, this sport is known around the world as a moderate intensity (short ... |
 | Sprinting:Sprinting involves 100% intensity followed by a period of rest. This could be deemed a high intensit... |
 | Soccer:Soccer is the worlds sport as it is offically the most popular sport in the world. Usually this spo... |
Plyometric
| Image | Name of Plyometric | |
 | One Foot Box Jumps: Start on one side of the box/bench/whatever with one leg off the ground, then squat down and jump ov... | |
 | Side Box Jumps: Start on one side of the box/bench/whatever in a squat position. Jump up pushing off horizontally w... | |
 | Jump Rope: Start with a skipping rope and jump while the rope is going underneath your feet. Visit  | Double Knee Jumps: Start by standing in a squat position. Jump up with two feet while tucking your knees into your che... |
 | Double Stair Jumps: Start by standing infront of a set of stairs in a squat position. Jump with two feet bringing your k... |
Pilate
| Image | Name of Pilate |
 | Overhead Leg Handstand: Start by lying face up and then bring your legs up to a 45 deg angle (straight legs) now slowly brin... |
 | Roll Out : Back Stretch: Start in a ball position with your arms on the ground and your knees into your chest. Now extend yo... |
 | Leg Curl and Back Hyperextension: Start by lying face down with your hands behind your back (as shown). Now with curl your legs behin... |
Stretches and Flexibility
| Image | Name of Flexibility Exercise |
 | Hurdlers Stretch: This is a hamstring stretch. - Sit with one leg extended. - The other curled into the bo... |
 | Standing Hamstring Stretch: Start by having your legs straight and lower your body while keeping your legs straight as you can. ... |
 | Butt and Hamstring Stretch: Start lying down on the ground and lift one leg up while holding your knee into your body until you ... |
Forum Discussions
| Exercise tips | Can anybody tell me some good hip flexor and hamstring exercises (no machines please)?... |
| below bellybutton ponch HELP | hey, i'm 15, 5'4",and 124 pounds.I do cardio 3-5 days a week, have a good muscle workout program (jump rope, pilates etc.). Everything feels in good shape except the ponch right under my belly button.Is there ANY WAY that i can take off that fat unde... |
| Squat...not? | I'm having an issue with squats...because I'm so used to ballet, karate, and gymnastics, I have superstrong hamstrings but NO quad muscle. When I try to do a squat, all my weight goes on my toes and my torso bends forward...when I try to just go on ... |
| ligaments and connective tissue | When building muscle mass I understand the theory of high weight, low reps. However, does that apply to all exercises, i.e. rotator cuff,hamstrings, flys? How do you know which exercise to go to failure on and which not to?... |
| Undertrained Hamstrings | Hey, i started doing weights about 7 months ago and i didn't have much knowledge in the area. I done alot of leg training which i thought was fine, but i was only doing leg extensions. further on i grew knowledge and realised my hamstrings were wa... |
| Nordic Eccentric Hamstring Curls | i want to know how to performs "Nordic Eccentric Hamstring Curls" can you please show them with some pictures.... |
| Working out/lean muscle mass | I have been working out for about 3 months now. I started out doing cardio and weights on opposite days light weight more reps. I wanted to build muscle so i started to do more weigh and less reps and now I am doing cardio every day and doing weigh... |
| order of exercise | When doing a strength programme I know you start with larger muscle groups first my question is do you do quads,hamstrings and repeat or do you do all quads then all hamstrings.Also I am confused about compound and isolation exercises... |