As a fitness editor, there’s nothing I love more than weird and wonderful workout challenges.from trying 50 walking planks a day for a weekto Walk 10,000 steps a day for a month, I tried it all. Hamstring curls were next on my list, so I decided to add 50 to my weekly routine.Read on to find out what happened.
Simple hamstring curls target the muscles in the back of the thigh, including the semitendinosus, semimembranosus, and biceps femoris that make up the hamstrings. These muscles work together to bend your knees and move your thighs. This is essential for walking and running. Hamstring curls, or leg curls, are simple exercises that keep the rest of your body still while bending your knees and moving your heels toward your buttocks. It’s usually done on a leg curl machine, but there are a few ways you can do it without going to the gym.
Hamstring curls are a great exercise for runners, but what does doing 50 a day do to your legs? Remember, working the same muscle group every day is not recommended as it is important to give your muscles time to recover after stressing them. If you decide to start exercising again, we recommend checking your form with your personal trainer before adding more reps or weight.
Looking for more workout inspiration? Here’s what happened when this writer did. Curl your biceps every day for a weekplus when a fitness writer challenged her shoulder 50 Arnold Press 1 day 1 week.
How to do hamstring curls
As I said in the beginning, I focused primarily on the no-gym variation.
Standing Hamstring Curl: This is the simplest form of hamstring curl. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and shift your weight onto your left leg. Bend your right knee and lift your heel up to your right hip, then slowly return your leg to the starting position. Complete all reps on one side before moving to the other leg.
Common hamstring curls: To do prone hamstring curls, use a long resistance band and wrap it around something stable. Lie on your stomach and wrap a resistance band around one heel with your ankle bent. Pull on the resistance band and lower your heels to your buttocks. Pause, then straighten your legs and return to the starting position.
Dumbbell Hamstring Curl: To perform a dumbbell hamstring curl, place a dumbbell between your legs and curl your legs toward your glutes, then return to the starting position. You can also use a set of best ankle weights If you don’t have dumbbells handy.
Here are the results after doing 50 hamstring curls a day for a week
As a runner, strong legs are key to running faster and avoiding injury, but here’s what I learned from doing 350 hamstring curls in a week.
I noticed how lazy my hamstrings and glutes were
Like many runners, I have weak glutes, so it was easy to see how my first 50 hamstring curls gave me quads dominance as a runner. I added resistance bands and opted to make my hamstrings curls more prone.I could definitely feel the back of my legs working hard during the move. I quickly noticed that one leg was much stronger than the other.
If you are looking for a set best resistance bands For home workouts, I found it here. This exercise requires long bands.
Enjoyed the versatility of this exercise
During some of these week-long challenges, I’m tired of working out by the second day. The joy of hamstring curls was the ability to mix things up each day. I did a leg curl, placing my feet on the ball to lift my hips and legs off the floor. , and roll the ball to the buttocks. One day I even went to the gym and did them on the leg curl machine, but preferred using resistance bands and weights.
It’s a move that you can easily adjust or modify at home or at the gym.
Adding resistance and weight upped the ante
I found that using resistance bands and weights increased the load on my hamstrings during this exercise. It is important not to get caught.
Not every day, but I will add it to my leg training in the future
By the end of the week, I definitely felt this move in my hamstrings. No, but I’m looking forward to taking a break for now.
Looking for more leg day inspiration? Check this out 7 Movement Kettlebell Leg Workouts to Build Bigger Legsas well as 7 minute resistance band glutes workout.
