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Exercises

Dumbbell hamstring exercises: hinges, swings and thrusts

Published October 19, 2026

The best dumbbell hamstring exercises are the dumbbell Romanian deadlift, the single-leg RDL, the B-stance RDL and the dumbbell good morning, all hinges that stretch the hamstrings under load. Add a hip thrust or glute bridge with your feet set further out for the locked-out end of the range, and the dumbbell swing if you want speed. Dumbbells can't easily load a leg curl, so make hinges the core of every session: 6 to 12 hard sets a week, 8 to 15 reps, stopping 1 to 2 reps short of failure.

  1. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift Hamstrings, Glutes
  2. Single-Leg RDL Hamstrings, Glutes
  3. Dumbbell B-Stance RDL Hamstrings, Glutes
  4. Dumbbell Good Morning Hamstrings, Lower Back
  5. Dumbbell Hip Thrust Glutes
  6. Dumbbell Swing Glutes, Hamstrings
  7. Single-Leg Hip Thrust Glutes

Dumbbell Romanian deadlift variations

Every RDL keeps your knees almost straight while your hips travel back, so the hamstrings lengthen with the dumbbells pulling on them. The three versions differ in how much of the load one leg takes: both feet down for the heaviest sets, a staggered stance for more work per leg, and one leg for the most work with the lightest dumbbell.

Hamstrings, heavy two-leg hinge

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings, Glutes

It is the dumbbell hamstring exercise that takes the most weight, and the stretch at the bottom is where hamstrings respond best. If you only do one exercise from this page, make it this one.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall with the dumbbells resting against your thighs, palms toward you and feet under your hips.
  2. Bend your knees a little and keep that bend while you send your hips backward.
  3. Slide the dumbbells down the fronts of your legs until your hamstrings are fully stretched, with your spine still long.
  4. Push the floor away through your heels and bring your hips through to stand.

Cues

  • Push the hips toward the wall behind you
  • Shins stay vertical
  • Bells skim the legs

Common mistakes

  • Reaching for the floor at the cost of a rounded back: the end of the rep is where the hamstrings stop you, often just below the knee.
  • Letting the dumbbells drift forward away from your legs: it shifts the load to your lower back. Keep them close all the way.

Swap for: Dumbbell B-Stance RDL, Single-Leg RDL, Dumbbell Good Morning

Build a session with Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings, one leg biased

Dumbbell B-Stance RDL

Hamstrings, Glutes

It loads one hamstring at a time with nearly the stability of a normal RDL, so it bridges the gap when your heaviest pair is too light for two-leg RDLs but single-leg ones fall apart on balance.

How to do it

  1. Take two dumbbells and set one foot back so its toes line up with the front heel, back heel raised.
  2. Put about 80 percent of your weight through the front foot and soften that knee.
  3. Send your hips back and let the dumbbells travel down along the front leg until that hamstring is stretched.
  4. Stand back up by driving the front heel down. Do all reps, then switch the front leg.

Cues

  • Front heel does the work
  • Back toes only for balance
  • Hips stay square

Common mistakes

  • Splitting the load evenly between both feet: lighten the back foot until it barely touches.
  • Twisting toward the back leg on the way down: keep both hips facing forward.

Swap for: Single-Leg RDL, Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, Dumbbell Good Morning

Build a session with Dumbbell B-Stance RDL

Hamstrings, one-leg hinge

Single-Leg RDL

Hamstrings, Glutes

One leg carries everything, so a moderate dumbbell gives each hamstring a hard set. It also trains the hip to hold steady on one foot, which carries over to running and lunging.

How to do it

  1. Stand on your left leg, knee slightly bent, with the weight held in your right hand.
  2. Tip forward from the hip as your right leg reaches straight behind you.
  3. Lower the dumbbell toward the floor until your left hamstring is stretched and your torso is close to parallel.
  4. Pull your hips forward to return to standing. Finish the set, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Body moves like a seesaw
  • Back toes point at the floor
  • Keep the standing knee's bend fixed

Common mistakes

  • Rotating the hips open to reach lower: it feels deeper but loses the hamstring stretch. Square up and accept less range.
  • Rushing because balance is shaky: touch a wall with your free hand and keep the tempo slow.

