How to do the Nordic Hamstring Curl
- Kneel with your ankles secured, hands forward for balance, and hips extended.
- Slowly lower your body forward as one unit, keeping your hips extended.
- Use your hamstrings to control the descent; gently return to the starting position.
Full technique — 7 steps
- Kneel on a pad with ankles firmly secured and knees about hip width apart.
- Cross your arms or keep your hands ready in front to catch yourself near the floor.
- Set your hips extended and hold a straight line from knees through shoulders.
- Lower your body forward as one unit, resisting the descent with your hamstrings.
- Keep lowering until you must catch yourself with your hands or can no longer control it.
- Use your hands lightly on the floor if needed, then assist yourself back to the start.
- Return to the tall kneeling position with hips extended before beginning the next rep.
Common mistakes
- Bending at the hips
- Free-falling through the bottom
- Loose or shifting ankle anchor
- Pushing hard off the floor
- Starting with hips flexed
Form cues
- Move only at knees
- Keep hips fully extended
- Fight the way down
- Use hands as needed
