Nordic Curl: how to do it right
In short: The Nordic curl isolates the hamstrings in eccentric knee flexion, loading the muscle in the lengthened position as your body lowers toward the floor.
How to do it, step by step
- 1Kneel with your ankles locked in, body aligned from knees to shoulders, glutes squeezed.
- 2Lower slowly toward the floor while resisting, without breaking the hip-torso line.
- 3Go for the maximum range you can control, until you feel a strong hamstring stretch.
- 4Brake the descent over 2 to 3 seconds, with no bounce or jerk.
- 5Use your hands to push yourself back up, the way up is not the goal of the work.
The mistake to avoid
Don't just fall, resist the descent as much as you can.
Other common mistakes
- Breaking at the hips to cheat: keep the knee-hip-shoulder line rigid or you turn the exercise into an easy hip hinge.
- Letting yourself drop at the end of the descent: that's the worst moment given the tension in the stretch, brake for 2 to 3 s all the way.
- Neglecting the ankle lock: poorly anchored, you lose control, secure them firmly under a load or with a partner.
- Trying to come back up without your hands too early: push yourself with your arms, forcing the way up isn't part of the targeted work.
Muscles worked
- Main:
- Hamstrings
Hamstrings as the main target: semitendinosus, semimembranosus and biceps femoris. Here, they work mostly through their role as knee flexors to brake the descent. The calves and glutes stabilize, but the effort is concentrated at the knee.
What to replace it with
Same muscle, same part of the movement: these exercises do the same job.
Frequently asked questions
How do I do this exercise?
Kneel with your ankles locked in tight, body aligned from knees to shoulders and glutes squeezed. Lower slowly toward the floor while resisting, without breaking the hip-torso line, then push yourself back up with your hands. The braked descent is the whole work, the way up doesn't count.
How far down should I go?
Go for the maximum range you can really control, until you feel a strong hamstring stretch. Tension peaks near the floor, that's where the muscle works hardest but is also most fragile, so don't let go at the end of the descent. If you let yourself drop, you lose the whole point.
I don't feel anything, is that normal?
You should feel a big stretch and tension at the back of your thighs on the way down. If you feel nothing, you're probably breaking at the hips to cheat or going too fast: keep the line rigid and slow down the braking. Three to five perfectly braked reps are worth more than an uncontrolled drop.
How fast should I do the movement?
Brake the descent over 2 to 3 seconds, with no bounce or jerk, through the end of the range. Then push yourself up with your hands, no need to force the way up. On this movement, the slowness of the braking is what builds the hamstrings.
How do I breathe?
Inhale before starting the descent, keep the air and the abdominal bracing throughout the braking to lock the trunk. Exhale as you push yourself back up with your hands.