Swap for: Dumbbell B-Stance RDL, Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, Dumbbell Swing

Build a session with Single-Leg RDL

Good mornings and swings

Holding the dumbbells at your shoulders instead of your hands makes a hinge feel much heavier, which is why the good morning works with a lighter pair than an RDL. The swing is the same hinge done explosively with one dumbbell held by the end.

Hamstrings and lower back, shoulder-loaded hinge

Dumbbell Good Morning

Hamstrings, Lower Back

With the weight on your shoulders, the lever is long, so a pair of 15s can feel like 40s in an RDL. That makes it the best choice when your dumbbells are too light to challenge your hamstrings in a normal deadlift.

How to do it

  1. Hold a dumbbell on each shoulder, or one held vertically against your chest, and stand with a slight knee bend.
  2. Push your hips back and let your chest travel toward the floor, keeping your back flat.
  3. Go down until your torso is close to parallel or your hamstrings will not let you go further.
  4. Squeeze your glutes to bring your torso back up to standing.

Cues

  • Hips back as the chest goes down
  • Elbows stay up
  • Neck in line with your back

Common mistakes

  • Rounding the upper back as you go down: the dumbbells end up pulling you forward. Reduce the range or the weight.
  • Turning it into a squat: if your knees bend more as you go down, set them and leave them.

Swap for: Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, Dumbbell B-Stance RDL, Single-Leg RDL

Build a session with Dumbbell Good Morning

Hamstrings and glutes, explosive hinge

Dumbbell Swing

Glutes, Hamstrings

It turns one dumbbell into a power and conditioning tool, and the hamstrings have to brake the dumbbell on the way down and snap your hips open on the way up. Use it as a finisher or on short days, not in place of the RDL.

How to do it

  1. Hold one dumbbell by its top end with both hands, feet a little wider than your hips.
  2. Hike it back between your thighs by hinging, keeping your arms straight.
  3. Drive your hips forward so the dumbbell rises to about chest height, standing fully upright.
  4. Let it drop back between your legs and hinge to absorb it, then go straight into the next rep.

Cues

  • Hinge, do not squat
  • Arms are ropes
  • Lock out the hips at the top

Common mistakes

  • Raising the dumbbell with your shoulders: the height comes from the hip drive.
  • Bending the knees deeply at the bottom: keep the shins near vertical so the hamstrings load.

Swap for: Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, Single-Leg RDL, Dumbbell Hip Thrust

Build a session with Dumbbell Swing

Hip thrusts and bridges for the hamstrings

Thrusts and bridges are glute exercises first, but the hamstrings help extend the hip, and setting your heels a little further from your hips shifts more of the work onto them. They train the shortened end of the range the RDL misses, without any load on your lower back.

Glutes and hamstrings, loaded hip extension

Dumbbell Hip Thrust

Glutes

It lets you load hip extension heavily with your back supported on a bench, which spares the lower back on days your RDLs have already used it up. Set your feet slightly further out than a glute-focused thrust to bring the hamstrings in.

How to do it

  1. Sit down with your shoulder blades against a bench and a dumbbell across your hips, held with both hands.
  2. Plant your feet so your shins will be vertical or a little past vertical at the top.
  3. Drive through your heels and raise your hips until your torso is level with the bench.
  4. Pause, then lower until your glutes are just above the floor.

Cues

  • Chin tucked, ribs down
  • Heels drive, toes light
  • Hips finish level with your knees

Common mistakes

  • Arching your lower back to finish: the top should come from the hips, not the spine.
  • Feet so close that you feel only your quads: walk them out a few inches.

Swap for: Dumbbell Staggered Hip Thrust, Single-Leg Hip Thrust, Dumbbell Glute Bridge

Build a session with Dumbbell Hip Thrust

Glutes and hamstrings, one-side-biased thrust

Dumbbell Staggered Hip Thrust

Glutes

With one foot forward and one back, the working side carries most of the load, so a single dumbbell gives a hard set before you are ready for full single-leg thrusts.

How to do it

  1. Set up as for a hip thrust with a dumbbell on your hips and your back against a bench.
  2. Slide one foot forward so only its heel stays down, keeping the working foot planted under its knee.
  3. Drive through the planted foot and lift your hips until your torso is level.
  4. Lower under control and do all reps before switching the foot positions.

