2 Keys for Combatting Hamstring Injuries in Footballers

There are two ways to train hamstrings effectively in the gym. This is often reduced to one to two exercise per week for them hamstrings due to limited time, meaning we often only have the ability to train one of these methods. As I find this unfortunate and do my best to incorporate both of these methods plus sprintings every week, let us have a closer look.

Training the hamstrings can be done either by knee flexion or hip flexion, both of which working different aspects of the muscle group (yes- the hamstrings are made up of three muscles, not one!).

Hamstring injuries and discomfort tend to occur at one of two places:

• in the muscle belly

• at the top of the hamstring under the glute

Movements like deadlift variations that require a hip hinge (and, thus, hip flexion) are important for reducing risk of the latter, while knee-flexion movements like hamstring curls and Nordics work against occurrences of pain or poor resilience in the belly of the muscles. Both of these are critical to sports like football, in which kicking, sprinting, and changes of direction are central to success.

For more on why and how to train these two areas, watch the following video!