Liftworthy
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Liftworthy

Every exercise ranked by research, by lifters and by results. Find what’s S-tier for your goal, then train it.

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Explore/Hamstrings

Best exercises for

Hamstrings

Hinges and curls. You need both.

Live ranking · updated by evidence & ratings

Hamstrings workout My tier list
S
Seated Leg Curl
Standing Leg Curl
A
Lying Leg Curl
B-Stance Romanian Deadlift
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
Romanian Deadlift
Stiff-Leg Deadlift
Glute-Ham Raise
45° Back Extension
Good Morning
B
Nordic Curl
Single-Leg RDL
Cable Pull-Through
Sliding Leg Curl
Deadlift
Kettlebell Deadlift
C
Kettlebell Swing
Banded Leg Curl
D
—
F
—

Full ranking

  1. 1S
    Seated Leg Curl
    Machine
    No ratings yet
    95
    Research
    Lifters
  2. 2S
    Standing Leg Curl
    Machine
    No ratings yet
    88
    Research
    Lifters
  3. 3A
    Lying Leg Curl
    Machine
    No ratings yet
    83
    Research
    Lifters
  4. 4A
    B-Stance Romanian Deadlift
    Dumbbell
    No ratings yet
    81
    Research
    Lifters
  5. 5A
    Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
    Dumbbell
    No ratings yet
    81
    Research
    Lifters
  6. 6A
    Romanian Deadlift
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    81
    Research
    Lifters
  7. 7A
    Stiff-Leg Deadlift
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    81
    Research
    Lifters
  8. 8A
    Glute-Ham Raise
    Machine
    No ratings yet
    79
    Research
    Lifters
  9. 9A
    45° Back Extension
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    71
    Research
    Lifters
  10. 10A
    Good Morning
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    71
    Research
    Lifters
  11. 11B
    Nordic Curl
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    69
    Research
    Lifters
  12. 12B
    Single-Leg RDL
    Dumbbell
    No ratings yet
    66
    Research
    Lifters
  13. 13B
    Cable Pull-Through
    Cable
    No ratings yet
    63
    Research
    Lifters
  14. 14B
    Sliding Leg Curl
    Bodyweight
    No ratings yet
    57
    Research
    Lifters
  15. 15B
    Deadlift
    Barbell
    No ratings yet
    55
    Research
    Lifters
  16. 16B
    Kettlebell Deadlift
    Kettlebell
    No ratings yet
    55
    Research
    Lifters
  17. 17C
    Kettlebell Swing
    Kettlebell
    No ratings yet
    50
    Research
    Lifters
  18. 18C
    Banded Leg Curl
    Band
    No ratings yet
    49
    Research
    Lifters

From the research

+14%hamstring growth from seated leg curls, versus +9% lying down.Maeo et al., 2021 · 20 untrained adults; one study.−70%acute hamstring injuries in soccer teams that added Nordic curls for a season.Petersen et al., 2011 · 942 Danish male professional and amateur players.

What is the best hamstrings exercise?

Right now Seated Leg Curl ranks first, with an overall score of 95 from the research rubric. It’s followed by Standing Leg Curl and Lying Leg Curl. The best choice for you depends on your equipment and how it feels on your joints, which is why every exercise links to alternatives.

Why it ranks: Seated curls grew the hamstrings more than lying curls (+14% vs +9%) in a 12-week study.

How these scores are calculated →