Reps Only exercise

Nordic Hamstring Curl form, muscles worked, and workout tracking

The Nordic hamstring curl is a knee-flexion exercise in which the ankles are anchored and the lifter lowers the torso toward the floor from a tall-kneeling position, forcing the hamstrings to resist eccentrically through a long range. Lifters and athletes use it to build eccentric hamstring strength, and it is one of the best-supported exercises in research for reducing hamstring strain risk in sprinting sports.

Nordic Hamstring Curl illustration

How to do Nordic Hamstring Curl

  1. 1Kneel on a pad with your ankles anchored firmly under a bar, heavy dumbbells, or a partner's hands.
  2. 2Set your body in a straight line from knees to head, brace your core, and squeeze your glutes.
  3. 3Inhale and lower your torso toward the floor as slowly as possible, resisting with your hamstrings while keeping your hips extended.
  4. 4Do not break at the hips to make the lowering easier; when the hamstrings give out, catch yourself with your hands in a push-up position.
  5. 5Push lightly off the floor to assist the return, pull yourself back up with your hamstrings, and exhale at the top before the next rep.

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Track Nordic Hamstring Curl in Plates

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