HOW TO DO NORDIC HAMSTRING CURL
- Anchor the heels — Nordic pad, loaded bar, or a partner who will not let go. Kneel tall on a pad.
- Squeeze the glutes so the hips stay open. Arms ready to catch.
- Lower toward the floor by lengthening the hamstrings. If the hips fold, the set is a hinge, not a Nordic.
- Catch with the hands, then push off just enough to reverse — or curl back up if you own the concentric.
- Stop the set when the lowering turns into a fall.
COMMON MISTAKES
- Breaking at the hips. Sitting toward the heels turns this into a poor good morning. Hips stay extended; the knees do the work.
- Only owning the top quarter. A two-inch nod is not a Nordic. Lengthen the eccentric, even if you push off the floor to come back up.
- No catch plan. Hands go to the floor before your face does. Pride is not a progression.
- Logging band-assisted reps as unassisted. Put “band” or “push-off” in the LIFTAG set note. A fake unassisted PR is how next week starts too heavy.
VARIATIONS
- Glute ham raise — GHD version with a concentric you can actually train.
- Machine lying leg curl — Loadable knee flexion when you are not ready to fall toward the floor.
- Barbell Romanian deadlift — Hip-hinge hamstring work you can load on day one.
- Machine seated leg curl — Seated knee flexion, easier to dose than Nordics.
PROGRESSIONS
- Long eccentrics with a push-up assist off the floor.
- Band around the chest, or a slight decline, until you can lower past 45°.
- Unassisted eccentrics to a catch.
- Full concentric Nordics. That is the long game, not week two.
PROGRAMMING NOTES
Treat this as a high-cost accessory: 2–4 sets of 3–6 hard reps, not 12 sloppy ones. Program it after the main hinge or on a second hamstring day. Soreness can linger — if last week’s notes say “couldn’t walk,” do not add a set.
EQUIPMENT ALTERNATIVES
- Glute ham raise — Use the GHD if the gym has one and you want a real concentric.
- Machine lying leg curl — Default swap when there is no anchor and no partner.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
No. Nordics are a hard eccentric at long hamstring length. Leg curls let you dose knee flexion without a fall. Many programs use both; log them as different lifts.
