Exercise · form guide
Nordic Hamstring Curl
- Primary muscle
- Hamstrings (eccentric strength)
- Equipment
- Bodyweight + Anchor for Feet
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Tempo
5-0-0-0
The single most powerful hamstring injury prevention exercise ever studied. Even 1 set of 3 reps weekly cuts injury rate ~50%.
Sets & reps
General programming defaults by goal — not specific to this lift. Pick the row that matches yours.
| Goal | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 4–6 | 3–5 | 8–9 | 3–5 min |
| Hypertrophy | 3–5 | 8–12 | 7–9 | 90–120 s |
| Endurance | 2–4 | 15–25 | 6–8 | 45–60 s |
Form
Cues
- Anchor feet (partner or strap)
- Body straight from knees to head
- Lower as slowly as possible
- Catch with hands at the bottom — push back up to start
Common mistakes
- Hip-hinging instead of staying rigid
- Dropping fast — defeats the purpose
Injury notes
Best hamstring strain prevention — non-negotiable for runners/sprinters.
Progression
Start with band-assisted. Build to 3 sets of 5 unassisted.
Indian gym reality
Zero-equipment lift — works in a hostel room, PG, or a park. No excuse for skipping it on travel or gym-closed days.
If your gym doesn't have this equipment
- Zero-equipment variant works — see the home version below.
Home & hostel version
Single-leg Romanian deadlifts with a filled water bottle in each hand — same hinge pattern, no bar needed.
Nutrition & recovery around this lift
Isolations recover fast — 24 hours is usually enough. You can hit the same muscle again the next day with a different exercise. For an Indian lifter, land 30–40g of protein within 90 minutes of finishing — 200g paneer, 4 whole eggs, 150g chicken, or a whey shake all work.
Frequently asked
What muscles does Nordic Hamstring Curl work?
Primarily Hamstrings (eccentric strength). Load and rep range shift the emphasis — heavy triples bias the primary mover, sets of 12+ bring more of the secondaries in.
How many sets of Nordic Hamstring Curl per week?
For hypertrophy, 10–20 direct working sets per week across all exercises for that muscle. This exercise usually contributes 3–8 of those sets, depending on where it sits in your program.
What if I'm training at home in India?
See the home & hostel version above. Bodyweight variants of every major pattern exist and progress for months if you're intentional about it.
How often should I do Nordic Hamstring Curl?
Most intermediates do best with 2× per week frequency on any given lift — one heavier session and one lighter, or two matched sessions with different rep ranges. Beginners can add a third if recovery holds up.
Get Nordic Hamstring Curl programmed for you
bodyBot builds your split with the right sets, reps and progression for your goal.