The absolute best way to stretch the hamstring is sitting on a bench with one foot on the floor and the other leg on the bench. It's also critical to make sure that with the leg on the bench that your foot is dangling just off the edge of the bench. Most hamstring stretches also put the calf in a stretched position which when stretching the hamstring at the same time puts a ton of tension on the ligaments at the back of the knee as the calf muscle attaches above the knee joint and the hamstring below it.
By sitting on a bench you're in a very stable position and can easily control the amount of stretch. By stretching only one leg you also put less tension on the low back and can really focus stretching the hamstrings. If you want after you can also stretch the low back. Plus this position is excellent for doing PNF stretches for the hamstrings, and PNF stretches happen to be one of the most effective ways to stretch.
The pic below is a pretty good example, but the girl needs to be sitting just a little more forward so her foot is completely off the bench. You want your ankle to be at or just past the edge of the bench so your foot can just dangle there to let the calf muscle completely relax.
Dec. 30, 2024, 5:17 p.m. - Mark
The absolute best way to stretch the hamstring is sitting on a bench with one foot on the floor and the other leg on the bench. It's also critical to make sure that with the leg on the bench that your foot is dangling just off the edge of the bench. Most hamstring stretches also put the calf in a stretched position which when stretching the hamstring at the same time puts a ton of tension on the ligaments at the back of the knee as the calf muscle attaches above the knee joint and the hamstring below it. By sitting on a bench you're in a very stable position and can easily control the amount of stretch. By stretching only one leg you also put less tension on the low back and can really focus stretching the hamstrings. If you want after you can also stretch the low back. Plus this position is excellent for doing PNF stretches for the hamstrings, and PNF stretches happen to be one of the most effective ways to stretch. The pic below is a pretty good example, but the girl needs to be sitting just a little more forward so her foot is completely off the bench. You want your ankle to be at or just past the edge of the bench so your foot can just dangle there to let the calf muscle completely relax. 