Best Exercises for Hamstrings and Glutes: 3 Useful Starting Points

Glute bridges, Romanian deadlifts, and leg curls are useful exercises for hamstrings and glutes. They cover different movements: lifting your hips, hinging at the hips, and bending your knees against resistance.

You do not need to start with heavy weights. Learn how the movements feel, then choose resistance that challenges you without making you lose control.

Why use more than one movement?

Your glutes help extend your hips, as when you rise from a chair. Your hamstrings help bend your knees, and most also help extend your hips. A routine that includes both movements gives these muscles different kinds of work.

Each exercise has a place. The bridge is easy to begin on a mat; the hip hinge teaches control while standing; the curl adds direct work through knee bending. None has to be the single best exercise for every person.

1. Glute bridge

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, about hip-width apart.
2. Gently tighten your abdomen and press your feet into the floor.
3. Lift your hips until your trunk and thighs form a comfortable line from shoulders to knees.
4. Pause briefly, then lower with control.

Avoid pushing so high that your lower back arches. Begin without added weight. If you cramp or feel pain, lower your hips and reset rather than pushing through.

2. Romanian deadlift, starting with the hip hinge

The American Council on Exercise's Romanian deadlift guidance emphasizes learning the hip hinge before adding resistance.

1. Stand with feet roughly hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Practice without weights first.
2. Move your hips backward as your upper body tips forward. Keep your back in a comfortable, steady position.
3. Stop when you feel tension in the backs of your thighs, before your back begins to round.
4. Press through your feet and bring your hips forward to stand tall, without leaning backward.

Once this is controlled, you can hold light dumbbells close to the front of your legs. Keep a small knee bend throughout. You do not need to reach the floor; the depth depends on your comfortable range.

If you are unsure whether you are hinging at the hips, have a trainer check before increasing the load.

3. Seated leg curl

A leg-curl machine provides a straightforward way to load knee bending. Ask gym staff to help adjust the seat, pivot, and pads for your body; machines differ.

1. Sit against the back support with your knees aligned to the machine's pivot.
2. Position the lower-leg pad and thigh restraint according to the machine's instructions.
3. Bend your knees to draw the pad downward and back, keeping your hips on the seat.
4. Return slowly, avoiding a snap into straight knees or a slam of the weight stack.

Start with a light load. If you train at home without a curl machine, the bridge and hip hinge are still useful starting movements. A trainer can help you add an appropriate resistance-band curl when you have a secure setup.

How to put the exercises together

Warm up for five to ten minutes with comfortable walking or similar easy movement. Practice each unfamiliar exercise without much resistance before beginning a working set.

For a first session, try one set of six to ten controlled repetitions of each movement you can perform comfortably. Use fewer repetitions while learning the hinge. This is a practice outline, not a requirement to work through fatigue.

As technique becomes familiar, build toward sets of about eight to twelve repetitions with suitable resistance. Add another set or a small amount of weight when the current work feels manageable. Change one variable at a time.

Allow at least a recovery day between hard sessions for these muscles. Two sessions a week can fit into a broader strength routine that also trains the rest of your body.

Stop for sharp pain, pain traveling down a leg, or new numbness. If you are recovering from an injury or surgery, use the plan from your care team. Everyday recovery also includes sleep and enough food; these simple protein snacks offer practical options.

This article provides general information and does not replace individual medical advice.