Hamstrings · Isolation movement
Seated Hamstring Stretch
Working range
20–45seconds
Progression: manual
- Primary muscle
- Hamstrings
- Secondary muscles
- Calves
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
What is the Seated Hamstring Stretch?
The seated hamstring stretch is a floor stretch that lengthens the back of the thigh one leg at a time. You sit with one leg extended and hinge over it.
Muscles worked
- Primary: Hamstrings
- The hamstrings along the back of the extended-leg thigh are the target, lengthened as the hip flexes while the knee stays straight.
- Secondary: Calves
- The calf of the extended leg gets a mild stretch too, especially if you reach for the toes and pull them back toward you.
How to perform the Seated Hamstring Stretch
- Sit on the floor with one leg extended straight in front and the other tucked so its sole rests against the inner thigh of the straight leg.
- Hinge forward from the hips, not the waist, reaching your chest toward the toes of the straight leg while keeping that knee soft but not bent.
- Stop where you feel a firm pull down the back of the straight-leg thigh, not pain, and let the spine stay long rather than rounding to reach further.
- Breathe slowly and hold for the prescribed time, then switch legs and match the hold on the other side.
Suggested working range: 20–45 seconds. Default progression: manual.
Mechanics
A static, hip-flexion stretch: the pelvis rotates forward over a fixed straight leg while the spine stays long, so the lengthening happens at the hamstring rather than the lower back. It is held, not repped: the range comes from relaxing into the position over time, not from force.
Form cues
- •Hinge from the hips, not the waist, so the spine stays long instead of rounding to reach the foot.
- •Keep the extended knee straight but not aggressively locked, and the toes pointing up.
- •Ease to a firm, comfortable pull and hold it steady rather than bouncing toward the foot.
Common mistakes
- •Rounding the lower back to reach the toes instead of hinging at the hips, which stretches the spine rather than the hamstring.
- •Locking the straight knee hard and bouncing toward the foot instead of holding a steady position.
- •Pulling aggressively on the foot until it hurts rather than easing to a firm, comfortable stretch.
Variations & alternatives
- •Standing toe-touch stretch: the same hamstring lengthening from a standing fold, hitting both legs at once.
- •Lying leg-up hamstring stretch: done on the back with a strap, which takes the lower back out of it entirely.
- •Seated straddle: both legs open, adding the adductors to the hamstring stretch.
Programming: sets, reps & when to use it
Hold for the library’s 20–45 seconds per side, one to three rounds, breathing slowly and easing a little deeper on each exhale. It is cool-down and recovery work, best after training or in the evening, and earns no hypertrophy or rank credit; its job is restoring range, not building the hamstrings.
Frequently asked questions
Should I feel this in my lower back?
No. If you feel it in the lower back you are rounding the spine to reach the foot. Hinge from the hips with a long back and only go as far as the hamstring allows; the pull should be down the back of the thigh.
Is it better to hold or to bounce?
Hold. A steady 20–45 second hold is easy to control and lets you relax into a little more range on each exhale. Bouncing (ballistic stretching) also improves range, but it is harder to control how far each bounce takes you, which is a poor trade for a cool-down.
Use this exercise in a program
The Seated Hamstring Stretch fits into hypertrophy and strength splits that prioritize hamstrings volume.
Browse training programs →Track your sets and reps automatically with MuscleBuddy
Free workout logging and auto-progression, with coaching that adjusts to the sets and weigh-ins you log.
Create your free account