MariposasHow to Do the Nordic Curl
By Zachary, builder of Mariposas · Reviewed against published exercise-science sources (references)
· Last updated June 2026
The Nordic curl earns its reputation as one of the most demanding bodyweight hamstring exercises because it trains the muscle in a way most gym staples never touch: eccentrically, under full body-weight load, through a long range of motion. Where Romanian deadlifts and leg curls load the hamstring concentrically or with cables and pads, the Nordic forces the hamstring to resist gravity while lengthening, which is the exact demand placed on it during sprinting and change-of-direction movements. That eccentric loading pattern has a strong association with hamstring strain prevention in athletes, making this a staple in football, soccer, and rugby strength programs. You can track your sets, reps, and progress on this lift for free in the Mariposas app.
How to do it
- Kneel on a padded surface with your feet anchored firmly under a barbell, a loaded bench, or held down by a partner's hands pressing on your Achilles, keeping your knees hip-width apart and your hips fully extended so your body forms a straight line from knee to crown.
- Brace your core and squeeze your glutes hard before you begin the descent, because any hinge at the hip shortcuts the hamstring demand and turns the movement into a back exercise.
- Begin lowering your torso toward the floor by resisting with your hamstrings only, keeping your body rigid from knee to shoulder, and moving as slowly as you can control, aiming for a 3 to 5 second descent on your first attempts.
- When your hamstrings can no longer control the fall, place your hands in front of your chest and absorb the remainder of the descent into a push-up catch, landing with soft elbows rather than a hard crash.
- From the bottom position, use a small push from your hands to give your hamstrings enough momentum to curl back to the start, then take over with the hamstrings to finish the final third of the return under muscular control.
- At the top of each rep, fully re-extend the hips and briefly reset your brace before starting the next descent, rather than rushing into the next rep with slack posture.
- As strength improves, try to reduce the push-up assist during the concentric phase, eventually returning to vertical under hamstring power alone with minimal hand contact on the floor.
- Keep your neck neutral throughout, eyes focused roughly a foot in front of your knees rather than craning up or tucking your chin, so your cervical spine stays in line with the rest of your torso.
Form cues
- Hips locked, not hinged.
- Slow the fall, don't just drop.
- Hands are a safety net, not a crutch.
- Body stays one plank from knee to head.
- Squeeze glutes before you move.
Common mistakes
- Hinging at the hip as the torso lowers is the single most common error; it shifts the load off the hamstrings and onto the lumbar extensors, defeating the purpose of the exercise entirely. Fix it by placing a dowel or PVC pipe along your spine before sets so you can feel when your hips break.
- Relying entirely on the push-up catch to return to the top trains only a partial eccentric and skips the concentric phase; over time this limits strength gains. Use just enough push to get back to roughly 45 degrees, then actively pull yourself up the rest of the way.
- Letting the feet lift off the anchor defeats the leverage of the movement and can strain the knee by changing the joint angle abruptly. Ensure the anchor is truly fixed and your partner or equipment is providing firm counter-pressure against the Achilles, not the tops of the feet.
- Going too fast on the descent is the most common beginner error and the one most likely to cause a hamstring strain rather than prevent one. Treat every set as a slow-motion eccentric drill until control is consistent across the full range of motion.
- Neglecting the eccentric phase by jumping straight to full assisted reps before building control leads to stalled progress and frustration. Starting with eccentric-only work, lowering slowly and resetting by walking hands back to the start, builds the necessary foundation before full reps make sense.
Why do the Nordic Curl?
- The long-length eccentric loading pattern targets the hamstrings at their most injury-vulnerable position, which is why it appears in the literature on hamstring strain prevention across multiple team sports.
- Because no machine or cable is required, it can be set up anywhere with a fixed anchor, making it practical for home training, field work, or travel.
- The movement builds a type of hamstring strength that carries over specifically to the late-swing phase of sprinting, where the biceps femoris is working eccentrically to decelerate the lower leg before ground contact.
- Performing it with full hip extension keeps the hamstring in its lengthened state throughout, which tends to produce greater hypertrophy stimulus compared to exercises that only load the muscle in a shortened or mid-range position.
- It develops a strong mind-muscle connection with the hamstrings that translates into better activation during compound lifts like deadlifts and Romanian deadlifts.
Nordic Curl variations
- Eccentric-Only Nordic Curl
- Used by lifters who cannot yet return to vertical under their own power, this regression builds the eccentric strength needed for full reps by lowering slowly and resetting by hand each time.
- Band-Assisted Nordic Curl
- A resistance band looped around the torso and a rack behind the lifter reduces effective bodyweight throughout the rep, making it a useful bridge between pure eccentrics and unassisted full reps.
- Single-Leg Nordic Curl
- A significant progression for advanced athletes, this variation doubles the per-limb demand and exposes left-right strength asymmetries that bilateral work can mask.
- Slider Nordic Curl
- Performed on a smooth floor with furniture sliders under the knees, this variation changes the leverage slightly and suits lifters who want a different feel or lack a solid anchor for their feet.
How to program it
Most strength coaches program Nordic curls in the 3 to 6 rep range per set when treating them as a primary eccentric strength drill, though some hypertrophy-focused programs push toward 6 to 10 reps with added concentric assistance. Because of the high eccentric load, many athletes place them early in the accessory portion of a session rather than at the end when fatigue could compromise control and increase injury risk. Frequency tends to stay at 2 times per week with adequate recovery between sessions, as the delayed onset muscle soreness from even a modest volume of Nordics is significant for anyone unaccustomed to heavy eccentric hamstring work. Volume is typically built slowly over several weeks, starting with as few as 2 to 3 sets of 3 to 4 reps and progressing over a full training block.
Nordic Curl alternatives
FAQ
- Are Nordic curls bad for your knees?
- When performed with proper setup, meaning a fixed anchor at the Achilles and not the top of the foot, the compressive forces on the knee joint are manageable for most healthy lifters. The concern usually comes from poor anchoring that shifts stress to the patellar tendon or from rushing the descent. Anyone with existing knee pathology should consult a physio before adding them.
- Why are Nordic curls so hard even for strong lifters?
- Most training backgrounds emphasize concentric and mid-range hamstring strength. The Nordic specifically taxes the muscle in a lengthened eccentric position under full bodyweight, which is a movement pattern most lifters have never systematically trained. A person who can deadlift twice their bodyweight will often be humbled by their first Nordic attempt, which says more about their training history than their overall strength.
- How do I anchor my feet if I train alone?
- A loaded barbell on the floor works well if you wedge your heels under the bar with the knees behind it. A heavy couch or bed frame works similarly at home. Some lifters use a door anchor with ankle straps, though this is less stable than a rigid anchor.
- How many reps should I start with?
- Most people new to this movement do best starting with eccentric-only reps, lowering over 4 to 5 seconds and resetting each rep rather than pulling back up. Two to three reps per set with full control gives the hamstrings enough stimulus without accumulating so much eccentric damage that recovery takes a week.
- Do Nordic curls replace leg curls?
- They train the same muscle but through a different loading profile. The Nordic emphasizes long-length eccentrics while leg curls allow more controlled concentric loading and are easier to add load incrementally. Many programs use both because they complement each other rather than duplicate the same stimulus.