Hamstrings
Seated Hamstring Stretch
The Seated Hamstring Stretch is a stretch with no equipment for your hamstrings. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: hamstrings (biceps femoris) 36%, hamstrings (semitendinosus/-membranosus) 34% and calves (gastrocnemius) 14%.
How to do it
- Sit on a mat with both legs straight in front, feet hip-width and toes pointing up.
- Sit tall on the sit bones with the hands on the thighs.
- Keep the back flat and hinge forward from the hips.
- Slide the hands down the legs until you feel a stretch behind the thighs.
- Hold for 30 to 45 seconds, breathing slowly, then sit back up.
Tips
- Keep the chest proud; the goal is hip hinge, not reaching the toes.
- Pull the toes back to add stretch to the calves.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the back and dropping the head.
- Bouncing forward.
- Letting the knees bend and the legs roll out.
Muscles worked by the Seated Hamstring Stretch
Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.
Flexing the hip with the knee straight lengthens the hamstrings; with the ankle pulled up the gastrocnemius stretches too.
Seated Hamstring Stretch alternatives
Same equipment
- Elevated Hamstring Stretch
- Pike Stretch
- Single Leg Seated Hamstring Stretch
- Standing Hamstring Stretch
- Seated Forward Fold
Different equipment
Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Seated Hamstring Stretch work?
Mainly the hamstrings (biceps femoris) and hamstrings (semitendinosus/-membranosus). The calves (gastrocnemius) assist.
Is the Seated Hamstring Stretch good for beginners?
Yes. The Seated Hamstring Stretch is rated beginner in the Zulta library: the technique is easy to learn with a light weight.
What is a good alternative to the Seated Hamstring Stretch?
For example the Elevated Hamstring Stretch, Pike Stretch and Single Leg Seated Hamstring Stretch. They train mostly the same muscles.
Log your sets in Zulta
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