Question:  I have been neglecting my hamstrings for years and now I have a serious muscle imbalance, what are a few good exercises for them?

Answer:  You are not alone; many people work very hard at strengthening their quadriceps and forget about their hamstrings.  Many of the common leg exercises including squats, lunges, and leg press work predominantly the quadriceps and gluteals with the hamstrings playing a much smaller role.  Similarly, most sport activities including hockey, soccer, cycling and running place much more stress on the quadriceps than the hamstrings.

To keep your leg muscles balanced it is important to strengthen your hamstrings to keep them in check with the front of your legs.  Failure to do so may result in knee injury and decreased performance for an athlete.  Below are a few good hamstring exercises and an important hamstring stretch.

D.B. Hamstring Deadlifts: This exercise is effective at isolating the hamstrings, gluteus and spinal erectors.  Start standing upright with your feet shoulder width apart with a dumbbell in each hand.  Keeping your back straight, slowly bend forward at the waist and lower the dumbbells down to your knees until you feel a gentle stretch in your hamst

rings.  Reverse the procedure to return slowly to the starting position.  Most of the effort should be felt in your hamstrings and not your lower back.

Hamstring Ball Tucks: Lying on your back, place your feet on the ball with your hands on the floor by your side.  Lift your hips off of the floor so that your body is straight.  Keeping your hips lifted, bend your knees rolling the ball towards your buttocks and then return to the starting position. Perform two to three sets of 10-20 repetitions depending on your comfort level.  The effort should be felt in your hamstrings and your trunk stabilization muscles.

Hamstring Stretch: To stretch out your hamstrings stand facing a table or a similar object approximately the height of your waist.  Keep your left foot flat on the floor and place your right foot on the object.  Make sure both legs are straight but not in a locked position.  Lean forward towards your right foot while keeping your back flat and shoulders back.  The stretch should be felt in the hamstrings of the right leg.  Repeat the stretch with the opposite leg.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800 or visit their web site www.karpfitness.com.