Legs · Bodyweight
Standing Hamstrings and Back Stretch
How to do the standing hamstrings and back stretch, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- time
- Movement
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand tall, then hinge forward at the hips and let your upper body hang toward the floor with a soft bend in the knees. Relax your neck and reach toward your shins or toes, holding the position and breathing into the stretch.
- 1A stretch down the back of your legs
- 2Your lower back and spine lengthening as you hang
- 3Tension easing each time you exhale
Common mistakes
- Bouncing to force a deeper stretch
- Locking your knees hard
- Rounding aggressively or straining your neck
Muscles worked
The standing hamstrings and back stretch mainly works the hamstrings, with the lower back and glutes assisting.
- HamstringsPrimary
- Lower BackSupport
- GlutesSupport
- LatsMinor
- CalvesMinor
Kovo programs the standing hamstrings and back stretch for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More hamstrings exercises
- How to do the deficit rdl
- How to do the leg curl
- How to do the dumbbell rdl
- How to do the glute ham raise
- How to do the jefferson curl
- How to do the leg swings
Last reviewed June 2026.