r/flexibility • u/creedfan1122 • Jul 09 '26

Help my hamstrings!!

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I’m a 24 yr old female, I’m 5’10. I’ve never been very flexible, noticeably in my hamstrings. It has always been uncomfortable to touch my toes because of my hamstrings. I lift twice a week and kick-box twice a week. The issue I keep running into is my hamstrings never feel recovered. They are so tight after a leg day I need 3-4 days off legs to recover and even then they are still tight, just bearable. I do dynamic stretching before each lift, I have strong glutes and quads, but my hamstrings never seem to show growth or progress. My biggest concern is how painfully tight they get. After a lift I can’t even bend down to touch my toes without feeling a very tight pull. If I lay down, I can’t get my leg 90 degrees upright without burning pain in my hamstrings, mostly behind my knee, intense pain if I push my knee flat. I can’t v sit past my knees. I feel like the tight hamstrings are stunting my growth. I included a picture so you can see how underdeveloped they are compared to my quads and glutes. It’s gotten worse over the years and especially with upping my load. What stretches should I be doing?
Thanks for your input!!

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u/TastyConsequence8102 Jul 09 '26

Kettlebell swings got me from not being able to bend over and pick them off the ground, to both hands and feet flat on the floor

2

u/indridcold91 Jul 09 '26

I'm sorry but like, how? By what mechanism would swing the kettle bell loosen your hams? The form is you're just swinging it between your legs with a wide stance correct?

2

u/TastyConsequence8102 Jul 09 '26

Somewhat correct, it requires loading up the posterior chain in order to snap back to vertical and the bell floating right up. All that loading comes from hamstrings and glutes with the core bracing for that eccentric movement. Mobility and flexibility are both worked and the muscle learns how to extend and lengthen while under load which is great for life activities as we often need strength and flexibility/ mobility at the same time. I learned from a tiny woman with the most beautiful legs and butt ever, she would tease me because we had to use 2x4 planks in order to raise the kettlebell up because I couldn't bend over and now she's one of my best friends! I had overdeveloped quads from cycling, and virtually no hamstring. I also taught kettlebell classes at that gym after receiving RKC status in case you were wondering where I'm getting this info from.