Anatomy Chart courtesy of FCIT
These muscles originate just underneath the Gluteus Maximus on the pelvic bone and attach on the tibia.
The Hamstrings are primarily fast-twitch muscles, responding to low reps and powerful movements.
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Hamstring Muscle Anatomy
The Hamstrings are actually comprised of three separate muscles: the Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus and Semimembranosus.
Functions of the Hamstring Muscles
The "commonly thought of" primary functions of the Hamstrings are knee flexion (bringing the heel towards the buttocks) and hip extension (moving the leg to the rear).
An example of knee flexion is the leg curl exercise and an example of hip extension is the stiff-legged deadlift exercise.
In movement, the hamstrings "primary" function is NOT knee flexion. In walking or running, for example, the primary function of the hamstring is to decelerate the lower leg in the sagittal plane. Positionally, knee flexion in walking/running occurs as a result of hip flexion and plantar flexion, again positionally. When the body responds to gravity, function changes (thank you to Jonathan Hewitt, APT - Athletic Enhancement Systems, for this contribution!)
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About Nick Nilsson
Flying in the face of conventional wisdom, he’s known around the world as the "Mad Scientist of Muscle” for a reason.
An expert in kinesiology, physiology and anatomy, Nick helps people just like YOU create the body you want, especially when nothing else seems to do the trick.
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