The hamstrings rank as the most neglected part of the body for most lifters—and that’s a dangerous thing, given our screen-based, sedentary culture.

Hours sitting behind a desk, driving, or wedged into an airline seat can cause the pecs to shorten, and the shoulders and upper back to round forward. That’s bad enough for the body. Making things worse: Most athletes overtrain movements for the anterior chain while ignoring posterior chain movements for the glutes, back, and especially their hamstrings.

The result: a tight, inflexible body that will lead to injury. When your hip flexors are locked up, the body shuts down the glutes and makes your hamstrings less efficient (so you can say goodbye to gym-rocking deadlifts and squats). It’s all connected: Tight hamstrings are a product of tight hips, which are a product of inactivated glutes. That’s one reason hamstring strains and lower back pain are so commonplace.

So to strengthen the hamstrings, you’ll need to address them directly while also targeting the glutes and overall posterior chain. Enter the ultimate hamstrings workout for advanced lifters.

DIRECTIONS

We’re going to perform this ultimate hamstrings workout as a circuit. You’ll do 10 of these six exercises, all back-to-back, to loosen those hamstrings and strengthen your posterior chain. Don’t rest between exercises.

Do three rounds of the circuit in total. You may rest a minute between rounds if needed.