Best Beginner Hamstrings Workouts With Garage Gym

The Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift is a beginner-friendly exercise that focuses on strengthening your hamstrings and glutes. Using dumbbells can assist those with limited mobility and is an excellent way to prepare for barbell deadlifts.

How to do it

1. Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand next to your hips.
2. Push your hips back and slightly bend your knees to lower the dumbbells down along your legs.
3. Keep your back straight as you lower the dumbbells as far as comfortable, then return to standing tall.

The Landmine Romanian Deadlift is a beginner-friendly exercise that targets your hamstrings and glutes. It uses a landmine setup for added stability, making it easier to control the movement compared to traditional deadlifts.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart with a slight bend in your knees.
2. Grip the landmine with both hands, keeping your fingers underneath.
3. Hinge at your hips and lower the weight slowly, keeping your knees slightly bent.
4. Stop when you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, not exceeding your flexibility limit.
5. Push through your glutes and hamstrings to lift your hips and raise the weight back up.
6. Pause at the top, keeping your glutes and hamstrings engaged.
7. Keep your core tight, shoulders back, and chest up throughout the exercise.

The Romanian Deadlift to Shrug is an exercise that works your lower and upper back muscles. It strengthens the hamstrings and glutes while isolating the traps with a shoulder shrug, making it great for improving your posture and overall back strength.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell with hands wider than shoulders, using an overhand grip.
2. Keep your core tight, back straight, and chest up.
3. Bend at your hips to lower the barbell until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, then pause.
4. Drive your hips forward to stand up straight, engaging your glutes and hamstrings.
5. As you stand, shrug your shoulders up to your ears and hold briefly.
6. Lower back to the starting position.

The Romanian Deadlift to Bent-Over Row is a combined exercise that works your hamstrings, glutes, and upper back. This move strengthens your entire posterior chain while improving back muscle definition, making it great for beginners.

How to do it

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Grip the barbell with hands wider than shoulders, using an overhand grip.
3. Engage your core and keep your back straight and chest up.
4. Hinge at the hips to lower the barbell until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
5. Pause briefly at the bottom position.
6. Pull the barbell to your chest, keeping it close to your body.
7. Pause again at the top position.
8. Lower the barbell back to the starting position.
9. Stand up by pushing through your legs and hips.

The Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift to Shrug is a great exercise for strengthening your hamstrings, glutes, and upper back. It involves bending at the hips while holding dumbbells, then shrugging your shoulders at the top, giving you a full-body workout in one move.

How to do it

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing you.
2. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Engage your core and keep your back straight.
4. Bend at the hips and lower the dumbbells in front of your shins until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
5. Stand back up by pushing your hips forward and using your glutes and legs.
6. As you stand up, raise your shoulders towards your ears in a shrug.
7. Hold this position briefly, then return to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift to Bent Over Row is a great exercise that works your hamstrings, glutes, and upper back. You lower the dumbbells by hinging at the hips, then pull them up towards your chest, which helps build strength and flexibility in both your lower and upper body.

How to do it

1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Hold the dumbbells in front of your thighs with palms facing you.
4. Keep your core tight, back straight, and chest up.
5. Hinge at your hips and lower the dumbbells until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
6. Rotate your wrists so palms face each other.
7. Pull the dumbbells to your chest by driving your elbows back.
8. Pause for a moment, then return to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift to Calf Raise is a two-part exercise that strengthens your hamstrings, glutes, and calves. You'll bend at the hips to lower the dumbbells and then rise up onto your toes to work your calves, improving your overall leg strength and balance.

How to do it

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides.
2. Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width.
3. Keep your back straight and chest up.
4. Hinge at the hips, slightly bend your knees, and lower the dumbbells until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
5. Quickly push your hips forward to stand up, engaging your quads and glutes.
6. As you stand, lift onto your toes to work your calves and hold for a moment.
7. Lower back down to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Good Morning is a strength exercise that targets your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. You hold a dumbbell either at your chest or on your shoulders while bending forward at the hips, then return to standing. This exercise helps improve posture and strengthen your back and legs.

How to do it

1. Hold a dumbbell with both hands at chest level or on your shoulders.
2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and slightly bend your knees.
3. Engage your core and keep your back straight.
4. Bend at the hips to lean your torso forward while keeping your back straight.
5. Push your hips forward to return to standing, using your glutes and hamstrings.

