Doing eccentric hamstring exercises at home is an easy option considering that a lot of f exercises do not need special equipment. There are various eccentric hamstring physical therapy exercises that you can do at the comfort of your home. The following paragraphs are detailed with eccentric hamstring exercises that are easy to do. Some of them are good hamstring exercises for seniors while others are hamstring rehab exercises that can be done by people in the recovery process.
You can get exercises that need weights, a resistance band, a Swiss ball, and other equipment. Other exercises can be done without any special equipment. However, the interesting thing about the following exercises is that most of the equipment can be used at home.
Eccentric Hamstring Exercises For Sprinters
Sprinters have to be fit to keep on sprinting and improving their game. Eccentric exercises are part of their fitness routine. Most of the eccentric exercises lengthen muscles thereby improving muscle development. Below are some of the best hamstring workouts that are good at lengthening your hamstring muscles.
Swiss Ball Bridge With Curl
The Swiss ball bridge with curl is one of the eccentric hamstring and glute exercises that you can do. In addition to that, it is one of the hamstring physical therapy exercises that can lower pain. It is easy to do and beginners can do it without any hindrances.
You will need a Swiss ball to do the exercise.
- Lie on your back on the floor and place your legs on a Swiss ball. Keep your arms on the floor under your body throughout the exercise.
- Then start rolling the ball towards your butt until your feet are planted flat on the ball with knees bent towards the roof.
- Reverse the ball to the starting position where your legs would be fully stretched.
- Repeat the moves to reach the number of your preferred reps.
Deficit Romanian Deadlift
This is another exercise that is good for working your hamstrings muscles. Primary, the deficit Romanian deadlift exercise targets the hamstrings muscles.
Additionally, it also works your glutes, hip flexors, and lower back to a lesser extent. The exercises have various advantages to an athlete. It improves your mobility. In addition to that, it strengthens your muscles so that you can easily do activities that require you to bend.
However, beginners might find this exercise difficult to do. But you are given instructions that you can follow;
- Stand on a box or on the elevated ground from your barbell.
- Then bend to grasp the barbell with your hands at shoulder-width apart.
- Rise up to bring the barbell to your waist level.
- Then bend to return the barbell to the ground.
- Repeat the movement as much as you can.
Eccentric Hamstring Exercises Benefits
Eccentric hamstring exercises have different benefits. Below are some benefits of doing the eccentric hamstring exercises.
- Build muscle size – eccentric hamstring exercises are good for athletes who want to make their muscle size bigger.
- Strengthen muscles – as much as it increases muscle size, the exercises are also good for making your hamstrings and other hips muscles stronger. This can improve the performance of an athlete.
- Promotes weight loss – the exercises are good for melting fat. As such, the eccentric hamstring exercises can be the best exercises for athletes who want to lose weight.
Eccentric Hamstring Exercises For Runners
Runners use their leg and hips muscles a lot when they are running. As such, their muscles must be stronger so that they can perform better. There are various eccentric hamstring exercises that they can do to build and strengthen their hamstring muscles.
A-Skips
The A-skips exercise is good for strengthening the hamstring muscles. Besides that, it also gives the athletes a good technique for running. More so, as it helps you to master the good form and techniques for running, the exercises lower injuries related to running. It reduces knee and heel related injuries.
The A-skips exercise is not complicated, it is easy to master if you follow proper instructions. This is how you do the A-skips;
- Start by benign your leg and lifting it to a hip height and make sure that the opposite arm is also lifted forward. The lifted leg must be preparing to step forward like a running person.
- Step down with the lifted foot in front of you and make sure that you contact the ground with mid-foot.
- Use the other foot to do the same movement.
- Continue alternating your feet until you cove 25 meters. You can do 5 to 10 sets.
Hip Thrust
The hip thrust is a strength exercise. It strengthens various muscles such as the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and hip adductors. Having stranger glutes stabilizes your core, lower body, and pelvis muscles. As a runner, the strong glutes make you move swiftly when doing the push phase of running. In addition to that, strong glutes lower knee and back pain.
