Nordic Hamstring Curl

Setup

1. 01Kneel on a pad with ankles anchored under a fixed bar, bench, or a partner's hands.
2. 02Align hips over knees so the body forms a straight line from knees to head.
3. 03Squeeze the glutes and brace the trunk to lock the hips in place.
4. 04Hold the arms ready at the chest to catch yourself.

Execution

1. 01Lower the torso forward as slowly as possible, resisting with the hamstrings.
2. 02Keep the hips extended; the body should hinge only at the knees.
3. 03When you can no longer resist, catch yourself with the hands in a push-up position.
4. 04Push off the floor lightly and pull with the hamstrings to return to kneeling.

Checkpoints

• -The body stays in one straight line from knees to shoulders during the descent.
• -The descent is slow and fought the whole way, not a free fall.
• -Hips stay extended, never piked back toward the heels.
• -Ankles stay firmly anchored throughout.

Common mistakes

• -Breaking at the hips so the movement becomes a hinge instead of a curl.
• -Dropping quickly through the hardest range near the floor.
• -Using a big arm push to do all of the return work.
• -Skipping the pad and grinding the kneecaps into the floor.