One of the most powerful muscle groups in your body — driving hip extension, knee flexion, sprinting speed, jumping height and keeping you healthy in a chaotic contact sport environment. If you want to get faster, jump higher and stay injury‑free, your hamstrings deserve priority. Below are my three favourite hamstring exercises for contact athletes and exactly why they matter.
Max‑Velocity Sprinting — The Undisputed King
If you want speed, robustness and bulletproof hamstrings, max‑V sprinting is number one. Repeated exposure to high‑speed running creates muscle architecture changes — increased fascicle length and more sarcomeres in series. A slightly longer hamstring means each sarcomere takes on less strain for a given lengthening. So during that brutal terminal swing phase — tibia snapping forward, hamstrings decelerating the limb before ground contact — the muscle is structurally better equipped to tolerate it. If you haven’t sprinted in a while, earn your way back with light jogs, strides and controlled buildups.
In‑season dosage
Start around 150 m/week, build to 300 m/week and maintain that rhythm. It’s minimal, sustainable and massively protective.
Barbell Stiff‑Leg Deadlifts — Mass + Strength + Robustness
Big chest. Hips and knees push back hard. Minimal knee bend. Knees gently out. Go as deep as you can pain‑free. The stiff‑leg deadlift loads the hamstrings in a long‑lengthened position — phenomenal for:
- Hypertrophy (bigger cross‑sectional area)
- Tissue robustness
- Force production potential
- Posterior chain strength that actually transfers to sport
SLDLs are great for building hamstrings that are both big and durable.
Two‑Up, One‑Down Hamstring Curls — Elite Eccentric Resilience
Curl the weight with two legs, then lower it under strict control with one. This creates accentuated eccentrics — the eccentric portion is effectively double the load of the concentric. That’s where resilience is built.
- High eccentric stimulus
- Architecture adaptations (pennation angle shifts, sarcomeres in series)
- Resilience against high‑velocity lengthening
- Strength where most hamstring injuries occur
These are brutally effective and shockingly time‑efficient.
How to Fit These Into an In‑Season Week
If you play Saturday:
Tuesday (High Neural Day)
- Max‑V or near‑max‑V exposures
- 1–2 sets of stiff‑leg deadlifts
- 1–2 sets of two‑up/one‑down curls
Thursday
- Accelerations plus short exposures to max‑V
- Optional one light top‑up set of each accessory
Just enough to maintain strength without accumulating fatigue. A couple of high‑quality sets are all you need in‑season. Consistency beats volume.
Summary
Max‑V sprinting → architectural changes and elite injury resilience. Stiff‑leg deadlifts → bigger, stronger hamstrings with long‑range strength. Two‑up, one‑down curls → eccentric dominance and robustness.
Build hamstrings that are fast, strong and resilient — perfect for any contact athlete who wants to move well, stay healthy and perform.