Nordic Hamstring Curl: How to Do It and Muscles Worked
Load card
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Muscle group
- Legs
- Main muscles
- hamstrings
- Also working
- gastrocnemius
- Mechanics
- Isolation
- Pattern
- Eccentric knee flexion
- Level
- Advanced
The Nordic hamstring curl is an advanced bodyweight isolation exercise focused on eccentric knee flexion. You lower your torso to the floor from a kneeling position while keeping your body in a straight line. You need a partner to hold your ankles or a secure anchor point to lock your feet under.
This movement heavily targets your hamstrings as the main working muscle. Your gastrocnemius acts as a supporting muscle to help control the descent as you fight gravity on the way down.
How to do it
Kneel on a soft pad and secure your ankles under a heavy barbell, or have a partner hold them down firmly. Keep your knees hip-width apart and your torso completely upright.
- Squeeze your glutes and brace your core to lock your hips into full extension.
- Slowly lower your torso forward toward the floor while keeping your back straight.
- Use your hamstrings to control the speed of your descent for as long as possible.
- Catch yourself with your hands as you reach the floor to absorb the impact.
- Push off the floor with your hands to return to the starting kneeling position.
Sets, reps and load
Start with 3 sets of 3 to 5 repetitions, focusing entirely on a slow and controlled descent. Keep the volume low to allow your hamstrings to recover from the intense eccentric load.
Master the bodyweight version first, and if you need assistance initially, loop a resistance band around your chest and anchor it behind you.
Common mistakes
- Hinging at the hips. Keep your glutes squeezed tight to maintain a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
- Dropping too fast. Actively pull against your anchor point with your heels to slow your descent.
- Pushing off too weakly. Use enough upper body force to get back up so you do not strain your hamstrings on the way up.
- Insufficient knee padding. Place a thick yoga mat or foam pad under your knees to prevent joint discomfort.
Make it easier or harder
Easier
- Attach a heavy resistance band behind you and hold it to assist your descent.
- Perform the movement with a limited range of motion by lowering only halfway before catching yourself on a box.
Before you load it up
- This is an advanced variation. Build strength with the easier versions first.
Swaps and related legs exercises
Same muscle group with different equipment:
- Banded Squat Resistance band
- Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat Dumbbell
- Dumbbell Calf Raise Dumbbell
- Dumbbell Lunge Dumbbell
More bodyweight options:
- Pistol Squat Single-leg squat
- Bodyweight Squat Squat
- Bulgarian Split Squat Split squat
- Calf Raise Ankle plantarflexion
Browse all bodyweight exercises or every legs exercise.
When to see a doctor or physio
- Sharp pain in the back of your knee.
- A sudden popping sensation in your hamstring.
- Persistent lower back pain during or after the exercise.
This page is general training information, not medical advice. If you are new to strength training, managing a health condition, pregnant or coming back from an injury, check with a doctor or physio first.
How this page was made. Exercise data (equipment, muscles, mechanics, level) compiled by the Unite Journal Crew as a general anatomy guide, cross-checked against the public-domain free-exercise-db list. Text drafted with AI assistance and edited by the crew; see our house rules. Last checked October 2026.