WhatWorksWhat.
Hamstrings

Nordic Curl

Hamstrings screaming the entire eccentric, then again the next morning.

Complexity · Highstrengthadvanced+Bodyweight
  • Glutes
  • Hamstrings
  • Hamstrings - Deep inner hamstring
  • Hamstrings - Inner hamstring
  • Hamstrings - Outer hamstring
  • Lower back
  • Outer hamstring
  • Inner hamstring
  • Deep inner hamstring

PrimarySecondary

What it hits

Parts of the target muscle.

  • Outer hamstring

    Hit

    Biceps femoris.

  • Inner hamstring

    Hit

    Semitendinosus.

  • Deep inner hamstring

    Hit

    Semimembranosus - sits underneath the inner hamstring.

The movement

Get it right, not roughly right.

Optimal form

7:47· [P]rehab

Master The Nordic Hamstring Curl to Improve Your Hamstring Strength

Extended

Curled

Kneel with the heels pinned (partner or pad). Torso upright. Lower the body forward as slow as possible by resisting with the hamstrings - fight gravity all the way to the floor.

Common mistakes

  • Free-falling once past 45° - that's where the work IS, don't skip it.
  • Throwing this in cold - hamstrings cramp hard.

Where you should feel it

Hamstrings screaming the entire eccentric, then again the next morning.

Injury risk · 4/10

Variations

Same movement, moved emphasis.

Ranked by how directly each variation still trains hamstrings. 80%+ means the target barely changes. Below 60%, the emphasis has meaningfully shifted — useful for variety, but less precise for the specific part. The label calls it at a glance.

  • Band-assisted Nordic

    Band from a high point assists the lower.

    100% on target

    On target

    Same target, minor adjustment.

  • Razor curl (hands on box)

    Hands on a box to assist out of the bottom.

    100% on target

    On target

    Same target, minor adjustment.

  • Slick floor Nordic

    Knees on furniture sliders, full body slides forward.

    90% on target

    On target

    Same target, minor adjustment.

Compare with another exercise

Cool-down

Worked it. Walk it back down.

A couple of minutes here pays back in soreness avoided tomorrow. Browse the full library.

  • Couch Stretch

    Rear foot up on a bench, front leg in a 90/90 lunge. Squeeze the glute of the rear leg, tall torso. 60s per side.

    QuadsGlutes

  • Child's Pose

    Knees wide, big toes together. Sit hips back to the heels, arms long overhead, forehead to the floor. 60s. Walk the hands one direction to bias one side.

    LatsLower backRhomboids

  • Pigeon Pose

    From all fours, bring one knee forward at ~45° with the shin angled across the body. Extend the back leg straight. Lower the chest over the front shin. 60s per side.

    Glutes

Coach note

Single best hamstring injury preventer in the literature. Three eccentric reps three times a week beats every other prevention drill.