Hamstrings exercise
Standing Hamstring StretchHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Hamstrings
- Also works
- Calves
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Standing Hamstring Stretch?
- Stand tall and step one foot forward, heel on the floor and toes pointing up.
- Bend your back knee slightly and rest both hands on that thigh.
- Keep your back flat and lean forward from your hips, pushing your bottom back.
- Stop when you feel a stretch down the back of your front leg.
- Hold for 15–30 seconds, breathing slowly, then switch legs.
Cues
- Bottom back, chest long.
- Flat back, no rounding.
- Toes up on the front foot.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the back to reach lower: hinge from the hips and stop where your back stays flat.
- Locking the front knee: keep it straight but soft.
- Bouncing into the stretch: hold still and breathe.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
Staggered stance, right heel on the floor in front with toes lifted, left knee bent, hinging forward from the hips with a flat back and both hands resting on the left thigh. This is the standard hospital (Healthwise) and Hinge Health version; it needs no step or bench, and the lifted toes add the calf stretch.
Starting position
Stand tall, feet hip width. Step the right foot forward so the right heel lands 30–40 cm ahead of the left toes, heel on the floor, toes pulled up. Right knee straight but not locked (0–5° flexion). Left foot flat, left knee bent about 20–30°, carrying most of the weight. Hands on the left thigh just above the knee. Brace the stomach and tilt the pelvis slightly back to set the spine.
The movement
Keeping the back flat from head to tailbone, hinge forward at the hips as if pushing the buttocks back, sliding the hands a little down the left thigh. Stop when a stretch is felt along the back of the right thigh (and calf). Hold. The hinge is a straight-line tilt of a rigid torso; the knees and feet do not move once set.
Breathing
Slow, relaxed breaths; hinge a touch deeper on each exhale.
Tempo
Real sets: hold 15–30 s, 2–4 times per leg.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
- Right knee 0–5° flexion; right ankle dorsiflexed about 10–15°, toes up.
- Left knee 20–30° flexion; left foot flat.
- Spine neutral, head in line with the spine (eyes on the floor 1 m ahead).
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Standing Hamstring Stretch is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
