The Nordic Hamstring Curl: How to Build Up to a Full Rep
To build up to a full Nordic hamstring curl, start with the lowering phase only, using your hands to catch yourself and push back up, then gradually lower more slowly and further each week. Add help from a resistance band or reduce the range if you cannot control the descent. Two short sessions a week, two to three sets of three to five slow reps, is enough. Most people need several weeks to control the full lowering, and many months, if ever, to pull themselves back up without help. That is normal. The lowering is where most of the benefit lives, so you get a great deal from this exercise long before you master it.
What the exercise is, and why coaches like it
You kneel upright with your ankles held down, by a partner, a padded bar or a fixed strap. Keeping a straight line from knees to head, you lean forward as slowly as you can. The hamstrings work hard as they lengthen to brake the fall, which is called an eccentric contraction. Once you can no longer hold yourself, you catch your weight with your hands in a press-up position.
It has become standard in football and other sprinting sports, where a body of research has linked regular Nordic training with fewer hamstring strains. For everyday trainees, the attraction is simpler: it builds strength at the knee-bending end of the hamstrings with almost no equipment, which makes it one of the best replacements for a leg curl machine. If you are building a full hamstring plan, our guide to hamstring exercises without a machine shows where it fits.
Setting up properly
- Knee padding. Kneel on a folded mat or thick pad. Bare kneecaps on a hard floor will end the session before your hamstrings do.
- Secure ankles. A training partner pressing down on the backs of the ankles is the most common option. Some gyms use a dedicated Nordic bench or a padded bar. Whatever holds you must not shift as you lean.
- Hips straight. The single most important cue. Squeeze the glutes so the line from knee to shoulder stays straight. If you bend at the hips, you shorten the lever and the hamstrings do less.
- Arms ready. Hands in front of the chest, ready to catch you in a press-up.
The progression, stage by stage
| Stage | What you do | Move on when |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Short-range lowers | Lean forward only as far as you can hold for a three-second pause, then sit back up | You can lean about a third of the way down with control |
| 2. Band-assisted lowers | A band anchored high behind you, looped under the arms, takes some of your weight as you lower | You can lower slowly for three to four seconds to near the floor |
| 3. Full lowers, hands catch | No band. Lower as slowly as possible, catch with hands, push back to the start | You control the whole descent for four to five seconds |
| 4. Lower plus partial pull | After lowering, a small push from the hands, then pull yourself up with the hamstrings | The hand push becomes a light tap |
| 5. Full rep | Lower to the floor and pull back up without hands | Very few people get here; it is not the goal for most |
Do not rush between stages. The jump from stage 2 to stage 3 catches most people out, because the last third of the range is far harder than the first two thirds. Spend extra weeks there if needed.
How much and how often
Nordic curls cause a lot of muscle soreness in the first week or two, much more than a similar amount of normal training. That soreness fades quickly as you adapt, provided you start small.
- Week 1: 2 sets of 3 reps, once.
- Weeks 2 to 3: 2 sets of 3 to 4 reps, twice a week, at least two days apart.
- Weeks 4 to 6: 3 sets of 4 to 5 reps, twice a week.
- After that: progress by making the lowering slower or moving to the next stage, not by piling on more reps.
Do them at the start of a lower body session while you are fresh, or as a stand-alone short piece on a lighter day. Avoid them the day before running intervals, a long hike or a match until you know how your legs respond.
Common faults
- Bending at the hips. Feels easier, does less. Squeeze the glutes and keep the line.
- Dropping fast once it gets hard. The point of failure is where the most useful work happens. Fight it for as long as you can, even if the last part is quick.
- Doing too many too soon. Ten reps in your first session is a reliable way to struggle down stairs for three days.
- Poor anchoring. If your ankles lift, you lose tension and risk a jolt. Fix the set-up before adding difficulty.
- Using it as your only hamstring exercise. It trains the knee-bending role well. Pair it with a hinge such as the Romanian deadlift for the hip side.
Who should be careful
Check with your GP or a physiotherapist first if you have had a recent hamstring strain, knee surgery or ongoing knee pain, pain down the back of the leg, or a heart condition and have not trained for some time. Pregnant readers should get guidance before any new hard exercise. Kneeling can also aggravate some knee conditions, so more padding or a different exercise may be the better choice. For general context, the NHS sets out activity guidelines for adults, including strength work on two days each week.
Is it worth it for a desk-based adult over 30?
Usually, yes, at the right stage. You do not need full reps to benefit. Short-range or band-assisted lowers, done twice a week, build hamstring strength in a way most adults rarely train. The main cost is a fortnight of soreness while you adapt. If you play five-a-side, run, ski or play tennis, it is particularly worthwhile. If your knees do not tolerate kneeling, there are good alternatives such as slider leg curls.
In the studio
A Nordic curl needs someone to hold your ankles, which is one of the quiet advantages of 1-1 training: the coach is the anchor. In private sessions with Artem in Highgate, the stage you start at is chosen from how you move on the day, and the volume is set so you leave able to walk down the stairs to Archway Road comfortably.
Questions we get asked
How long does it take to do a full Nordic curl?
It varies widely. Many strong, trained people never complete a full rep without help. Controlling the whole lowering phase is a realistic target over a couple of months.
Can I do Nordic curls at home?
Yes, with a partner holding your ankles and good knee padding. Avoid improvised anchors such as sofas that may shift.
Why are my calves cramping?
The calves often work hard to hold the position. Try changing the foot position, toes tucked under or laid flat, and consciously relax the feet; it usually settles.
Should I do them before or after other leg work?
Before, while fresh. Done at the end of a heavy session, form tends to break down quickly.
For a programme that brings the Nordic curl in at the right time, see 1-1 personal training and prices, or start at the homepage.
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