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Exercises

Nordic hamstring curl: how to do it, scale it, and program it

Published October 19, 2026

A Nordic hamstring curl is a bodyweight exercise where you kneel with your ankles anchored and slowly lower your straight body toward the floor using your hamstrings as brakes. Keep a line from knees to shoulders, resist the fall for as long as you can, catch yourself with your hands, and push or pull back up. It is mostly a lowering exercise, and very hard even for strong lifters.

Train the Nordic hamstring curl

How to do the Nordic hamstring curl

The Nordic curl puts a heavy load on the hamstrings while they lengthen, which is the hardest kind of work for them. Because your bodyweight is the load, it is far heavier than most people can leg curl, and it needs only a pad and something to hook your heels under.

Steps

  1. Kneel on a pad and hook your heels under something solid, such as a loaded barbell, a heavy bench, a machine pad, or a partner holding your ankles.
  2. Straighten your hips so your knees, hips and shoulders form one line, squeeze your glutes and brace your stomach.
  3. Lean forward slowly by letting your knees straighten, keeping the hips locked so you fall as one piece.
  4. Fight the fall for as long as you can, then catch yourself with your hands as your chest nears the floor.
  5. Push off the floor with your hands just enough to help your hamstrings pull you back to the kneeling start.

Cues

  • Knees to shoulders in one line
  • Fight every inch down
  • Hands catch, hamstrings return

Common mistakes

  • Bending at the hips to make it easier: it shortens the lever, so take the easier version on purpose instead and keep the hips locked.
  • Dropping fast after the first few inches: count the lowering and stop the set when you can no longer control at least a few seconds.
  • Weak anchor: if your heels lift, the rep fails at the hardest point; use a heavier barbell or a fixed pad.

Swap for: Lying Leg Curl, Glute Ham Raise, Romanian Deadlift

Muscles the Nordic hamstring curl works

The Nordic curl works all three hamstring muscles through knee flexion, with the hardest work while they lengthen as you lower. The glutes and abs hold your hips straight, and the calves help a little at the knee.

Sets, reps and reps in reserve for the Nordic hamstring curl

GoalSets × repsRIRRest
First reps 3 × 3–5 2–3 2 min
Lower as slowly as you can, catch yourself, and use your hands freely to get back up.
Build strength 3–4 × 4–6 1–2 2–3 min
Aim to slow the drop and catch lower each week before using less help on the way up.
Injury-resistance block 2–3 × 5–8 2 2 min
Run it once or twice a week alongside your normal leg training, never right before sprinting.

Nordic hamstring curl variations

  • Stability Ball Leg Curl start position

    Stability Ball Leg Curl

    Curl a ball toward you from a bridge when you cannot control a Nordic yet and want a hamstring curl on the floor.

    Build a session with it
  • TRX Leg Curl start position

    TRX Leg Curl

    Hook your heels in suspension straps for a home hamstring curl you can make harder by walking your body away.

    Build a session with it
  • Band Leg Curl start position

    Band Leg Curl

    Curl against a band anchored low when you want lighter, higher-rep hamstring work to pair with Nordics.

    Build a session with it

Nordic hamstring curl alternatives

Machines

  • Lying Leg Curl start position

    Lying Leg Curl

    Use the lying leg curl when you want to load the same knee-bending action with weight you can set exactly.

    Build a session with it
  • Seated Leg Curl start position

    Seated Leg Curl

    Use the seated leg curl to train the hamstrings in a lengthened position with less effort to set up.

    Build a session with it

Hip hinges

  • Romanian Deadlift start position

    Romanian Deadlift

    Hinge with a barbell to train the hamstrings at the hip instead of the knee.

    Build a session with it
  • Single-Leg RDL start position

    Single-Leg RDL

    Hinge on one leg with a dumbbell when you want hamstring and balance work at home.

    Build a session with it

How to make the Nordic curl easier or harder

To make it easier, lower only part of the way onto a box or stack of mats in front of you, or loop a band from a high anchor under your chest so it takes some of your weight. Keep your hips straight either way. Doing lowering-only reps and crawling back up is another way to build the first part.

To make it harder, lower slower, reduce how much you push with your hands on the way up, and finally hold a light plate at your chest. Write the version and the RIR down each time so each week's sets can be compared.

Nordic curl vs leg curl

Both train the hamstrings by bending the knee. The Nordic loads them with your bodyweight and mostly on the way down, which makes it heavy and very taxing. The machine leg curl lets you pick a load and do full controlled reps both ways, so it is easier to progress and to take close to failure. Many lifters do the leg curl for most of their volume and a few Nordic sets for heavy lowering work.

Questions

What muscles do Nordic hamstring curls target?

The hamstrings, with the hardest work in the lowering. The glutes and abs keep your hips straight.

Are Nordic curls better than hamstring curls?

Not better, different. Nordics load the hamstrings far more on the way down; machine curls are easier to progress and to train close to failure. Using both covers more.

What is a machine-assisted Nordic hamstring curl?

It is a Nordic on a bench or machine with a padded ankle hook, sometimes with an assist that takes part of your bodyweight so you can do full, controlled reps.

What are the different types of Nordic curls?

Partial-range Nordics to a box, band-assisted Nordics, lowering-only Nordics, full Nordics, and weighted Nordics with a plate at the chest.

How do you do Nordic curls at home?

Kneel on a pillow and hook your heels under a heavy couch, a bed frame or a door strap. Make sure the anchor cannot slide before your first rep.

What are the top hamstring exercises?

A good mix is one knee-bending exercise such as a leg curl or Nordic curl and one hip hinge such as a Romanian deadlift.