Want better posture and stronger knees? Here's why you need to train your hamstrings

Many lower-body workouts focus on the quads (front thigh muscles) and glutes (found in the buttocks and at the back of the hip) but as a personal trainer, I believe it’s just as important to train the hamstrings.

Tightness or weakness in these muscles—located at the back of the thighs and running down to the knee—can lead to various issues from bad posture to lower-back pain.

If you’re looking for the most effective way to train hamstrings, certified trainer Fiona Judd has created this six-move circuit. All you need to do it is a pair of relatively heavy dumbbells.

How to do Fiona Judd’s workout

There are six moves in total, which are:

• Single leg RDL
• Double RDL
• Shiva squat
• Hamstring curl
• Stacked bridge
• Monster walks

Judd recommends doing 12 repetitions of each move, on each side if the exercise is unilateral, and eight repetitions for the monster walk. Aim for three rounds in total and use heavier weights to challenge your legs (Judd uses 15lb dumbbells).

Be sure to warm up before the main workout and cool down for 5-10 minutes afterward.

Why it’s important to train the hamstrings

While many lower-body workouts focus on strengthening the quads and glutes, it’s equally important to train the hamstrings.

Strong hamstrings can help prevent injuries to the legs, knees, back and hips, improving your speed and efficiency in activities like running, cycling or playing sports. Stronger hamstrings enable you to jump higher, run faster and accelerate explosively.

Training your hamstrings also makes daily movements, like standing up from a chair, climbing stairs and bending to pick something up, easier.

Hamstrings support the pelvis and spine, and when contracted they can tilt the pelvis backwards. Regular hamstring exercises keep the body stable and can improve posture, flexibility and overall leg strength.