Dani Marks Presents the Kneeling Toe-Raised Hamstring Stretch
Start by kneeling down on one knee.
Put your other leg forwards and keep your heel touching the ground.
Point your toes back towards your body whilst keeping your back straight.
With one hand reach towards your toes. You may need to keep balance with the other hand.
Note:Â The important thing here is not to be able to touch your toes. The focus should be on your toes pointing upwards and keeping your back straight.
Primary Muscles:
Semimembranosus
Semitendinosus
Biceps femoris
Secondary Muscles:
Gastrocnemius
Soleus
The Semimembranosus muscle is located in the back inner side of the thigh. Together with the semitendinosus and bicep femoris, also located at the back of the thigh, they make up what is commonly known as the hamstrings.
The semimebranosus starts at the back of the pelvis, at a point known as the ischial tuberosity. It moves its way down through the back of the thigh, crossing the knee joint, and ending at the top inner side of the leg bone. The semimembranosus moves across the hip joint and the knee joint and helps with movements at the two joints. At the hip, it helps to extend the hip and rotate the thigh. At the knee joint, it assists with flexing the knee and rotating the leg inwards. Thus the semimbranosus helps with many everyday activities such as standing up from a sitting position and going up stairs. It is also used in activities such as running, jumping and lower body weight lifting.
Injuring the semimembranosus is more likely to happen if you live an active lifestyle. Usually the muscle is overworked and may develop inflammation, or even a tear. Pain felt at the lower back, limitation with movements such as walking or running, pain at the back of the thigh while moving from a sitting position to standing position may all be indicators of an injured semimembronasus. Pain at the back inner side of the knee may also indicate an injury to the semimebronasus known as semimembranosus tendinopathy.
The Semitendinosus muscle is located at the back of the thigh. Together with the semimembranosus and the biceps femoris muscles they create what is commonly known as the hamstrings.
The semitendinosus starting point is at the ischial tuberosity, located at the back end of the ischium, which is the lower back end of the hip bone. It then moves its way downward along the back of the thigh, across the knee joint ending at the top of the leg bone. The semitendinosus works the hip joint and the knee joint. At the hip, it helps rotate and extend the thigh. At the knee it helps flex the leg, and together with the other hamstrings muscles rotate the leg. It also helps with stabilizing the knee.
If there is pain at the back of the thigh, the knee, hip or lower back it may be an indication that there is an injury to the semitendinosus. Injuring the muscle may occur from sudden movements, movements that require force such as jumping or weight lifting or overuse of the muscle.
It is important to remember to warm up the muscle area before starting exercising. It will help strengthen and prevent injuries to the muscle. Lunges, hamstring curls, leg raises are some of the exercises that can be done to help strengthen the semitendinosus. It is also important to stretch the muscle after completing the workout to help prevent injury to the muscle.
The Bicep Femoris is located at the back the thigh, and together with the semimembranosus and the semitendinosus muscles they create what is commonly known as the hamstrings.
The bicep femoris is made out of two heads, the long head and short head. The long head starts at the inner side of the pelvis, known as ischial tuberosity, and moves all the way down across the back of the thigh, moving across the knee joint and ends at the top of fibula, one of the two leg bones. The short head starts at the lower part of the back of the thigh bone, it moves its way downward across the knee joint, joining itself with the long head ending together at the top of the fibula. The long head of the biceps femoris works the hip and knee joints, while the short head only works the knee joint. At the hip the bicep femoris helps with extension and rotation of the thigh. At the knee it helps with flexion and rotation of the leg. It also works in movements such as running, jumping and weight lifting.
Injuring the biceps femoris may happen when overloading the muscle or a sudden movement to the muscle. Overusing the muscle may lead to inflammation and even a tear. Injuring the biceps femoris is more common with those who involve power movements such as sprinting or power lifting. Pain felt in the lower back, at the knee, limited movement while walking or running could all be indicators to an injured biceps femoris.
To help prevent injuries to the biceps femoris it is important to remember to warm up the hip, thigh and knee areas before the start of a workout. Strengthening the bicep femoris could be done with many different exercises such as hamstring curls and deadlifts. These exercises could be done using weights, your own bodyweight or with exercise bands. After completing a workout it is important to stretch the area to help prevent injury.
Basketball. Netball. Cycling. Hiking. Backpacking. Mountaineering. Orienteering. Ice hockey. Field hockey. Ice-skating. Roller-skating. Inline skating. Martial arts. Running. Track. Cross-country. American football (gridiron). Soccer. Rugby. Snowskiing. Water skiing. Surfing. Walking. Race walking. Wrestling.
Lower back muscle strain.
Lower back ligament sprain.
Hamstring strain.
Calf strain.