How to Do the Nordic Hamstring Curl

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What Is a Nordic Hamstring Curl?​

The Nordic hamstring curl is a bodyweight exercise that primarily trains the hamstrings.

Typically, you perform it by kneeling on the floor and having a partner pin down your ankles, lowering your chest toward the floor by leaning forward, and lowering yourself in a controlled manner to the floor.

You then lift yourself back up by pressing off the floor with your arms and pulling with your hamstrings.

That said, there are several ways to perform the Nordic hamstring curl, many of which involve pieces of equipment that allow you to perform it more comfortably and without the assistance of a training partner.

Nordic Hamstring Curl Equipment​

Here are some of the most common pieces of equipment used to perform the Nordic hamstring curl:

• Nordic Hamstring Curl Machine: A Nordic hamstring curl machine (usually referred to as a glute ham raise machine or GHD) is a metal frame with pads for your knees and feet. It allows you to perform the Nordic curl more comfortably because the knee pad supports your knees, and the foot pad locks your feet into position, making the exercise feel more stable.
• Nordic Hamstring Curl Bench: A Nordic hamstring curl bench is a flat bench with pads to support your knees and anchor your feet to the bench, enabling you to perform Nordic ham curls comfortably without a partner.

Nordic hamstring curl benches are relatively small, making them a good solution if you train at home and have limited space.

• Nordic Hamstring Curl Strap: A Nordic hamstring curl strap is a length of durable material (typically nylon) with a foot pad at one end and an “anchor” (usually made of rubber) at the other. To use it, you slip the strap under a door and trap it in place using the rubber anchor, then hook your feet under the foot pad.

Nordic hamstring curl straps offer less support than other Nordic hamstring curl equipment, but they’re also the cheapest, smallest, and lightest option, which means they’re ideal if you have a limited budget or like to train at home or while traveling.

Nordic Hamstring Curl: Benefits​

Hamstring strains are the most common lower-body injury in athletes, particularly those who play sports requiring high-speed and explosive movements, such as sprinting, soccer, football, rugby, and basketball.

The main benefit of the Nordic curl is it decreases your risk of injury by increasing your hamstrings’ eccentric strength and fascicle length.

In other words, it trains your hamstrings to be strong in their lengthened position and it lengthens your hamstring’s muscle fibers, both of which make you significantly less likely (~51% less likely according to some research) to get injured while performing athletic movements, such as accelerating, decelerating, or changing direction at speed.

What’s more, studies suggest that the Nordic hamstring curl may also improve athletic performance by boosting agility, 10-meter sprint speed, and jump performance.

Nordic Hamstring Curl: Muscles Worked​

The hamstrings are made up of three muscles: The semimembranosus, semitendinosus, and biceps femoris. The Nordic hamstring curl trains all three as well as the glutes, lower back, and calves to a lesser degree.

Here’s how the main muscles worked by the Nordic hamstring curl look on your body:

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Nordic Hamstring Curl: Form​

The best way to learn how to do a Nordic hamstring curl is to split the exercise into three parts: set up, descend, and curl.

1. Set up​

Kneel on a yoga mat or cushioned pad facing away from your training partner and have your partner hold your legs around your ankles and pin your feet to the floor. Stand up straight so that your shoulders and hips are over your knees and your body forms a straight line from your head to your knees.

(You can also anchor your feet to the floor using specific Nordic hamstring curl equipment, such as a Nordic hamstring curl bench or strap, a loaded barbell, or by wedging your feet under something heavy like a sofa.)

Place your hands in front of your chest with your palms facing toward or away from you, depending on your preference.

2. Descend​

While flexing your glutes, hamstrings, and abs and maintaining a straight line between your head and knees, lower your chest toward the floor by leaning forward, using your hamstrings to ensure the movement is slow and controlled.

As you near the floor, put your hands out to catch your body and prevent your chest from hitting the floor.

3. Curl​

While maintaining the straight line between your head and knees, pull your body back to the starting position using your hamstrings. If necessary, push off the floor with your hands to initiate the curl.

The curl is a mirror image of what you did during the descent.