Prevent more than just hamstring injuries – Train like an athlete
The hamstrings are one of the most commonly injured muscles in the body. This is due to the fact that these large muscles are critically involved with every single step you take. In order to avoid hamstring injuries however you cannot simply focus on the hamstrings themselves, but rather to the muscle groups that are supposed to assist them in doing their job.
In this case, the prime culprit wen it comes to injured hamstrings is the glutes. In fact, glute amnesia or the inability to properly contract the gluteal muscles is one of the most common causes of hamstring strains.
The hamstring functions to bend the knee in open chain activities and actually extend the knee in closed chain activities (we’ll talk about that in another video!). In addition, the hamstring muscles are also mildly involved in extending the hip. The problem comes when the glutes (the prime extenders of the hip) don’t do their job and the hammies are called to do something they are not that good at. Hamstring tears usually wind up happening.
In order to avoid tearing your hamstring, you have to make sure you are addressing two very important aspects of your leg training and workouts.
1. You have to get better at activating the glutes
2. You have to be able to sequentially fire your glutes WITH your hamstrings when doing leg exercises.
I show you how to prevent hamstring injuries using two techniques to illustrate each of these points.
If you want to learn how to prevent other type of sports muscle injuries and perform a workout program geared at making you more injury proof, you should head to and get the ATHLEAN-X training system. Sports medicine physical therapist Jeff Cavaliere shows you how to get bulletproof muscles with this cutting edge workout program.
For more videos to help you keep your hamstrings injury free as well as the rest of your body, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube at
38 comments
Great tip!! I need more strength in the glutes!! Thanks a ton for the help!!
I pulled my left hamstring a long time ago when I sit on my back and relax I feel like some thing out of place on my left leg.Havent went to the doctors I was able to walk after one month but it’s out of place
Can you do the same exact rolling bridge exercise using a medicine ball instead?
genius
I activate my glutes by pretending I have explosive diarrhea and I'm trying to hold it in by squeezing my butt cheeks. Feel free to use that que with your athletes.
Do these exercises have a name?
Jeffffffff I just came from the gym half way through my work out and I was lifting heavy and POP I heard in my right hamstring and I was like what the heck was that and when I treat to do it again I was in pain and I stopped working out now I went up the stairs and it hurts so bad. What can I do to heal it?
Thank you so much. I didn't know why my hamstrings were hurting.
Can you please put specific exercise/stretch for hamstring to heal hamstring injury like you did for shoulders ?
I am dealing with hamstring tendinosis and have had months of PT and recently, a PLP injection. Stopped running. Physician said be careful not to stretch the hammy. I’m doing my bridges daily. I’m as sore today as I was in February. Is there anything I should NOT be doing? Are squats ok?
ty, ty, ty.
Great information
At 49, what if you didn't warm up before doing (walk) sprints?
keep blazin!!! plenty usefull.
Should I do use before or after practice? And how many times a week?
Where do calf injuries come from?
Blame game, I blame my puppy dog and a fluke incident at the park. Lol
Just do the exercise in Bulletproof Your Hamstrings and you won't have any more trouble with your hams.
Wow… this is great information. My grandson plays football (freshman) and he has been experiencing a lot of hamstring problems after a long run down the field. We've tried to change his diet, more bananas and other protein shakes but still seems to keep him layed out on the field. Thanks!
Hey is anyone experiencing popping on the back of the knee while doing curls? Its uncomfortable
What if your glute dominate and still pulling hamstrings? I'm dealing with a grade 2 pull right now from doing 40 yard dashes. I played football my whole life and never had this happen until I got into heavy weightlifting. Could it be weak hamstrings?
I pulled my hamstring by kicking off my sneaker with opposite foot after a workout!! 🙄
You're the best. I guess you know that with 9 million subs.
Maybe an update on this video with more science? This is a good one though. I just had a hamstring injury and on the road to recovey.
2020 and still so helpful! Thanks Jeff!
Could you please (or anyone) advise me… I just had mri revealing I have a fully torn retracted hamstring AS WELL AS fully torn gluteus medius AND minimus. They listed them as chronic. I am a 3 time kidney transplant so have had health issue and on meds most of my 52 years. I didn't notice any pain from any tearing process. But since Sept 2019 in that leg of tears I keep getting extremely sharp knife like or shock like fast zinger pain with certain movements. Laying is the most touchy to trigger them. I had a knee replacement in that right leg in 2018 and they did notice how extremely weak my glutes were but told me to do clam shells to help and then continued to focus on my new knee PT, of course. The current situation wasnt known of course. Also. Please ask questions of you need to to clarify anything.
My question is, with those 2 glute muscles fully torn and not being able to have surgery, can I somehow still "strengthen" them, or around them? I do believe your video's title is my cause of what lead to my hamstring being torn and off the bone now. For 2 years prior to my knee replacement I couldn't straighten my right leg when walking and so walked with it with a bend at all times which then probably affected and weakened my glute muscles. Any suggestions for total strengthening would be so so greatly appreciated. They don't want to do surgery for many reasons and this is very disabling and painful. Thank you so so much.
lmao that thumbnail tho
I hurt my hamstring, then the tendons in the side of my foot, the podiatrist mentioned my glutes might have a weakness which didnt make sense as I was doing squats and lunges so surely my glutes would be strong, then recently hurt my hamstring again. Doing similar bridging would alleviate that pain immediately. I thought I was simply strengthening my hamstring and it had warmed up, which stopped the strain from hurting. Now I'm guessing I woke up my glute which took all the workload from the hamstring. Guess my hamstrings have been taking over this whole time with my weight training?
I converted from powerlifting mostly to doing sprint hitt training once a week in my routine on the third week I strained my hamstring at the end of my sprint workout while running at full speed. I can walk and everything but it feels tight and I have some pain when bending my knee. Any advice on a speedy recovery? I would appreciate some feed back.
I'm an older guy Geoff at the age of 62 I now find that my hamstrings are pulling and causing breaks in my training. I'll be following your advice and give you some feedback as to how I progress!
A few months ago I pulled my left hamstring, and could not figure out how it happened. In a few days the pain subsided. Next I had a very bad trip, and caught myself by a "hard balance" on my left foot. The pain was so intense that I bought a walker. It took 5 weeks for the pain to be endurable.
Jeff, any chance you could do a quick video on proximal hamstring tendinopathy please?
The activation really kicked my pants but I definitely felt good about it, when I moved onto the strengthening I felt better immediately! Thanks Jeff you're a life saver 💌
what do you do with peoples, apparently after this exercise i become much lighter, in 5 minutes, at least it feels like this after you first time rise up and walk)))
I do squats before running I had weak glutes and used to have horrible issues with pulling my hammer when sprinting.
Wow, Jeff always delivers. I have a sore hamstring after three weeks of working out again. I was trying to calm it down with stretches and foam rolling but remembered … wait a minute … maybe it's just sore because it's compensating for a weak muscle. I had the same thing a year ago with – again – weak glute and my TFL. Found the solution looking for "hip pain". Now I looked for "athlean x hamstring" and voilà! TFL pain went away, pretty sure this will help as well. Thanks!
Thought for a second this was a attack on titan video
ammm the big big assman, here'z the ass man eiiz back to the hood,
ayyy laaaav this blessed channl and itz moderrator mister jeffAZZ :)))