Most importantly, the hip thrust exercises strengthen your hip and glutes muscles to lower the ITB syndrome risk.
The hip thrust is a weight exercise; therefore, you will need a barbell to do it.
- Load the barbell with the weight of your choice. You can go for a heavy weight because you will be training the glutes.
- Position the barbell across your hips and make sure that your upper body is resting on the bench. You can bend your knees to create a 90-degree angle and plant your feet on the floor at hi wide apart distance.
- Then raise your hips up until they are fully stretched. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement.
- Lower your hips to the starting position.
- Repeat up to 12 to 15 reps and make it 3 sets.
Eccentric Hamstring Exercises Nordic
Nordic exercises are some of the best hamstring exercises that strengthen the hamstring muscles. The Nordic exercises involve kneeling on the floor and then lowering your upper body towards the floor. There are various Nordic variations that you can do to strengthen your hamstring muscles.
When you do the Nordic exercises, you might need someone to assist you. That can lower injuries. Below are some Nordic exercises that you can do to strengthen your hamstring muscles.
- Assisted Nordic hamstring curls
- Nordic hamstring curl
Eccentric Hamstring Exercises With Band
If you have access to a resistance band, you can do several eccentric hamstring exercises to strengthen your hip muscles. Using a band makes the exercise more challenging but in an interesting way.
Standing Theraband Hip Adduction
The standing theraband hip adduction is a beginner-friendly exercise. Primarily it works the hip adductors and hips muscles. You will need a chair and a resistance band to do this exercise.
- Firstly, hook the resistance band to a chair leg. Make sure that the chair is sturdy. Then place your farthest leg in the other end of the resistance band and make sure that the band is around your ankle.
- Lift the tied leg slightly off the floor and then pull it out as far as you can. Pause for a second.
- Return the leg to the starting position and repeat.
- Then exercise the other leg when you are done with the other leg.
Seated Theraband Hamstring Curls
This is another band exercise that is good at strengthening the hip muscles. The seated hamstring curl is easy to do and it comes with various benefits. Besides strengthening your hip muscles, the exercise is good at reducing injury risks. Exercising seated gives you more comfort. As such, you will need a sturdy chair and a resistance band to do the exercise.
- Firstly, tie the resistance band to a sturdy object and then sit in front of the tied resistance band.
- Then put your heels inside the loop.
- Pull the band backward as far as you can.
- Return your feet to the starting position and repeat the movement.
Eccentric Hamstring Stretches
There are different exercises that you can do to loosen your tight hamstrings. The eccentric hamstring stretches are also good for people suffering from hip injuries. The stretches can quicken the recovery process but you mustn’t be aggressive.
- Hurdler Stretch
- Seated side straddle stretch
- Standing side leg lift
- Barbell good mornings
- Barbell straight leg deadlifts
Concentric Hamstring Exercises
Concentric hamstring exercises are the opposite to eccentric hamstring exercises. As such, the concentric hamstring exercises make the muscles contract when they are shortened. There are various concentric exercises that you can do. These exercises are good at preventing injuries and strengthening your muscles.
- Exercise ball roll
- Lying leg curls
- Seated leg curls
- Knee flexion
Final Thoughts
The eccentric hamstring exercises are the best exercises for athletes who want to strengthen their hips muscles. The exercises such as hip thrust, A-skips, Nordic hamstring curl, and others mentioned above are good at working your hamstrings and other hip muscles.
Besides strengthening your hamstrings, some exercises prepare the athletes to be able to sprint in proper form. They also make the athletes perform extremely well by lowering the injury risks and stabilizing the body.
Interestingly, these exercises are easy to do, and they can be done by seniors. More so, you don’t need any special equipment. That’s why they can be done at home. You don’t even need more space to do these exercises. Which eccentric hamstring exercises have you ever tried? How was your experience?