Most days, you probably don’t see them. You might think about them once a week at the tail end of a very tough front thigh workout, but they still don’t warrant much more then a few sets of leg curls with moderate intensity while you’re planning the next meal and post-workout shake. They are the hamstrings, the red-haired stepchild of bodybuilders everywhere. They are ignored, neglected, and forgotten – until you get onstage. Only then will a team of bodybuilding judges very quickly bring you back to reality with a very sobering reminder of how important they are for bodybuilding success, as they hand you a 5th place trophy and aware a much weaker opponent (albeit for his better hamstring development) the trophy you truly deserved. Still, it’s not time to panic. You can still change your hamstrings from weak to strong with just a few key practices.

High and low repetition variances

If you’ve been tossing in hamstring training at the tail end of your training each day, then you probably haven’t been giving them a wide set range. Let me guess, about ten reps, right? If you want to shock them into new growth, you will want to stimulate the many muscle fibers which have remained dormant for years. The slow twitch muscle fibers are only hit then you hit repetition 15 and beyond. And the fast-twitch fibers are activated with very heavy lifting that only allows you to move the weight for 5 or 6 reps per set. While you’re stuck at 10 reps, neither set of fibers is receiving full stimulation. It’s time for that to change! With every exercise, add a set of low reps, a set of high reps, and a set or two in between.

Don’t forget the SLDL’s

Already, the hamstrings are a body part that is often neglected. They’re never hit first, and very rarely with the intensity of the upper legs. Instead of opting for your standard leg curls when you train them, why not look at stiff-legged deadlifts for pulling out the leg biceps detail? Keep your form perfect and the weight moderate, and results will follow!

Flex them – all the time!

Much of what you do while training in the gym is to force the muscle group being targeted to flex. This draws blood into the area and, over time, leads to better vascularity and new muscle growth. You can improve your hamstrings by occasionally flexing them throughout the day, wherever you are, and whatever you are doing. It only takes 3 to 5 minutes of tightening, several times per day, to bring them out a great deal. Plus, if you are discreet, no one will even know you’re doing it!

Diet-dependent

The hamstrings are a small muscle group. Challenging them to “pop” or show just isn’t that easy. Occasionally you will find a genetic freak such as Tom Prince or Dexter Jackson whose leg biceps actually look like biceps, forming a ball when flexed. Most of the time, however, the hammies are just a flat muscle group connecting the back of the knee to the glutes. While you can build up the muscle in this area, you may have to wait until you have dieted down for the definition to actually begin showing through.

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