How to Strengthen the Hamstrings for Soccer: The Secret to Injury Prevention
Strengthening your hamstrings is one of the BEST things you can do to prevent injuries in soccer. And I stand by that.
Soccer is a quadriceps-dominant sport, with all the running and kicking that are involved. Plus, you’re moving around, weaving in and out of other players, all while in a very slight semi-squat position.
All of those movements involve heavy use of the quadriceps muscles (to kick, run, semi-squat) and can result in over-development of the quadriceps and weakness in the opposing muscle groups, like the hamstrings and glutes
This can lead to muscle imbalances long term, which puts soccer players at risk for ACL tears and meniscus tears.
The key: you need to know how to strengthen your hamstrings for soccer. It truly is the secret to injury prevention.
Why Target Hamstring Strength?
Often times, a focused strength training program can help to address these areas of weakness in the hamstrings and glutes and prevent injury. Plus, the side effects of training are pretty awesome. Who doesn’t want to get faster, stronger, and spend less time on the sidelines?
A lot of athletes have tight hamstrings. And it’s commonly mistaken for strength, but in reality, it’s usually a sign of muscle weakness. The muscle group compensates for lack of strength by tightening up.
I find that my athletes actually see an increase in hamstring mobility when they start targeting hamstring strengthening.
The Best Way to Strengthen Hamstrings for Soccer
It’s important to make sure that your training plan supports you where you’re at in relation to your sports season. Your train load, exercise selection, and plan should change depending on if you’re in-season, pre-season, or in the off-season.
However, I do recommend at least two days per week of strength training no matter what.
It may look differently in time, duration, and intensity depending on which part of your training cycle you’re currently in, but make it a point to train strength at least twice per week.
I recommend incorporating at least 2-4 of these hamstring strengthening exercises per week:
Hamstring curls with stability ball
Romanian deadlifts (RDLs) - either single or double leg
TRX hamstring curls
Nordic curl machine - no, not the seated one you see everyone on at the gym
Glute hamstring developer (GHD) - you’ll want to Google this machine
Good mornings
Single leg squats
Bulgarian squats
Side lunges
And here’s a starting point for a range of sets and repetitions of each exercise:
2-4 sets
8-12 repetitions of each (on each side)
If you’re new to lifting - check in with how you’re feeling as you go. If you did 2 sets of 10 and are feeling absolutely gassed, then I’d move on to the next exercise in your workout.
But if you’re feeling good and like you could do another set, then go for another set or two before moving on to the next exercise. It’s more important to target quality instead of quantity with your strength exercises.
Keep track of the exercises you did, the number of sets and repetitions, the resistance, and also how you felt afterwards.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with light weight and progress from there depending on how you respond. Take note of how you’re feeling the next day. If you’re so sore that you can hardly sit down on the toilet, then maybe back off the resistance a tad. If you’re feeling absolutely no soreness, then I suggest bumping the weight up.
The bottom line up front for hamstring strength and soccer
Work those hammies! Make it a point to include hamstring strengthening at least a couple times per week in your strength training workouts.
It helps promote better balance of the muscles, prevents quadriceps dominance, and helps reduce risk of injury in soccer players.
Soccer-specific strength training
If you want a more specialized and specific strength training program to improve your performance and reduce likelihood of injury then schedule a session with your local sports physical therapist.
Based on the findings in their assessment, a physical therapist can identify areas of weakness and create a customized strength program to address those areas.
And if you’re located in the Kennewick area, I'd love to help you with strengthening specific for soccer or rehab from a soccer injury.
To book with me at Game Changer Physical Therapy, you can start by booking a discovery call where we'll chat about your symptoms, expected timelines, and I'll answer any questions you have about treatment.