Best Hamstrings Workouts With Barbells To Build Muscle Mass

The deadlift is a powerlifting exercise that targets the muscles in your back and legs. It helps build overall strength and is commonly used in fitness routines.

How to do it

1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell close to your lower legs.
2. Bend at your hips and knees to lower yourself towards the barbell, keeping your shins close.
3. Grip the barbell with both hands or one hand over and one hand under, while keeping your chest up.
4. Stand up straight by pushing through your hips and knees to lift the barbell along your body.
5. Lower the barbell back down in the same path you lifted it.

The Romanian Deadlift is a strength exercise that focuses on your glutes and hamstrings. It involves bending at the hips while keeping the knees slightly bent, helping you build strength for other hip hinge movements.

How to do it

1. Stand with a barbell an inch away from your shins and keep your core tight.
2. Hinge your hips back and grip the barbell with both hands.
3. Push through your heels and bring your hips forward to stand up straight, lifting the barbell to your thighs.
4. Keep your knees slightly bent as you lower the barbell by hinging your hips back until your back is flat.
5. Once your back can no longer stay flat, push through your heels to return to the starting position.

The Good Morning exercise focuses on strengthening the muscles in your back and hamstrings. If you're new to this movement, it's safer to start with dumbbells rather than a barbell.

How to do it

1. Set the barbell below shoulder height and grip it wider than shoulder-width.
2. Pull your shoulder blades together and tighten your core muscles.
3. Squat slightly to place the barbell on your upper neck, then stand up and step back, feet shoulder-width apart.
4. Keep your heels on the ground and hinge at your hips to lower your torso while bending your knees slightly.
5. Maintain a straight spine as you lower your body until your torso is almost parallel to the ground, then return to standing.

The Sumo Deadlift is a variation of the standard Deadlift, focusing on strengthening the muscles in your back, hamstrings, and glutes. It’s a great exercise for enhancing leg strength and is suitable for beginners as part of their workout routine.

How to do it

1. Stand tall with your feet wide apart and the toes pointing out.
2. Position a loaded barbell close to your shins.
3. Bend at your hips and knees to lower your body, keeping your shins close to the bar.
4. Grab the bar with both hands, using either overhand or alternate grip while keeping your chest up.
5. Keep your back straight and legs vertical as you lift the bar.
6. Stand up straight to complete the lift, then lower the bar back to the starting position.

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 Landmine Single Leg Romanian Deadlift is a straightforward exercise focusing on the glutes and hamstrings. This variation on the traditional Romanian Deadlift helps improve strength, stability, and mobility on one leg, using a landmine for added stability.

How to do it

1. Setup the landmine so the end is over your toes on one foot.
2. Hold the end of the landmine with the hand on the same side as the landmine.
3. Lift the landmine slightly above your knee while keeping a slight bend in your knee.
4. Hinge at your hips and lower the weight while swinging your back leg behind you.
5. Stop when you feel a light stretch in your hamstring and hold briefly.
6. Make sure your back leg's toes point down towards the floor.
7. Engage your glutes and hamstrings to return to the starting position, swinging your back leg underneath you.
8. Keep your core tight and chest open for good posture.

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 Deadlift to Calf Raise is a great exercise that combines lifting with calf strengthening. It works your hamstrings, glutes, and calves, helping to build lower body strength and improve balance.

How to do it

1. Place a loaded barbell on the floor in front of you.
2. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
3. Bend down and grip the barbell with hands wider than shoulders.
4. Engage your core and keep your back straight.
5. Pull the barbell toward your shins.
6. Stand up by fully extending your legs and pushing your hips forward.
7. At the top, raise yourself onto your toes for a calf raise.
8. Hold briefly, then lower back down to the starting position.

The Clean is a powerful exercise that works many muscles, including your legs, back, and shoulders. It involves lifting a barbell from the ground to your shoulders in one smooth movement, helping to build strength and coordination.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart beside a loaded barbell.
2. Bend at your hips and knees to grip the bar with both hands.
3. Keep your back straight as you lift the bar straight up by pushing through your heels.
4. When the bar is above your thighs, jump slightly to raise the bar to chest height while keeping it close to your body.
5. Catch the bar on your chest by bringing your elbows under it and dropping into a slight squat.
6. Stand back up and lower the bar to the ground.

The Hang Power Snatch is a powerful weightlifting exercise that helps improve strength, coordination, and agility. You lift a barbell from just above your knees to overhead in one smooth movement, engaging your hips, shoulders, and core.

How to do it

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, barbell on the ground near your shins.
2. Brace your core, hinge your hips back, flex your knees, and grip the barbell with both hands.
3. Lower the bar to just above your knees.
4. Drive your hips, knees, and ankles up to pull the barbell overhead, keeping your elbows high.
5. Catch the bar overhead by flipping your elbows under and squatting slightly.
6. Stand up straight, then lower the barbell to the starting position.

The Hang Snatch is an exercise that builds explosive power and coordination by lifting a barbell from a hang position to overhead in one smooth movement. It's great for developing strength and improving Olympic lifting techniques.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell next to your shins.
2. Bend your hips back and grab the bar with both hands, keeping it at waist height.
3. Lower the bar to just above your knees, then explosively extend your hips, knees, and ankles to lift the bar overhead while keeping your elbows high.
4. Catch the bar overhead by snapping your elbows under it, then drop into a quarter squat.
5. Stand up straight and lower the bar back to the starting position.

The Muscle Snatch is a slower version of the Snatch exercise that helps you learn proper form and build strength. It's great for beginners and can be done even if you don’t plan to lift for competition.

How to do it

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell on the ground near your shins.
2. Bend at the hips and knees to grip the bar with a wide overhand grip.
3. Keep your back straight and push through your heels to lift the bar vertically.
4. When the bar reaches mid-thigh, extend your hips, knees, and ankles to raise it overhead.
5. Catch the barbell overhead by pulling your elbows under it and keeping your palms facing up.
6. Lower the barbell back to the starting position.

The Power Clean is a powerful exercise that strengthens multiple muscle groups by lifting a barbell from the ground to your shoulders in one quick motion. It helps develop strength and power, making it a great choice for athletes.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart next to a loaded barbell.
2. Hinge at your hips and bend your knees to grab the barbell with an overhand grip.
3. Keep your back straight and push through your heels to lift the bar vertically.
4. When the bar passes your thighs, explode your hips to lift the bar to chest height.
5. Catch the bar on your chest, elbows underneath, and drop into a quarter squat.
6. Stand up straight to finish and lower the barbell back down.

The Power Clean from Blocks is a simplified version of the traditional Power Clean. It allows users to focus on strength and technique without starting from the floor, making it accessible for those with mobility issues and emphasizing the explosive movement.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a barbell on blocks below your knees.
2. Hinge at your hips and bend your knees to grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, keeping your hands shoulder-width apart.
3. Keep your back straight and push through your heels to lift the barbell vertically alongside your body.
4. When the barbell reaches mid-thigh, extend your hips, knees, and ankles to pull the bar to chest height.
5. Catch the bar on your chest with your elbows underneath, palms up, and squat slightly underneath it.
6. Stand up straight before lowering the barbell back to the blocks.