Hamstring Walkout
A hamstring walkout starts in a supine bridge and alternately steps the feet away from and back toward the body while the hips remain raised.
The movement
Lie on your back with bent knees and raise the hips into a bridge. Take small alternating steps away from the body, then walk the feet back. Keep the range controllable; shortening the walkout when the hips drop is an optional regression. This is a foot walkout from a bridge, not an inchworm performed by walking the hands to a plank.
Football+ Manual · Hamstring walkout
Evidence and limits
The hamstrings cross the hip and knee and contribute to hip extension and knee flexion. The walkout changes the bridge lever as the feet move away, but the sources reviewed do not establish an exact eccentric-versus-concentric split for every phase. Reviews finding lower injury rates from eccentric hamstring programmes largely examine Nordic hamstring exercises or multicomponent protocols. Those results cannot be assigned specifically to hamstring walkouts.
OpenStax · Posterior thigh muscles · Song et al. 2023 · Eccentric hamstring programmes
Use in HYROX® training
HYROX® Singles contains about 8 km of running, but the current rulebook does not prescribe this drill. It can be used as an optional posterior-chain exercise. The evidence reviewed does not validate a universal 2–3 sets of 6–8, a fixed one-to-two-second step, or a promise that walkouts prevent strains during HYROX® running.
HYROX® Singles 2026/27 · Song et al. 2023 · Eccentric hamstring programmes
FAQ
How many repetitions should I do?
Choose a range and repetition count that you can perform with control. Reducing the distance when the hips drop is a coaching adjustment; six to eight repetitions is not a universal evidence-based requirement.
Song et al. 2023 · Eccentric hamstring programmes
Can I add a dumbbell?
Adding load changes the exercise and may be appropriate for some trainees, but the reviewed sources do not establish that a dumbbell on the hips is suitable for everyone. Progress only within your ability and training plan.
Football+ Manual · Hamstring walkout
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