Can you build hamstrings with squats?: It has been a long-held belief that hamstrings play a key role in the squat. However, new research is disproving this idea.
Your hamstrings contribute to joint stability and some hip extensor moments, but as you will learn in this article, your hamstrings play a much smaller role than your quads and glutes. As you can see, squats have badly affected the hamstrings. We’ll start by looking at the hamstrings.
It is more efficient from a biomechanical perspective to use your powerful hip extensors, which are your glutes.
A study using biomechanical modeling suggests that it is inefficient to have your glutes, hamstrings, and hip extension moment demand shared equally (50/50) because that would put a lot of strain on your quads. You would then be forced to use 80% more weight than you can in real life.
The squats had the highest quadriceps activation of any exercise – six times greater than the next-highest quad-activating exercise, the good morning or stiff-legged Deadlift. [Can you build hamstrings with squats?]
9 best Squats exercises that are good for your hamstrings
- Back Squat
- Low-Bar Back Squat
- Bulgarian Split Squat
- Box Squat
- Front Squat
- Bulgarian Split Squat
- Overhead Squat
1. Back Squat
Back squats are considered one of the best exercises to improve athletic performance. They require the coordination of multiple muscle groups, and they strengthen the primary movers that support explosive athletic movements like jumping, running and lifting.
Back squats are also useful for various everyday activities, such as lifting and carrying heavy objects.
A back squat is often prescribed by starting the exercise in a standing posture with the feet flat, the hips and knees in neutral anatomical positions, and the spine upright with its natural curves.
Squats begin with the descent phase, as hips, ankles and knees flex. It is common to tell people to descend until their thighs parallel the ground and the hip joint is level or slightly below their knees. [Can you build hamstrings with squats?]
2. Low-Bar Back Squat
This squat style focuses more on the muscles in the back, including the glutes and hamstrings.
The posterior chain muscles are more important in this position. This position is ideal for anyone looking to increase their glutes or better activate their hamstrings.
This version recruits more muscles. Low bar squats allow some people to lift more weight, which maximizes their strength gains.
A low bar squat is also good for people with limited ankle mobility, as the knees do not have to move forward so far in front of their ankles, reducing the flexion angle.
Both styles are excellent for different purposes. A high-bar squat is best if you want to increase your strength and power in other exercises like power cleans or snatches.
Low bar squats are great for building muscles in your posterior chain and increasing your max one-rep. They also challenge your core strength and balance. [Can you build hamstrings with squats?]
Read Also: How quickly can you improve stamina?
3. Bulgarian Split Squat
In my pursuit of Internet Gurus, I’ve met, tried out, experimented with, visited, believed, and argued on many different topics at various times.
Louie Simmons, my first internet guru. I bought chains, bands and glute ham machines. He also gave me a Westside Barbell t-shirt (the dog on it was his dog).
I spent several days in the old pizza place in a strip mall on Demorest Avenue in Columbus. Louie is an excellent coach, extremely knowledgeable and a wonderful person.
He is such a wonderful person, and he told me I should move on to learn from other people because powerlifting was only able to get me up to a point.
I needed to learn new concepts that could help me achieve my goal of developing sprinters. John Davies was introduced to me by him, and I learned so much. [Can you build hamstrings with squats?]
4. Box Squat
Box squats can greatly improve body awareness, heal nagging injuries and correct squat form.
The ultimate lower body compound exercise is squats. Few exercises can simultaneously work the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and core like a traditional Squat.
Squats are also a great way to start with functional training, which is training to move better inside and outside the gym.
You can start with any variation of comfortable squats, like goblet squats or sumo squats. Box squats may be the best choice.
Box squats can greatly improve body awareness, correct a wonky squat, or rehab nagging injuries.
They can also give you the edge to break through squat plateaus and smash your record. How to perform them. [Can you build hamstrings with squats?]
Read Also: Are power bands good for building muscle?
5. Front Squat
Front squats place less force on the spine than back squats, reducing your risk of lower-back issues.
