My 7-Step Progression of the Nordic Curl

In this video, I walk through my seven-step progression of the Nordic curl, my favorite hamstring exercise.

Building strong hamstrings isn’t just for athletes—it’s for anyone who wants to move better, feel better, and prevent injuries. Strengthening your hamstrings improves posture, reduces back pain, and enhances performance in sports and everyday activities. The Nordic curl is one of the most effective exercises to target these muscles, focusing on eccentric strength and hamstring isolation like few other exercises. Whether you want to prevent injury, increase power, or simply move more efficiently, incorporating Nordic curls into your workout is a smart way to develop stronger, more functional hamstrings.

Why Your Hamstrings Matter:
The hamstrings control important movements like bending your knees and extending your hips. They're involved in everything from running to jumping, and are key for nearly every lower-body motion. Strong hamstrings make a huge difference, whether you're an elite athlete or just improving day-to-day functionality.

1. Injury Prevention: Strong hamstrings reduce the risk of injury. Weak hamstrings can throw off the balance between the front and back of your legs, stressing your joints, especially the knees. This imbalance can lead to strains or joint pain, particularly in sports that involve sprinting or sudden movements. Strengthening your hamstrings can significantly lower the risk of injury.
2. Better Posture & Less Back Pain: Weak hamstrings can cause poor posture and lower back pain. When they don’t function well, your pelvis may tilt forward, stressing your lower back. Strengthening your hamstrings helps improve posture and reduce back pain. This is especially helpful for people who sit a lot or do repetitive tasks.
3. Enhanced Performance: Strong hamstrings are essential for speed, jumping, and squatting. These muscles play a major role in explosive movements like sprinting and jumping. For athletes, developed hamstrings enhance power, speed, and agility. For everyday life, stronger hamstrings make it easier to perform physical activities.
4. Flexibility & Mobility: Hamstring flexibility directly affects your range of motion. Tight hamstrings can restrict movements like bending over, squatting, or climbing stairs. Strengthening them improves flexibility, relieves tightness, and enhances overall mobility.

How Nordic Curls Help:
One of the best ways to build hamstrings is the Nordic curl. This bodyweight exercise focuses on eccentric strength—the contraction that happens when a muscle lengthens under tension. Eccentric training is powerful for building strong, resilient hamstrings.

1. Eccentric Strength: The Nordic curl focuses on eccentric contraction, proven to build muscle strength. For hamstrings, this mimics decelerating the leg during running or jumping, helping prevent injury in high-intensity sports.
2. Better Muscle Recruitment: Nordic curls require motor control and focus, forcing your hamstrings to activate more efficiently. This leads to better muscle recruitment, making the hamstrings work harder and become stronger.
3. Hamstring Isolation: Unlike many exercises that recruit multiple muscle groups, Nordic curls isolate the hamstrings. This allows you to target and develop these muscles more effectively.
4. Progressive Overload: Nordic curls are easily scalable. Beginners can start with modified versions. Progressive overload is key for continued gains.
5. Core and Hip Stability: Nordic curls primarily target the hamstrings but also engage the core and hips. As you lower your body, your core stabilizes your torso, and your hips maintain alignment. This makes the Nordic curl a full-body exercise that improves overall coordination and stability.

Hamstrings are often overlooked in workouts, but they’re crucial for strength, mobility, and injury prevention. Building your hamstrings is key whether you’re an athlete or just want to move better. One of the best exercises for this is the Nordic curl. I hope you enjoy this video.

[SUBSCRIBE] to my YouTube Channel!
🚀    / @juddlienhard  

[TRAIN WITH ME] Get my Workout App:
🚀 https://www.juddlienhard.com/

[FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM]
🚀   / juddlienhard  

This video includes a paid partnership with a brand that supports my channel, allowing me to provide content for free.

Timestamps:
[00:47] The way Nordics work
[01:31] Seated leg curls
[03:23] Bent hip iso holds Nordics
[06:07] Bent knee hip extensions
[07:16] The glute ham developer
[09:10] The glute ham developer progression
[10:41] Assisted Nordics
[12:08] Always have some assistance from hands
[16:50] Romanian deadlifts
[17:27] High-rep hip thrusts
[18:21] Nordics – bent hip progressive Nordics!