The hamstring curl is a great workout for strengthening your back thigh muscles, which can help you avoid injury. Just be careful not to arch your back in the process. Doing so could cause serious damage to your spine. Hamstring curls work the back of your leg and the buttocks. The hamstrings are one of four groups of muscles that extend the leg (the others being the glutes, calves, and quadriceps). Using a weight plate or dumbbell, perform hip-dominant exercises where you push away from the floor with your legs. Examples include a squat or stepover. Calf-dominant exercises involve lifting your foot off the ground while standing still. These include a jump rope exercise or walking lunges. Glute-dominant exercises require you to pull your body upward using your hips and back. Try some sumo squats or military presses. You can also do isolation exercises where only one group of muscles is worked at a time. For example, you could do straight-leg raises to work the back of your leg without affecting your glutes. Or you could try lying on your back and raising your feet toward your head—this works your hamstrings but not your glutes. Stretching is important after every workout to allow your muscles time to repair themselves.