Hamstring Walkout

Setup

1. Lie on your back on a mat with your knees bent and feet approximately hip-width apart.
2. Place your heels close enough to your hips to establish a comfortable bridge position.
3. Rest your arms on the floor, brace your trunk and keep your ribs down.
4. Press through your heels and lift your hips until your shoulders, hips and knees form a roughly straight line.

Execution

1. From the bridge, lift your toes slightly so your heels remain the main contact points.
2. Take small, alternating heel steps away from your hips while keeping your pelvis level.
3. Walk only as far as you can without your hips dropping or your lower back arching; keep a slight bend in your knees.
4. Reverse the movement with small heel steps until you return to your starting bridge position.
5. Count the full outward-and-return journey as one repetition, then lower your hips or continue with control.

Coaching cues

• Small steps, steady hips.
• Keep your ribs down rather than lifting through your lower back.
• Press each heel into the floor as though dragging it towards you.
• Finish the walkout before you lose your bridge position.

Common faults & fixes

• Hips sag as the legs straighten: shorten the walkout and rebuild range gradually.
• Lower back arches to keep the hips high: exhale, brace and hold a slightly lower bridge.
• Pelvis rocks with each step: reduce step length and move more slowly.
• Feet slide rather than step: use a non-slip surface and briefly unweight each heel.

Regressions

• Practise a static two-leg glute bridge before adding heel movement.
• Take just one small step out with each heel, then return.
• Lower your hips and reset between repetitions rather than holding the bridge continuously.

Variations

• Tempo walkout: slow each heel step while maintaining a level pelvis.
• Paused walkout: hold the furthest controlled position briefly before walking back.
• Outward-only walkout: walk your heels away, lower your hips and reset your feet before the next repetition.

Programming ideas

• Accessory strength: perform 2–3 sets of 3–6 complete walkouts, resting 60–90 seconds between sets.
• Warm-up: use 1–2 sets of 2–3 short-range repetitions without chasing fatigue.
• Home training: pair with a squat and a trunk exercise for a simple lower-body accessory session.

Safety

Use a stable, non-slip surface and begin with a short range. Stop the set if you cannot maintain pelvic control. If your hamstrings cramp, lower your hips and rest rather than forcing another repetition. Stop for sharp pain; seek individual guidance if managing a hamstring or lower-back injury.