Front squats require a more upright posture, which distributes weight evenly and reduces forward-leaning, which can cause lower back strain. Front squats are a safer alternative for people with lower back problems or who want to avoid them.
Front squats are a powerful exercise that targets many muscle groups. These include your quads and core.
They also target the upper back. The correct execution of this exercise involves several important points. These include adequate wrist and shoulder mobility to place the barbell over your front delts.
The upright torso required to balance the barbell puts much strain on your quadriceps. Although back squats also engage your quads, a study found that front squats are more effective, especially the vastus medialis. [Can you build hamstrings with squats?]
6. Bulgarian Split Squat
The Bulgarian split is not a common exercise in the leg day routine of gym-goers or personal trainers.
It may seem intimidating at first, but it is not as difficult to do once you understand the proper movement pattern and form.
The Bulgarian weightlifting squad developed its trademark split-squat technique between the mid-20th and late 20th centuries.
In reality, a rear-foot elevated split squat offers greater muscle activation and builds muscle and lower-body strength faster than a standard split squat. The standard split squat will give you the strength you need for the Bulgarian version. [Can you build hamstrings with squats?]
7. Overhead Squat
Since 1960, I have been performing overhead squats and teaching them for over 40 years. Joe Bonomo published his Barbell Routines, Power-Plus System, in 1948.
It was my first course on strength and muscle building. His course included the overhead squat, other exercises like the military press, snatches and cleans and jerks (as they are known today), step-ups with one arm, and back squats.
For years, and still to this day, I have made my lifters perform their OHSs on Wednesdays. As it wasn’t my favorite exercise, I began calling overhead squats the “America’s Favorite Exercise.”
The overhead squat involves holding the barbell over your head in a wider grip than your shoulders (6″-8″ or more). You squat until you are below parallel and then stand up. Repeat. Ha-ha, nothing to it! [Can you build hamstrings with squats?]
8. Anderson Squat (Pin Squat)
Athletes who develop absolute strength will be more successful. Athletes who can explosively generate large amounts of brute force will have an advantage in any sport. Westside uses the maximum effort method to improve an athlete’s strength.
The maximum effort method involves training with weights greater than 90% of the current max one rep and performing it for a set of top repetitions of 1-3.
The goal is to recruit large motor units to improve absolute strength. This training will improve the force an athlete can produce and their durability and resilience.
Athletes who use their legs must have a strong lower body. Develop lower body strength to become a stronger athlete, whether you want to run faster, shoot a powerful takedown or jump higher. Athletes with strong hips and legs will have an advantage over their opponents. [Can you build hamstrings with squats?]
9. Curtsey Squat
Curtsy lunge is named after a traditional way of greeting. However, you do not need to be in the presence of a Royal to perform this exercise.
This is a compound exercise that targets your glutes and hamstrings as well as your quads. It also works the gluteus medius, which can be underactive if you sit a lot. Check out these exercises if you spend all day sitting down.
Curtsy lunge is a variation of reverse lunge. It’s easy to do, and you only need your body weight. You can also use a dumbbell or kettlebell when ready to advance to the next level. How to do it. [Can you build hamstrings with squats?]
Conclusion:
While squats engage the hamstrings, they primarily target the quads and glutes. For optimal hamstring growth, it’s best to supplement squats with exercises like deadlifts and hamstring curls, which more effectively target the hamstrings. Squats alone won’t maximize hamstring development but can contribute to lower body strength. [Can you build hamstrings with squats?]
Can you build hamstrings with squats? FAQ
1. Does squatting work the hamstrings?
Ans: Squats do engage the hamstrings in some way, particularly during the movement’s eccentric phase (lowering). They are primarily designed to target the quadriceps and glutes. Hamstrings are secondary.
2. Do squats by themselves to build strong hamstrings
Ans: Squats are a good exercise for building hamstrings, but they’re not the best. It’s better to combine squats and other exercises that isolate the hamstrings.
3. Which squat is the best for the hamstrings?
Ans: The hamstrings are more emphasized in low-bar back squats and sumo squats. These variations demand more hip hinges, which increase hamstring involvement.
