The Nordic Hamstring Curl is a expert-friendly bodyweight strength exercise that targets the hamstrings, with the glutes, calves and abdominals working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesHamstrings
Secondary musclesGlutes, Calves, Abs
EquipmentBodyweight
LevelExpert
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Nordic Hamstring Curl
Kneel on a pad with your knees bent and the tops of your feet flat on the floor.
Anchor your ankles under a loaded barbell, a fixed pad, or a partner's hands.
Stand tall through the hips so knees, hips and shoulders form one line.
Reach your arms forward and lower your torso slowly, keeping the hips extended.
Catch yourself on your hands once you can no longer control the descent.
Push back just enough to let the hamstrings pull you upright, then repeat.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Loads the hamstrings eccentrically at the long lengths where strains occur.
Needs only an ankle anchor, so it travels to any field, gym or garage.
Progresses by range and tempo rather than by adding external load.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Breaking at the hips so the movement becomes a bow, which unloads the hamstrings.
Dropping fast once it gets hard, which removes the eccentric stimulus the exercise exists for.
Pushing hard off the floor every rep, so the arms do the work the hamstrings should.
Starting at full range with no assistance, which usually ends in a cramp or a strain.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Nordic Hamstring Curl, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
