How long should a beginner foam roll the hamstrings for?

Roll each leg for 30 to 60 seconds, once or twice per session, before or after lower-body training. You can do this daily, and progress by spending more time on tender spots rather than adding total rolling time.

What can you use instead of a foam roller for the hamstrings?

A lacrosse or tennis ball lets you target one tender spot with more precision. Sit on the floor, place the ball under the hamstring, and hold rather than roll. A firm rolling pin over a towel works in a pinch, and without any tool, a seated or standing hamstring stretch loosens the tissue almost as well before training.

What is foam rolling the hamstrings good for, and when should you skip it?

It readies the hip hinge before deadlifts or running and is a normal part of a pre-training routine or cooldown for lifters and runners with tight hamstrings. Skip it right over a recent hamstring strain or pull, since direct pressure on a healing muscle can aggravate it, so let an acute strain calm down first and check with a professional.

Beginner

Foam Roll Hamstrings

This drill targets hamstrings that feel tight and ropey after deadlifts, running, or hours in a chair. Rolling the back of the thigh helps the biceps femoris and semitendinosus relax so hip hinging feels smoother. Use it before lower-body work to prep the tissue or afterward as part of a cool-down.

Equipment: Foam Roller
Body part: Hamstring
Type: Recovery, Stretching
Browse by muscle: Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus

How to do it

1
Sit on the floor with the foam roller under the back of both thighs.
2
Place your hands behind you and lift your hips so your weight rests on the roller.
3
Roll slowly from just above the knees up toward the base of the glutes.
4
Pause on any tender spot and hold until the tension begins to release.
5
Continue for 30 to 60 seconds, then rotate one leg slightly inward and outward to hit both sides of the muscle.

Tips

Cross one ankle over the other to load a single hamstring with more pressure when needed.
Keep the movement slow and controlled instead of bouncing over the roller.
Breathe out as you settle onto a tight spot to help the muscle let go.

Variations

Common mistakes

The hips sag back to the floor between passes instead of staying lifted, so pressure comes and goes rather than holding steady on the tissue.
Rolling stops several inches above the knee, skipping the lower hamstring just above the crease, where tension often gathers; work down to just above the knee without rolling onto the crease itself.
The shoulders round and the hands walk too far forward, shifting the load onto the wrists instead of the arms supporting the hips.
Only two or three long passes cover the whole thigh, rather than working small sections long enough for each to actually change.

Frequently asked

How long should a beginner foam roll the hamstrings for?: Roll each leg for 30 to 60 seconds, once or twice per session, before or after lower-body training. You can do this daily, and progress by spending more time on tender spots rather than adding total rolling time.
What can you use instead of a foam roller for the hamstrings?: A lacrosse or tennis ball lets you target one tender spot with more precision. Sit on the floor, place the ball under the hamstring, and hold rather than roll. A firm rolling pin over a towel works in a pinch, and without any tool, a seated or standing hamstring stretch loosens the tissue almost as well before training.
What is foam rolling the hamstrings good for, and when should you skip it?: It readies the hip hinge before deadlifts or running and is a normal part of a pre-training routine or cooldown for lifters and runners with tight hamstrings. Skip it right over a recent hamstring strain or pull, since direct pressure on a healing muscle can aggravate it, so let an acute strain calm down first and check with a professional.

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