Upper Back-Leg Grab

A beginner mobility exercise that works the hamstrings.

Upper Back-Leg Grab — Starting position Starting position
Upper Back-Leg Grab — End position End position
Difficulty Beginner
Type Stretching
Equipment Not specified
Primary Muscle Hamstrings
Logged As Time held

How to Do Upper Back-Leg Grab

  1. While seated, bend forward to hug your thighs from underneath with both arms.
  2. Keep your knees together and your legs extended out as you bring your chest down to your knees. You can also stretch your middle back by pulling your back away from your knees as your hugging them.

Muscles Worked

Back

Primary

Where Upper Back-Leg Grab does most of its work.

Secondary

Assisting and stabilising muscles.

Alternatives to Upper Back-Leg Grab

10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.

  1. 1 Front Leg Raises

    Front Leg Raises

    A beginner mobility exercise that works the hamstrings, needing no equipment.

    beginner No Equipment
  2. 2 Chair Leg Extended Stretch

    Chair Leg Extended Stretch

    A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the hamstrings.

    beginner Not specified
  3. 3 Leg-Up Hamstring Stretch

    Leg-Up Hamstring Stretch

    A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the hamstrings.

    beginner Not specified
  4. 4 Hamstring-SMR

    Hamstring-SMR

    A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the hamstrings, using a foam roller.

    beginner Foam Roller
  5. 5 Inchworm

    Inchworm

    A beginner compound mobility exercise that works the hamstrings, needing no equipment.

    beginner No Equipment
  6. 6 Hamstring Stretch

    Hamstring Stretch

    A beginner isolation mobility exercise that works the hamstrings.

    beginner Not specified
  7. 7 Runner's Stretch

    Runner's Stretch

    A beginner mobility exercise that works the hamstrings.

    beginner Not specified
  8. 8 Seated Floor Hamstring Stretch

    Seated Floor Hamstring Stretch

    A beginner mobility exercise that works the hamstrings.

    beginner Not specified
  9. 9 Standing Hamstring and Calf Stretch

    Standing Hamstring and Calf Stretch

    A beginner mobility exercise that works the hamstrings.

    beginner Not specified
  10. 10 Standing Toe Touches

    Standing Toe Touches

    A beginner mobility exercise that works the hamstrings.

    beginner Not specified

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do upper back-leg grab work?

Upper Back-Leg Grab primarily works the hamstrings. The lower back and upper back assist as secondary muscles.

What equipment do I need for upper back-leg grab?

The source dataset does not record equipment for upper back-leg grab. Check the instructions above before you set up.

Upper Back-Leg Grab: is it suitable for beginners?

Yes. Upper Back-Leg Grab is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.

What can I do instead of upper back-leg grab?

Front Leg Raises, Chair Leg Extended Stretch, Leg-Up Hamstring Stretch train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.

How do I log upper back-leg grab in Fitnit?

As time held rather than reps. Fitnit records the seconds and credits them to the hamstrings on your body map, so you can see which muscles you train hard and never stretch.

Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.

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