Your Hamstrings Are a 3-Joint Powerhouse: How to Train All Their Roles
athletic performance biomechanics hamstring exercises hamstrings hip hinge medial hamstrings tibial rotation Oct 17, 2026
Your hamstrings are a 3-joint powerhouse. They extend your hips, flex your knees and help control rotation at the tibia.
Medial vs lateral hamstrings
The medial hamstrings (semimembranosus and semitendinosus) steer your leg inward, while the lateral hamstring (biceps femoris) steers it outward.
Train them in all their roles
Train them in all their roles (hip hinge, knee flexion and rotational control) and you'll build strength that's as functional as it is powerful. Each of these provides a slightly different stimulus.
These would be a great prep for any compound movement that requires you to extend at the hip, or just accessory work to support activities like sprinting, change of direction and jumping.
The single leg variation is fire. A shout out to @coach_jb17 for the idea for the Roman chair variation.
Watch more
Lower Limb Series Part 2: Lower Limb Strength
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