If your physique is suffering from too many Turkey legs and your hamstrings are turning starting to resemble your Thanksgiving ham joint, now is a great time ditch those over-generous dishes and take back control with this timely hamstring workout from lifetime natural bodybuilder, Jason Bjarnson.
Just days out from Thanksgiving, Bjarnson, who also competes in the Men’s Physique division, took to Instagram to share his hamstring focussed workout with his close to one million IG followers, so you can try it for yourself if you want to get back on track with your strength, fitness, and mobility goals.
Barbell Walking Lunges — 3 Sets of 10-15 Reps, 1 Drop Set
Back Hyperextension Machine with Plate — 3 Sets of 10 Reps
Barbell Romanian Deadlift — 3 Sets of 10 Reps, 1 Drop Set
Leg Press Machine Calf Raises — 3 Sets of 10-20 Reps, Multiple Drop Sets
Workout Breakdown
Barbell Walking Lunges
“Add drop set to bodyweight,” encourages Bjarnson, meaning you can ditch the bar after the third set and do as many reps as you can until reaching failure on the final set.
Back Hyperextension Machine with Plate
Holding a weighted plate with both hands at around forehead level, this accessory exercise will work your posterior chain, strength. Then push down with your heels on the footplate to raise your chest upward. Pause at the top of the movement and repeat.
Barbell Romanian Deadlift
Bjarnson implements another drop set to round off his RDL’s, in order really put his muscles into hypertrophy for muscle building success. Romanian Deadlifts are a great move for building your hamstrings and glutes. To seriously target your hamstrings, only semi-lock your knees and keep feet shoulder width apart. You’ll find that you need less weight in this position in order to achieve the required results.
Leg Press Machine Calf Raises
By utilizing the leg press machine to perform calf raises, Bjarnson works the calves of course, but these muscles also work together with the hamstrings in order to help bend and flex the knee. It should be said that calf raises do not directly target the hamstring, particularly as the leg is straight for this move, but they help shape the muscularity of the back of your lower leg in addition to helping with stability and mobility. In order to make sure that his hamstrings are recruited to some extent in this exercise, Bjarnson adds in multiple drop sets as a finisher to his workout, content in the knowledge that the entire rear of his leg has been put through it’s paces during the session.
For more workout inspiration follow Jason Bjarnson on Instagram.