Cues

  • Working heel planted
  • Front foot just steadies
  • Hips stay level

Common mistakes

  • Pushing through both feet equally: the forward foot should only touch, not press.
  • Letting one hip drop: hold the dumbbell centered and keep the belt line flat.

Swap for: Single-Leg Hip Thrust, Dumbbell Hip Thrust, Dumbbell Glute Bridge

Build a session with Dumbbell Staggered Hip Thrust

Glutes and hamstrings, one-leg thrust

Single-Leg Hip Thrust

Glutes

One leg lifts your full hip weight, so it is hard even with a light dumbbell or none. It is the pick when your dumbbells are light and the two-leg thrust has stopped being challenging.

How to do it

  1. Rest your upper back on a bench, one foot planted, the other knee pulled toward your chest, a dumbbell on the working hip if you need it.
  2. Drive through the planted heel and raise your hips until your torso is level.
  3. Hold one second at the top.
  4. Lower slowly, then repeat. Do all reps on one side before switching.

Cues

  • Push the floor away with one heel
  • Keep both hips the same height
  • Slow lowering

Common mistakes

  • Pushing off the floor with the hands: keep your arms on the bench.
  • Letting the hip drop on the free-leg side: brace and slow down.

Swap for: Dumbbell Staggered Hip Thrust, Dumbbell Hip Thrust, Dumbbell Glute Bridge

Build a session with Single-Leg Hip Thrust

Glutes and hamstrings, floor bridge

Dumbbell Glute Bridge

Glutes

It is the thrust without a bench, so it fits any floor. The range is shorter than a thrust, which makes it a good finisher with long pauses at the top rather than a heavy main lift.

How to do it

  1. Lie face up with your knees bent, feet flat, and a dumbbell held across your hips.
  2. Set your heels a hand's width further from your hips than feels natural.
  3. Press through your heels and lift your hips until your knees, hips and shoulders line up.
  4. Hold for a second, then lower until your glutes lightly touch the floor.

Cues

  • Heels far enough to feel the hamstrings
  • Squeeze and hold
  • Ribs stay down

Common mistakes

  • Pushing through the toes: lift them slightly to keep the heels working.
  • Bouncing off the floor between reps: touch and go up slowly.

Swap for: Dumbbell Hip Thrust, Single-Leg Hip Thrust, Dumbbell Staggered Hip Thrust

Build a session with Dumbbell Glute Bridge

Lunges and the hamstrings

A reverse lunge with a slight forward lean of your torso brings the hamstrings in more than an upright lunge, though your quads and glutes still do most of the work. Use it when you want one exercise that covers the whole leg.

Quads, glutes and hamstrings, lunge

Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

Quads, Glutes

Stepping back instead of forward keeps the front shin more vertical, and a small forward lean of the torso adds hamstring and glute work to what is mostly a quad exercise. It belongs here as the one whole-leg move.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall, dumbbells hanging at your sides.
  2. Step one foot back and lower until the back knee nearly touches the floor, leaning your chest forward slightly.
  3. Keep most of your weight on the front heel.
  4. Drive through that heel to return to standing, then step back with the same or the other leg.

Cues

  • Long step back
  • Chest leans a little over the front thigh
  • Front heel stays heavy

Common mistakes

  • Stepping back too short: the front knee shoots forward and the quads take everything.
  • Pushing off the back foot to stand up: let the front leg do it.

Swap for: Single-Leg RDL, Dumbbell B-Stance RDL, Dumbbell Glute Bridge

Build a session with Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

One light pair of dumbbells, no bench

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells

You train at home with one fixed pair of light dumbbells, roughly 10 to 25 pounds each, and no bench.

A light pair runs out fast on two-leg RDLs, so this session moves the load onto one leg at a time and onto the shoulders: the single-leg RDL and B-stance RDL each double the work per hamstring, and the good morning lengthens the lever. The floor bridge closes the session without a bench. Every set ends 1 rep short of failure because light weights only grow muscle when sets are close to the limit, which gives 11 hard sets.

