This article is about one thing and one thing only: Making your hamstring tightness go away for good.
These are the stretches I use to get short and long-term relief for my hamstrings.
When used with hamstring trigger pointing, it will allow you to train and live without pain. Period.
Hamstring Stretches To Try
A lot of people don’t realize that the hamstring crosses two joints. They cross over the knee and the hip, which is important because knowing that helps explain your back pain or knee pain.
We go over this in-depth in my hamstring-related back pain and knee pain articles^^, so check those out if you want a detailed breakdown.
This makes it important to find the different corners of your hamstrings that have adhesions and stretch them out with targeted stretches like the first one…
One Leg Out Kneeling
- Start in a kneeling position with both knees on the floor.
- Extend one leg straight out in front of you, heel on the ground, toes pointing up.
- Keep your left knee under your hip for support or lean back to kneel if that is more comfortable.
- Hinge at the hips and lean your torso over the extended leg.
- Keep your back flat and reach your hands toward your foot (optional).
- Hold the stretch for 20–30 seconds, breathing deeply.
- Return to kneeling and repeat on the other leg.
Tips:
- Avoid rounding your back—keep a long spine.
- Don’t force the stretch; ease into it and sink deeper after each breath.
One Leg Out Standing
Instructions:
- Stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
- Place one foot on a low ledge anywhere from knee high to your mid-thigh.
- Keep your planted leg straight with toes pointing forward and the stretch leg forward with the toes pointing up toward the ceiling.
- Bend your knee slightly (stretch leg) and hinge at your hips, lowering your chest.
- Hold the stretch for 20–30 seconds.
- Switch legs and repeat.
Tips:
- Keep your weight centered and avoid leaning back.
- Make sure your planted foot remains forward
- Rotate your stretch leg to change the location of the stretch
Deep Lunge Hamstring Focus
Instructions:
- Start in an extended lunge position with your front foot flat on the ground and your other knee down on the ground.
- Begin to shift yourself back while keeping your front foot in place.
- Allow yourself to sink into the stretch by drawing your hips down. (This should fire up the hamstrings).
- Hold for 30 seconds, then switch legs and repeat.
Tips:
- Move with control as you shift your hips back.
- Use yoga blocks under your hands if you need support.
Front Split With Hamstring Focus
Instructions:
- Start in a lunge with both hands on the floor or on blocks to support you.
- Slide your front foot forward and your back leg backward, lowering your hips toward the ground.
- Keep your front leg straight with toes pointing up to focus on hamstrings.
- Keep your hips square to direct the stretch to the hamstrings.
- Hold for 20–45 seconds, breathing deeply.
- Come out of the pose and repeat on the other side.
Tips:
- Don’t force the split; work within your flexibility range, using the breath to deepen the stretch.
- Change up the stretch with pointed or flexed feet
How to Vary the Stretch to Target Different Areas
- Rotate your leg internally and externally
- Bend your knee more and less
- Widen your leg stance or narrow it
How Long Should You Stretch Your Hamstrings
The common advice is to stretch for 30-60 seconds at a time for 3-4 rounds a few days a week.
If your goal is to make significant changes to your flexibility or pliability of your muscles, this will not be enough.
If you want to gain serious flexibility quickly in your legs, you need to consistently deepen your stretches with deep breathing and sinking into the stretch for at least five minutes per day.
Most people don’t need that, but one week of dedicated stretching will get you to a point that you can maintain and not worry about issues popping up again.
And to me, that sounds like a good trade-off.
Now you know everything there is to know about stretching your hamstrings.
Use this information and learn how to trigger point your hamstrings to break up tightness faster while lengthening your hamstrings at the same time.
It will do wonders for your health!
As always let me know if you have any questions below and use my ultimate guides and other articles to bulletproof your body.
That’s what it’s all about! Good luck.
-Nick