Exercise Library
Nordic Hamstring Curl
The Nordic hamstring curl anchors your ankles under a bar or a partner's hands, then challenges your hamstrings to control your body's fall forward from a kneeling position. It's one of the few exercises that trains the hamstrings through a lengthened, eccentric-only range, which is why it shows up so often in injury-prevention research.
Primary muscle
Primary: Hamstrings Secondary: Glutes
Equipment
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Category
Hamstrings
How to Do the Nordic Hamstring Curl
- Kneel on a padded surface with your ankles secured under a bar, pad, or a partner's firm grip.
- Keep your hips extended and your body in a straight line from knees to shoulders.
- Cross your arms over your chest or keep your hands ready near the floor to catch yourself.
- Slowly lean forward from the knees, resisting with your hamstrings for as long as possible.
- Keep your hips extended throughout the descent rather than folding at the waist.
- Once you can no longer control the lowering, catch yourself gently with your hands on the floor.
- Push off the floor and use your arms to help return to the starting kneeling position.
Common Mistakes
- Bending at the hips instead of the knees: Folding at the waist shifts the work away from the hamstrings and toward the hip flexors. Keep your hips locked in extension the whole way down.
- Dropping too fast without resisting: Letting gravity take over defeats the purpose of the eccentric-only movement. Fight the descent with your hamstrings for as much of the range as possible.
- Skipping the arm catch: Not preparing your hands to catch your fall risks a face-first drop as strength runs out. Keep your arms ready to absorb the last part of the descent.
- Doing too many reps too soon: This exercise creates significant muscle soreness in beginners. Start with 2 to 3 reps per set and add volume gradually over several weeks.
Track This Exercise in the App
Log your nordic hamstring curl sets in 1RM.fit and watch your estimated 1RM update automatically as you get stronger.