Hamstrings (Light Pair)
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Single-Leg RDLPer leg. Two dumbbells. 3 × 10–15 1 75 s
Dumbbell B-Stance RDLPer leg. 3 s down. 3 × 10–15 1 75 s
Dumbbell Good MorningDumbbells on the shoulders. 2 × 12–20 1 90 s
Dumbbell Glute BridgeBoth dumbbells on the hips. Heels out. 3 × 15–25 1 1 min
How to run it
Run the session twice a week with two or more days between. Do the RDLs first while balance is fresh, then the good mornings and the bridge.
How to progress
Add reps until you reach the top of the range at the target RIR, then slow the lowering to four seconds, add a one-second pause at the bottom of each hinge, or add a set.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Heavy or adjustable dumbbells and a bench

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets18 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells

You have adjustable dumbbells or a rack that goes heavy enough to challenge a two-leg RDL for 8 reps, and a flat bench.

With enough load, the two-leg RDL becomes the main lift of Session A at 1 to 2 reps in reserve and 8 to 12 reps, and the hip thrust trains the top of the range with your back supported. Session B uses the good morning and single-leg thrust so each hamstring gets a heavy hinge, a one-side hinge and a thrust across the week, about 18 hard sets in total. The RDL stays at 2 reps in reserve on the first set because heavy hinges degrade technique first.

Hamstrings A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift2 warm-up sets firstHeaviest pair. 2 RIR on set 1. 4 × 8–12 1 2:30 min
Dumbbell Hip ThrustFeet a bit further out. 3 × 8–12 1 2 min
Single-Leg RDLPer leg. 2 × 8–12 2 75 s

Open Hamstrings A in the session builder

Hamstrings B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Good Morning1 warm-up set first3 s down. 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Dumbbell B-Stance RDLPer leg. 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Single-Leg Hip ThrustPer leg. Dumbbell on the hip. 3 × 8–15 1 75 s

Open Hamstrings B in the session builder

How to run it
Do Session A and Session B once each per week with at least two days between. Warm up the RDL with one or two lighter sets.
How to progress
When all sets hit the top of the range at the target RIR, move up one dumbbell increment and drop back to the bottom of the range.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

One dumbbell, 15 minutes after another workout

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~15 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Flat Bench

You train upper body or full body most days and want hamstrings covered in about 15 minutes at the end, with a single dumbbell and a couch or bench.

After another workout you are short on time and energy, so this session uses three moves with low setup cost: swings to warm the hamstrings and add power, the staggered thrust for the top of the range, and the single-leg RDL for the stretch, paired with the thrust to save time. Eight sets at 1 to 2 reps in reserve, three times a week, adds up to more weekly volume than one long session without leaving you sore for the next one.

Hamstring Finisher
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell SwingExplosive. Stop when the hips slow down. 2 × 12–20 2 1 min
A1 Single-Leg RDLPer leg. 3 × 8–15 1 45 s
A2 Dumbbell Staggered Hip ThrustPer side. Back on the couch or bench. 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
How to run it
Do it at the end of three of your weekly workouts. Swings first, then alternate the single-leg RDL and staggered thrust with minimal rest.
How to progress
Add reps to the RDL and thrust each week; once both reach the top at the target RIR, use a heavier dumbbell or slow the lowering to three seconds.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What is the best dumbbell exercise for hamstrings?

The dumbbell Romanian deadlift. It loads the hamstrings in a long stretch with the most weight you can hold, and it is easy to progress. If your dumbbells are light, the single-leg RDL is the better pick.

Can you do leg curls with a dumbbell?

You can lie face down and squeeze a dumbbell between your feet, but it is awkward to set up and the load tops out quickly. Most lifters get more from hinges like the RDL plus a hip thrust or bridge with the feet set further out.

How do I strengthen my hamstrings with dumbbells?

Do a Romanian deadlift variation twice a week, 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 15 reps, stopping 1 to 2 reps short of failure, and add a hip thrust or bridge. When you hit the top of the rep range, use a heavier dumbbell or move to the single-leg version.

Are lunges good for hamstrings?

They help a little, but the quads and glutes do most of the work. A reverse lunge with a slight forward lean brings the hamstrings in more; for real hamstring growth you still need a hinge.

How many reps should you do for hamstrings?

Between 8 and 15 reps works well for dumbbell hinges and thrusts, and up to 20 with lighter dumbbells. What matters more is stopping each set 0 to 2 reps short of failure.

How do I stretch my hamstrings with dumbbells?

The bottom of a slow Romanian deadlift is a loaded stretch: lower over three seconds and pause briefly at the deepest point you can hold with a flat back. That builds strength in the stretched position as well as flexibility.