5 Kettlebell Exercises That Fire Up Your Hamstrings — and Strengthen Your Core

You may be focusing on building your booty or strengthening your quads, but your favorite leg exercises (think deadlift and squat) also help build your hamstrings. If you're stopping at these two exercises, though, you may not be giving these muscles the focus they deserve.

People often fail to target their hamstrings, especially those that mostly participate in quad-dominant activities, like running. In order to keep your leg muscles balanced, it's important to give the hamstrings some much needed TLC. And as a bonus, many hamstring exercises will target your core, too!

Read more: 6 Deadlift Variations to Add to Leg Day

The hamstrings may not get as much hype as the glutes or quads, but they're an important muscle group that helps control motion at both your knees and hips, helping these joints bend and extend, says Kristianna Fata, physical therapist at Bespoke Treatments in New York City.

They also help control sudden or jerking motions, which ultimately helps prevent injury, Fata says. "Without a strong foundation of strength in the hamstring, it is easy to exhibit abnormal movements that can therefore result in dysfunction or pain."

Read more: Top 9 Hamstring Exercises With No Weights

Mix up your next leg day and give it a hamstring focus with these five exercises. As you perform these moves, focus on tilting your pelvis under in order to activate your core during the movement, Fata says. Perform each of these exercises for three rounds total.

1. Kettlebell Deadlift

1. Place a heavier kettlebell on the ground between your feet.
2. Hinge your hips back and down and reach down to grip the handle of the bell firmly.
3. Squeeze your lats as if you were holding a $100 bill between your armpits (you'll want to hold on to that).
4. Push your hips forward and raise the kettlebell as you stand up, keeping the weight close to your body and squeezing the hamstrings and glutes, while simultaneously exhaling.
5. Pause for a moment at the top of the motion before repeating.

Reps: 6 to 8

2. Hamstring Bridges

1. Lie on your back and place an exercise band around your legs, right above your knees.
2. Raise your legs onto a bench or chair, placing the feet flat on the elevated surface.
3. Squeezing from your hamstrings and glutes, raise your butt off the floor up toward the ceiling, avoiding arching your lower back.
4. Pause at the top for a moment before lowering back to the ground.

Reps: 10

Read more: Want More Burn From Your Hip Thrusts? Try These Variations

3. Single-Leg Kettlebell Deadlift

1. Start with your feet hip-width apart, rooting your right foot into the ground, holding a lighter kettlebell in your left hand.
2. Hinge at your hips and bend your right knee while simultaneously raising your left leg and lowering the kettlebell toward the ground. Keep your back flat.
3. Once your left leg is parallel to the ground, activate your right hamstring to push your hips forward and lower your left leg, returning to standing.

Reps: 10 to 12 on each leg

4. Hamstring Sliders

1. Lie flat on the ground with a pair of gliding disks under both feet (you can also use socks or a towel on hardwood floor).
2. With your feet flat, raise your hips to the ceiling into a bridge position.
3. Keeping your pelvis stable and hips raised off the ground, slowly slide the legs away from the body until they're nearly straight.
4. Then, pull your legs back toward your butt.

Reps: 8 to 10

5. Nordic Hamstring Curls

1. Kneel down with your body straight and stiff as a board, engaging the core.
2. Have a partner hold your feet onto the ground (or hook your feet under a stable piece of furniture).
3. Lean your entire body toward the ground, keeping your arms at your sides and knees rooted.
4. Continue leaning until you feel pressure in your hamstrings and, relying solely on those muscles, return to an upright position.

Reps: 4 to 5 (do 4 sets)