Making Hamstrings Great Again: Hamstring Workout for Men

The Savage Leg Protocol

Posterior Power

Master the 3 large muscles of the hamstring to anchor your athletic silhouette.

Foundation First

Strong hamstrings are essential for a stable back and heavy upper-body sessions.

The "Woofd" Factor

Build the type of lower-body thickness that commands attention and respect.

If you want a powerful, athletic physique, a dedicated hamstring workout for men is non-negotiable. Often overlooked in favor of the quads, the hamstrings are the powerhouse of your posterior chain and essential for that “finished” jock look. I am here to help make our limitless potential a reality—I am here to make you savage. It’s time to get to work—to unite, to prosper, and to become stronger.

The best place to start is your health… particularly your legs! At Woofd, we train for both function and aesthetics. Strengthening your hammies not only rounds out your leg gains but also provides the support needed for a wide back Wednesday session. Whether you are in the gym or training on the go, I’ve found that combining weighted exercises with a Pilates-inspired leg series is the secret to that deep, functional burn. We’re taking the first step to “Making Hamstrings Great Again” with a workout that will surely get you woofd at.

To truly build explosive strength, we’re looking at cornerstone methods like the box squat. This static-relaxed-overcome-by-dynamic work is the foundation of absolute power. When you’re on the box, your back must remain arched, the hamstrings and glutes stretched, and the abdominals as tight as possible. It’s about more than just moving weight; it’s about the discipline of the movement. Let’s build that foundation. 🐺🍗

1. Barbell Box Squats

Box Squats 🍑 – ⚡️You should set your stance feet outside of shoulder width, with your knees pushed out to the sides and your feet pointing straight ahead or slightly outward. Using a wide stance when squatting will place greater stress on the posterior chain (glutes, hips, hamstrings, and back). ⚡️Get under the bar, push your neck into your traps, and position the bar in the groove of the upper back (not above the traps). Pulling your shoulder blades together may help you maintain the proper position of the bar. (do not flare your elbows out). ⚡️Pulling as much air as possible into your abdomen by pushing your belly into your lifting belt. In order  for the power from your lower body to be maximally transferred to the bar, your abdominal muscles must be tight throughout the entire lift. This will also stabilize and support the lower back. ⚡️The eccentric phase begins by breaking the hips first, not the knees. You do this by pushing the glutes and hips rearward (then follow with the head) as you push your feet and knees out, thus forcing you to sit back (not down, or your quads will dominate). This is the only way to activate your hips and glutes to their full potential, to ensure maximum involvement of the posterior chain. By sitting back, rather than down, you place the glutes and hamstrings in a highly desirable stretched position. ⚡️You should immediately release (relax) the hip flexors while keeping the rest of your body tight, especially keeping the remaining squatting muscles of the posterior chain very tight during their brief static contraction on the box. Your back should remain arched, the hamstrings and glutes stretched, and the abdominals as tight as possible. The shins should be straight up and down (perpendicular), or even past perpendicular. placing all the work directly on the hamstrings, glutes, hips, and spinal erectors (lower back). These static/relaxed-overcome-by-dynamic-work methods are the cornerstone of why box squats are such a powerful lift for the development of absolute and explosive strength.

A post shared by Bo Diesel 👕 CSCS & NASM CPT (@croptoptrainer) on Jul 24, 2017 at 8:26am PDT

2. Stiff Leg Deadlifts

Making Hamstrings Great Again pt.1 – Stiff Leg Deadlifts ( Toes Elevated) – Controlled negative, with a 2-3 second to put the muscle under tension, explosive positive. – Toes elevated on a plate or board put your hammies in a stretch position before the movement starts. Adding a small aerobic platform or box will give you a deeper range of motion/ stretch on the negative. – Stiff Leg Deadlifts ➖Bar should remain close to your body! Sliding down your quads and shins! Do not the bar drift away from your body ➖ Legs should have a slight bend, if 180 degress is a straight line, your legs should be at 170-175 degrees. ➖Shoulders rolled back, chest up, braced abs, back flat. ➖ Your HIPS are the only thing moving. They will be the pivot in this movement. With your legs locked between 170-175 degrees. Push your butt back and up ↗️toward the ceiling. 2-3 second pause ➖Explode by actively squeezing your glutes to drive hips into the bar. ➖ Repeat over until set is complete. – This will put ton of tension on the range of motion for your posterior chain. Judge according on your ROM.

A post shared by Bo Diesel 👕 CSCS & NASM CPT (@croptoptrainer) on Jul 10, 2017 at 7:22am PDT

3. Lying leg Curls

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4. Pilates Ball Hamstring Curl