Seated Hamstring Stretch

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, making it an easy way to restore hamstring length after squats, deadlifts, or a day of sitting — with no equipment beyond the floor.

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Breathe slowly and hold for the prescribed time, then switch legs and match the hold on the other side.

Suggested working range: 20–45 reps. 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.

Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings · Barbell

Leg Curl

Hamstrings · Machine

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings · Dumbbell

Single-Leg Curl

Hamstrings · Machine

Nordic Hamstring Curl

Hamstrings · Bodyweight

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