Glutes, hamstrings, spinal erectors, upper back. Pick 1 from each block, 2×/wk. BW = home/bodyweight · Gym = needs equipment.
How to use it. One move from each of the four blocks = a ~20-min posterior session. Or slot single moves into the calisthenics Hinge/Pull spots when you're in a gym.
Why two hamstring blocks: the hamstrings work at both joints. Hinges load them at the hip; curls and Nordics load them at the knee. Hip-only training underdevelops the knee-flexion side, so do both every week.
Stand hip-width, bar or dumbbells against the thighs, knees soft (~15–20°), neutral spine, lats tight.
Push the hips back, sliding the weight down the thighs until you feel a strong hamstring stretch (usually mid-shin); drive hips forward to stand. 2–3s lowering.
Rounding the low back to get lower; turning it into a squat by bending the knees more.
Best hinge for hamstring growth — lots of tension in the stretched position.
Stand on one leg, knee soft; backpack or dumbbell in the opposite hand (optional). Fingertips on a wall for balance is fine.
Hinge forward as the free leg extends behind until torso and leg are about level; hips stay square to the floor; return by squeezing the glute.
Hip of the free leg opening toward the ceiling; rounding the back.
Upper back on a bench or couch edge, feet flat, shins vertical at the top. Bar/backpack over the hips, or bodyweight / single-leg.
Tuck the chin and ribs, drive through the heels to full hip extension; 1s squeeze at the top; lower under control.
Arching the low back to fake hip extension; feet so far out that the hamstrings cramp.
Peak glute load is at full hip extension — complements the RDL, which peaks in the stretch.
Feet a bit wider than hips, bell a foot in front; hinge and grab with both hands, back flat.
Hike the bell back between the thighs, then snap the hips forward so the bell floats to chest height; arms are just ropes.
Squatting the swing; lifting with the arms or shoulders; leaning back at the top.
Power/conditioning option. Less hypertrophy than an RDL — good when short on time.
Kneel on a pad, ankles anchored under a couch, strap, or partner. Body straight from knees to head, hips locked.
Lower forward as slowly as you can, catch yourself with your hands, push back up. Progress by controlling a longer range.
Bending at the hips to shorten the lever. Start very low volume — expect heavy soreness the first 1–2 weeks.
Strongest injury-prevention evidence of any hamstring exercise (~50% fewer strains).
Back flat against the pad, thigh pad snug, knee lined up with the machine's pivot.
Curl to full flexion, 1s squeeze, 2–3s return to a full stretch.
Hips lifting off the seat; cutting the stretch short.
Grows the hamstrings more than the lying curl, because the hip is flexed and the muscle is lengthened.
Supine, heels on a towel (hard floor) or sliders; bridge the hips up.
Keep the hips high and curl the heels toward the glutes, then slide them back out slowly. Single-leg to progress.
Hips sagging as the legs extend.
Hip pad just below the hip crease; ankles locked; arms crossed (or hold a plate to progress).
Lower to a stretch, rise until the body forms a straight line. Hinge at the hips for a glute/hamstring focus; let the spine round a little for an erector focus.
Hyperextending past straight at the top; swinging.
Superman: prone on the floor. Reverse hyper: torso prone on a bed or bench with the hips at the edge and legs hanging.
Superman: lift chest and legs a few inches, 2s hold. Reverse hyper: raise the straight legs to body level and squeeze the glutes.
Cranking the neck back; lifting above level on the reverse hyper.
On hands and knees, neutral spine, abs braced.
Extend the opposite arm and opposite leg to body level, 2–3s hold; keep the pelvis level.
Hips rotating toward the lifted leg.
McGill endurance staple: high extensor activity with low spinal compression. Same move as on the shoulder card.
Chest on an incline bench (~30–45°), dumbbells hanging, shoulder blades free to move.
Set the blades back and down, then row the elbows toward the hips; 1s squeeze; lower to a full reach.
Chest lifting off the pad; shrugging.
Upper-back load with no low-back fatigue — pairs well on the same day as RDLs.
Under a sturdy bar, table, or rings; body in a straight line, heels down. Lower bar = harder.
Pull the chest to the bar, blades back; 1s pause; full hang at the bottom.
Hips sagging; chin poking toward the bar.
Cable or band at face height (face pull), or a band held at shoulder width, arms straight (pull-apart).
Face pull: pull toward the forehead, elbows high, finish with the hands rotated back (ER). Pull-apart: spread the band to the chest, blades together.
Shrugging; arching the low back to finish the rep.
Rear delts, mid/lower traps, and rotator cuff — doubles as shoulder-card maintenance.
Abbr: RDL Romanian deadlift · RIR reps in reserve · ER external rotation.
Personal training reference.