Hamstring Stretches: Preride and Postride Strikes

The Place Hamstrings Play in Biking Effectivity

The hamstring muscle is anxious at each a part of the pedal stroke. It’s the primary driver of drive all by the preliminary pull between the 6 and 9 o’clock place, Scarrella says. When it’s not producing drive, the hamstring is busy serving to completely completely different key muscle tissues, such on account of the quadriceps.

“When used appropriately, [the hamstrings] can help the quads in producing vitality by unweighting the underside leg,” Mohammad Saad, P.T., D.P.T., a bodily therapist with the Hospital for Particular Surgical course of in New York Metropolis tells Bicycling. Take into consideration one leg pushing down on the pedal whereas the choice pulls up on the selection pedal. “This distributes the drive manufacturing between two muscle teams in order to not overwork one aspect of the leg,” Saad says.

Along with, the hamstrings assist the muscle tissues, bones, and joints that assist you retain upright on the bike. “The hamstrings act as a stabilizer to the hip and pelvis, which is essential to take care of positioning and posture all by the journey,” Christine Mara, P.T., D.P.T., a board-certified orthopedic medical specialist with Orlando Properly being Jewett Orthopedic Institute in Florida tells Bicycling.

The Advantages of Hamstring Stretches for Cyclists

“It’s crucial for cyclists to stretch their hamstrings due to the muscle goes by means of a excessive quantity of labor all by every journey,” Scarrella says.

Repeatedly contracting and lengthening your hamstrings would possibly make them tight, limiting the quantity of drive they’re capable of generate all by your journey. “Take into consideration a rubber band that’s solely pulled to half of its elasticity—the next ‘snap’ gained’t be as extraordinarily environment friendly as if the band was pulled to its full dimension,” Saad explains.

Rather a lot a lot much less drive generated by the hamstrings would possibly point out completely completely different muscle tissues—considerably, the quads— need to resolve on up the slack. “After we ponder that the hamstrings assist the quads, a great or weak hamstring means further work for the quads whereas biking,” Saad notes.

Tight hamstrings can even have an effect on your posture on the bike, resulting in decrease as soon as extra discomfort or ache. As Saad explains, tight hamstrings restrict how far ahead your pelvis is ready to rotate, which impacts the consolation and effectivity of your journey. Biking collectively alongside along with your pelvis tucked too far beneath (sometimes usually generally known as posterior pelvic tilt) pulls in your decrease as soon as extra joints and delicate tissues, resulting in decrease as soon as extra tightness and ache over time.

Lastly, tight hamstrings are further weak to muscle strains and completely completely different accidents, considerably all by high-intensity efforts or extended rides, Mara says.

Methods to Stretch Your Hamstrings

Performing only some hamstring stretches prior to and after each journey would possibly make your practice further cosy and environment nice. Nonetheless, the kind of stretch differs relying on whether or not or not or not you’re warming up or cooling down. The very best preride hamstring stretches are dynamic, whereas you’ll do static stretches postride when your muscle tissues are heat.

Scarrella recommends the next pre and postride hamstring stretches for cyclists.

Preride Stretches

“Dynamic stretches comprise managed, mild actions that put collectively the muscle tissues for the requires for intense practice,” Mara says. Examples embody leg swings, strolling lunges, and hip circles.

Mara recommends performing dynamic stretches after a 5- to 10-minute warmup with delicate cardio practice like brisk strolling or simple pedaling. “A warmup will improve blood stream and raises muscle temperature, making the muscle tissues further receptive to stretching,” she says.

1. Alternating Hamstring Scoops

1. Stand with ft hip-width aside.
2. Step appropriate foot barely ahead.
3. Flex appropriate foot to spice up toes off the underside.
4. Bend left knee and hinge at hips to “scoop” each arms down appropriate leg. Protect appropriate leg straight all by the use of (nonetheless with knee delicate) to primarily actually really feel a mild stretch in appropriate hamstring.
5. Proceed the scooping movement as you straighten legs and hips and step appropriate foot as soon as extra.
6. Step left foot barely ahead and repeat.
7. Do 1-2 fashions of 5-10 reps on both sides.

2. Toy Soldier

1. Stand with ft hip-width aside.
2. Retaining leg straight, improve appropriate leg up whereas swinging left hand in path of appropriate foot. Carry leg as excessive as attainable whereas retaining chest tall.
3. Return appropriate foot to the underside and left arm beside physique.
4. Repeat the put together by kicking left leg up and swinging appropriate hand in path of left foot.
5. Protect torso upright all by the use of the put together. Do 1 to 2 fashions of 5 to 10 reps on both sides.

3. Dynamic Supine Hamstring Stretch

1. Lie faceup with legs prolonged on ground.
2. Carry left leg and bend left knee so it’s aligned over left hip.
3. Evenly grip left thigh with each fingers.
4. Gently improve left foot in path of the ceiling to straighten left leg. Don’t let appropriate leg come off the underside; press appropriate heel into the underside.
5. As rapidly as there’s a stretch all through the left hamstring, bend left knee to reset.
6. Repeat.
7. Do 1-2 fashions of 5-10 reps on both sides.

Postride Stretches

After your practice, do only some static stretches. These comprise lengthening your muscle so far as it ought to more than likely go together with out ache and holding for at the least 20 seconds, per the Hospital for Particular Surgical course of. “Because of the muscle tissues are already heat from the session, the muscle tissues are further pliable, making the stretches easier,” Mara explains.

“Postworkout stretching helps to alleviate muscle tightness, promote leisure, and improve restoration,” she provides.

Foam rolling your hamstrings after a practice is also useful. A evaluation printed in 2015 all through the Worldwide Journal of Sports activities actions actions Bodily Therapy implies that foam rolling prior to performing static stretches will help you go deeper into the stretch. It is on account of making use of stress to the muscle tissues with a foam curler helps enhance blood stream and assist them loosen up, per the Cleveland Clinic.

1. Banded Supine Hamstring Stretch

1. Lie faceup on ground with legs straight.
2. Place a resistance band spherical appropriate foot, holding ends with each fingers and lifting leg in path of ceiling. Protect left leg out straight on ground.
3. Relaxation head and shoulders on ground and gently press appropriate foot in path of the ceiling. Protect for 30 seconds.
4. Repeat on left leg.
5. Do 1-3 reps of 30 seconds on both sides.

2. Downward Dealing with Canine

1. Begin on all fours, fingers and ft shoulder-width aside, with fingers immediately beneath shoulders and knees immediately beneath hips.
2. Unfold fingers aside and grip the mat.
3. Carry hips up and as soon as extra, permitting a mild bend in knees as chest comes between shoulders.
4. Press heels in path of the underside (although they don’t ought to the contact the underside). Pedal the ft to alleviate any tightness behind the legs. Evenly distribute weight between each ft and fingers. Protect slight bend in knees if that’s further cosy.
5. Drive each heels to ground and protect for 30-60 seconds.

3. Static Hamstring Crossover



1. Stand with ft collectively.
2. Cross appropriate foot in entrance of left and set it on ground beside left foot.
3. Retaining each legs straight, bend ahead on the hips to succeed in each fingers in path of toes.
4. Protect.
5. Then swap sides.
6. Do 1-3 reps of 30 seconds on both sides.


Lauren Bedosky is a contract successfully being and properly being author who focuses on defending working and vitality educating points. She writes for quite a few nationwide publications, together with Runner’s World, Prevention, Expertise Life and Girls’s Working.