The Nordic Curl: An Underused Exercise for Hamstring Injury Prevention

Hamstring strains are among the most common soft-tissue injuries in sports involving sprinting, cutting, or sudden acceleration, and they have a frustrating habit of recurring even after a full return to activity. One exercise shows up again and again in sports science literature as a targeted tool for reducing that risk, yet it rarely appears in typical gym routines: the Nordic hamstring curl.

A common mistake is assuming any hamstring exercise, like a leg curl machine or a Romanian deadlift, provides the same protective effect. The Nordic curl works the hamstrings in a specific way, called the eccentric or lengthening phase, that most other exercises do not emphasize nearly as much, and that lengthening action appears to matter a great deal for injury resilience.

What the Nordic Curl Actually Trains

To perform the exercise, you kneel on a padded surface with your ankles anchored, either by a partner holding them or a specialized pad, then slowly lower your torso toward the floor using only your hamstrings to control the descent, catching yourself with your hands as you near the ground and pushing back up.

The key mechanical feature is the eccentric phase: as you lower yourself, your hamstrings are lengthening while still under tension, which is a different demand than the shortening, concentric action used in most leg curl variations. Hamstring strains commonly occur during this same lengthening action, such as the deceleration phase of a sprint, which is part of why training the muscle in this specific pattern is thought to build protective capacity.

What the Evidence Shows

Research consistently shows that eccentric hamstring strengthening programs incorporating exercises like the Nordic curl are associated with meaningfully reduced rates of hamstring strain injuries in athletes, particularly in sports with high sprinting demands such as soccer and football. Several sports medicine and injury-prevention reviews have found reductions in hamstring injury rates of roughly one-third to one-half in teams that incorporated regular Nordic curl programs compared with teams that did not.

The exercise is also used clinically as a diagnostic and monitoring tool: strength asymmetries between the left and right leg during Nordic curl testing are used by some sports medicine practitioners as one indicator of elevated injury risk, since a weaker or less capable hamstring on one side has been associated with higher strain risk on that side in some research.

• Eccentric hamstring training via the Nordic curl is linked in sports science literature to reductions in hamstring strain rates of roughly one-third to one-half in some studied athletic populations.
• Hamstring strains most commonly occur during the eccentric, lengthening phase of movement, which is the exact action the Nordic curl trains.
• Left-right strength asymmetry measured through Nordic curl performance is used by some practitioners as a marker of elevated injury risk.

Why This Exercise Is Underused

Despite the evidence, the Nordic curl remains uncommon in general gym settings for a few practical reasons: it requires a partner or specialized equipment to anchor the ankles, it is genuinely difficult even for well-trained athletes, and the intense muscle soreness it produces in untrained individuals can be discouraging if the exercise is introduced too aggressively.

It is also simply less well known outside of sports performance and physical therapy circles compared with staple exercises like squats or deadlifts, so it has not filtered into mainstream fitness culture the way more familiar movements have, even though its specific injury-prevention application is well documented.

Who Should Prioritize This Exercise

The strongest case for the Nordic curl applies to people involved in sports with sprinting, sudden acceleration, or deceleration demands, such as soccer, football, rugby, basketball, and track. Anyone with a history of hamstring strain is also a strong candidate, since prior injury is one of the most consistent predictors of future hamstring strain risk.

• Field and court sport athletes with regular sprinting or cutting demands
• Anyone with a personal or recent history of hamstring strain
• Recreational runners doing regular sprint intervals or hill sprints
• General strength trainees looking to round out posterior chain training beyond deadlifts and leg curls

People without significant sprinting or high-speed movement demands in their activities will still get some benefit from the eccentric strength work, but the injury-prevention case is strongest for those regularly exposing their hamstrings to high-speed lengthening forces.

How to Apply This: A Beginner Progression

The Nordic curl is genuinely challenging, and most beginners cannot lower themselves under control through a full range of motion on the first attempt. Progressing gradually reduces both excessive soreness and injury risk from doing too much too soon.

1. Start with partial-range holds. Lower only a small distance under control, then push back up, rather than attempting a full lowering motion.
2. Use assistance if available, such as a resistance band anchored in front of you to reduce the load during the hardest part of the descent.
3. Begin with 2-3 sets of 3-5 reps, once or twice a week, allowing at least 48-72 hours between sessions early on given how sore this exercise tends to make people.
4. Gradually increase range of motion as control improves, working toward lowering further before catching yourself with your hands.
5. Progress slowly over 6-8 weeks before expecting to approach a fuller range of motion; this is a slow-building strength exercise, not one to rush.
6. Pair it with, not instead of, other hamstring work like Romanian deadlifts, since a well-rounded program benefits from multiple types of hamstring loading.

Caveats and Individual Variation

The Nordic curl causes significant delayed-onset muscle soreness in people unaccustomed to eccentric-focused training, and introducing it too aggressively, with too much volume too soon, can itself increase short-term injury risk rather than reduce it. This is a case where gradual progression is not just a general best practice but a specific safety requirement for this exercise.

People with an existing hamstring injury should get clearance from a physical therapist or sports medicine provider before adding the Nordic curl to their program, since timing and loading around an active or recent injury requires individualized guidance rather than a generic progression plan.

Do I need a partner to do Nordic curls?

A partner holding your ankles works well, but dedicated Nordic curl pads or benches designed to anchor the ankles solo are also widely available and make the exercise accessible without needing training company every session.

How sore should I expect to be after my first session?

Significant soreness in the days following your first few sessions is common and expected, even for well-trained athletes, given how intensely the exercise loads the hamstrings eccentrically. Starting with very low volume, such as just a few partial reps, helps manage this.

Can the Nordic curl replace Romanian deadlifts or leg curls?

No, it complements rather than replaces them. Each exercise loads the hamstrings somewhat differently, and a well-rounded program benefits from combining eccentric-focused work like the Nordic curl with other hamstring and posterior chain exercises.

Is this exercise safe for beginners to strength training in general?

Complete beginners to strength training may benefit from building general lower-body strength and movement competency first before attempting Nordic curls, given the exercise’s difficulty and the intense demand it places on an untrained hamstring.