Thigh posterior exercises (to do at home and at the gym)

The exercises for posterior thigh are important to increase the strength, flexibility and resistance of the leg, in addition to being important to prevent and relieve lower back pain, since many of the exercises involve this region, and prevent the occurrence of injuries. In addition, these exercises help to lift the glutes, increasing muscle mass in the region worked and decreasing excess cellulite.

It is important that the exercises for hind legs are done under the guidance and guidance of a physical education professional to avoid injuries as much as possible, especially in the case of people who do not have much flexibility or who are sedentary.

1. Squat

The squat is a complete exercise that involves several joints and several muscles, including the muscles present in the back of the thigh. There are several ways to do the squat, which can be done only with the weight of the body, with dumbbells, with the bars on the back or shoulders according to the person's training level and goal.

In the case of positioning the bar on the shoulders, it is important that you hold the bar by crossing your arms, that is, the right hand holds the bar by touching the left shoulder and vice versa. In the case of the back bar, which is the most frequent, it is recommended that the bar be held by placing the elbows towards the floor. In both cases, it is necessary to keep the heels fixed on the floor and perform the movement according to the orientation received and in its maximum amplitude so that the muscles are worked correctly.

How to do it at home: At home, it is possible to perform the squat with your own body weight and with dumbbells, also paying attention to the range of motion and the fixation of the heel to the floor.

2. Stiff

Exercise is one of the main exercises to work the posterior and gluteal muscles and can be done with either barbell or dumbbell, depending on the person's preference and degree of training. The movement of the stiff is simple, and the person must hold the load in front of the body more or less at the level of the hip and lower it keeping the back aligned and the legs stretched or slightly flexed. One way of giving more emphasis to the movement is to push the hips back when the load is lowered.

There is also a variation of this exercise that is popularly known as "good morning", in which the bar is placed on the back, as in the squat, and the person performs the stiff movement.

Some people, to give more training load and favor hypertrophy, combine the stiff with another exercise for the posterior one, often flexed lying or sitting. That is, they perform a series of one exercise and then perform the other. In such cases it is usually necessary to have an interval and 1 min to 1 min and 30 sec for the muscle to recover sufficiently to start a new series.

How to do it at home: To do the stiff at home just have two objects with similar weights that can play the same role as the dumbbells and then perform the same movement.

3. One-sided stiff

The unilateral stiff is a variation of the stiff and also allows to work the posterior muscles, in addition to promoting flexibility, strength and balance. The exercise should be done by holding a dumbbell or kettlebell in front of your body with one hand. Then, the leg corresponding to the hand that holds the weight must be fixed on the floor, while the other leg is suspended in the air while the movement is performed. The movement is the same as the stiff, that is, you must lower the load and then raise it up to the hip, and this must be done according to the quantities indicated by the training plan.

At first it is common that there is an imbalance and, therefore, it is recommended that the person lean slightly on a more or less high surface to avoid imbalance.

How to do it at home: As it is an exercise that does not depend on machines or bars, the one-sided stiff can be easily done at home or outdoors, it is only necessary for the person to take an object that he considers heavy and that can perform the same function as the dumbbell or kettlebell, or even use your own body weight to work your posterior muscles.

4. Land survey

Like the squat, the deadlift is a complete exercise, as it involves several muscles and joints, despite giving more emphasis to the muscles located in the back of the thigh. This exercise is the opposite of the stiff, that is, instead of lowering the load, you should lift the load up to the hip and then return it to the starting position. It is important to pay attention to the position of the spine and hips to avoid compensations.

Therefore, it is recommended that the exercise be done next to a mirror so that the posture is observed in the first repetitions, making corrections if necessary.

As this exercise normally uses high loads to work the leg more and requires proper posture during its execution, it is not recommended that it be done at home so that injuries can be avoided.

5. Flexora sitting

The seated flexor, also known as the flexor chair, is also an exercise indicated for strengthening and hypertrophy of the muscles present in the posterior part of the thigh. It is important, before starting the exercise, that the bench is adjusted according to the person's height, it is important that the back is well supported on the bench and that the knees are also aligned with the bench.

After adjusting the bench, the legs must be secured with the bar present in the equipment to avoid any compensation to perform the movement and, then, the flexion movement will be performed followed by the knee extension, and the extension should be performed more slowly to further stimulate muscle strengthening.

How to do it at home: This exercise can be done at home with the help of a medium-sized pilates ball. To do this, you must support the ankles of the ball and pull the ball closer to the body when bending the leg and, as you stretch the leg, position the ball in the starting place. This exercise requires strength and body awareness, it is important to keep the abdominal muscles contracted for the posterior leg muscles to be stimulated.

6. Flexora lying down

The lying flexor, also known as the flexor table, is also one of the most used exercises in leg training to work the back of the thigh. Before performing the exercise, it is important to adjust the equipment according to the height and size of the legs, to avoid the detachment of the hip and overload in the lumbar.

To do the exercise, just lie on the equipment, fit your hip on the curve of the device, bend your knees up to about 90º and return to the starting position more slowly. The amount of repetitions can vary according to the type of training and load placed. It is important that the hips and legs are stabilized in the equipment so that there is no overload to the lower back.

How to do it at home: This exercise is a little more difficult to be done alone at home, however it is possible to adapt it so that the same movement can be performed. To do this, you should lie down on a bench, with your belly facing down, and let your feet off the bench. Then, take the dumbbell with the tip of your feet and perform the same movement: bend your knees to a 90º angle and return to the starting position.

7. Back extension

This exercise, in addition to strengthening the lumbar region, also works the posterior muscles and, for this, the person must be positioned on the machine, so that the hip is at the same height of the support, and then one must lean forward. Then, with the abdominal muscles contracted and with the strength of the posterior muscles, the body must be raised until it is in a straight line, repeating the movement again afterwards.

How to do it at home: To do this exercise at home, it is interesting to have help from another person to hold the ankles during the movement. It is also interesting that it is done next to a mirror so that one can see the posture when returning to the initial position, as compensation often occurs with the hip, which facilitates the climb but which is not recommended.

8. "recoil"

The "kick" despite being an exercise more focused on the glutes but also works the muscles located in the back of the leg. At the gym, this exercise can be done on a specific machine, in which the chest must be supported on the machine's support and the leg must push the bar also present in the equipment, the movement being performed by one leg at a time. To work harder the muscle is recommended that after extending the leg, the return to the starting position is slower. The number of repetitions and sets to be performed depends on the type of training and goal of the person.

This exercise can also be done on the multistation machine, in which the person can attach one of the pulleys to the ankle and perform the same movement.

How to do it at home: To do this exercise at home, the person can stay on the four supports and perform the same movement: stretch the leg, so that the straight knee does not exceed much the height in the body, preferably staying more or less. least at the same height as the head, and slowly returns to the original position. To intensify the exercise, you can put on a shin guard with weights. It is recommended that the person stay on a mat or a rug so that they do not hurt their knees during exercise.