← EXERCISE LIBRARYStrength
Nordic Curl
A kneeling eccentric hamstring curl with the ankles anchored. Extremely demanding through the lengthened position and used in low sets of 3-6 for hamstring resilience.
- 01Kneel on a mat with the ankles held down by a partner or a fixed pad.
- 02Set the hips straight so the body forms one line from knees to head.
- 03Brace the trunk and squeeze the glutes.
- 04Lower forward as slowly as possible, resisting with the hamstrings.
- 05Catch yourself with the hands and push back to the start, or pull back if you can.
- 01Hips locked, no bending at the waist.
- 02Fight it the whole way down.
- 03Hands ready to catch.
- 01Breaking at the hips to slow the descent — the lever shortens and the hamstrings get a fraction of the load.
- 02Dropping fast once past the sticking point — that middle range is exactly where the exercise is doing its work.
- 03Adding volume too quickly — this lift produces severe soreness and eats into the rest of the training week.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.