The Standing Loop Band Hamstring Curl is an exercise that strengthens your hamstrings while improving balance and core stability. It's suitable for all fitness levels, using a resistance band for an effective workout that enhances posture and functional strength.

How to do it

1. Attach the loop band to a stable anchor and wrap it around one ankle.
2. Step back until there's some tension in the band, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
3. Engage your core, keep your back straight, and lift the leg with the band just off the ground.
4. Bend your knee and bring your foot towards your glutes, squeezing your hamstrings and glutes.
5. Hold for a moment at the top, then lower your leg back to the ground while keeping tension on your hamstrings.
6. Switch the band to the other ankle and repeat.

The Dumbbell Clean is an explosive exercise that works multiple muscle groups, making it great for beginners. Using dumbbells allows you to start with lighter weights while helping to build stability and balance in your movements.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and dumbbells outside your feet.
2. Hinge at your hips and bend your knees to grab the dumbbells with palms facing you.
3. Keep your back straight and push through your heels to lift the dumbbells vertically next to your body.
4. When the dumbbells reach mid-thigh, explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles to lift them to shoulder height.
5. Catch the dumbbells on your shoulders by snapping your elbows underneath them and drop into a half squat.
6. Stand tall before lowering the dumbbells back to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift is a great exercise that targets your hamstrings and lower back. Using dumbbells instead of a barbell allows for more flexibility in your movement. This exercise is excellent for beginners looking to strengthen their deadlift technique.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart behind the dumbbells.
2. Bend at your hips and lean forward to grab the dumbbells with palms facing you, keeping them close to your shins.
3. Raise your hips higher than a regular deadlift, with a slight bend in your knees.
4. Straighten your back and engage your shoulders and glutes.
5. Lift the dumbbells by pushing your hips forward, keeping them close to your shins.
6. Engage your core to maintain a straight spine during the lift.
7. Pause briefly at the top before lowering the dumbbells back to the ground.

The Romanian Deadlift to High Pull is a combined exercise that works both your lower and upper body. It strengthens your hamstrings, glutes, lower back, traps, and shoulders while improving power and functional strength.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, gripping the barbell with hands wider than shoulders using an overhand grip.
2. Engage your core, keep your back straight, and chest up.
3. Hinge at your hips to lower the barbell until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, holding this position briefly.
4. In one smooth motion, push through your heels to stand, driving your hips forward.
5. As you stand, rise onto your toes and explosively lift the barbell to chest height, with your elbows flaring out.
6. Hold at the top, then return to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Hang Snatch is a full-body exercise that enhances strength and coordination using one dumbbell. It focuses on explosiveness and balance, helping improve overall athletic performance.

How to do it

1. Hold a dumbbell in one hand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Keep the dumbbell in front of you, aligned with your body center.
3. Engage your core, straighten your back, and lift your chest.
4. Bend your knees and hinge at the hips to lower the dumbbell between your legs, palm facing in.
5. In one smooth move, extend your legs and thrust your hips forward.
6. Rise onto your toes, using your calves, then pull the dumbbell overhead using your shoulders and back.
7. Bend your knees slightly to drop underneath the dumbbell as you raise it.
8. Stand up fully with the dumbbell overhead, pausing for a moment.
9. Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift to High Pull is an exercise that targets your hamstrings, lower back, upper back, and shoulders. It helps improve strength, flexibility, and explosive power in your body.

How to do it

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing you.
2. Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart and dumbbells in front of your thighs.
3. Engage your core, straighten your back, and keep your chest up.
4. Hinge at your hips and lower the dumbbells until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings (dumbbells in front of your shins).
5. In one motion, extend your legs and drive your hips forward using your quads and glutes.
6. As you stand, rise onto your toes and pull the dumbbells towards your chest with elbows flaring out.
7. Hold for a moment at the top before returning to the starting position.

The Prone Loop Band Hamstring Curl is an exercise that strengthens the hamstrings while lying face down. Using a loop band increases the resistance as you curl your legs, helping to build muscle and improve form.

How to do it

1. Anchor one end of the loop band to a stable point.
2. Lie face down on the ground, away from the anchor.
3. Loop the other end of the band around your ankles.
4. Bend your knees and pull your heels toward your butt.
5. Hold briefly, then extend your legs back to start while keeping tension.