Nordic Hamstring Curl: Technique, Benefits, and Progressions

The Nordic hamstring curl (NHC) is the most well-researched eccentric hamstring exercise in sports science. It has been shown to reduce hamstring injury rates by up to 51 % in team sports (van Dyk et al., 2019) and is now included in FIFA's injury prevention protocol. Whether you are an athlete protecting your hamstrings or a lifter building posterior chain strength, this guide covers everything you need to know. Related: The 8 Best Exercises to Increase Your Vertical Jump

The NHC is a bodyweight eccentric exercise where you kneel on the ground with your ankles fixed (by a partner, a pad, or a bench) and slowly lower your body toward the ground using only your hamstrings to resist the descent. The emphasis is on the lowering (eccentric) phase, which is where the hamstrings are most vulnerable during sprinting.

Unlike machine leg curls, the NHC loads the hamstrings at long muscle lengths — the exact position where strains most commonly occur during high-speed running. This specificity is what makes it so effective for injury prevention. See also: Box Jump Progressions: From Beginner to Advanced

Setup: Kneel on a padded surface with your ankles secured. Your knees, hips, and shoulders should form a straight line. Cross your arms over your chest or hold them ready to catch yourself.

Descent: Keeping your hips extended (do NOT bend at the waist), slowly lean forward from the knees. Resist the fall with your hamstrings for as long as possible. The descent should take 3–5 seconds.

Bottom position: When you can no longer resist, catch yourself with your hands in a push-up position. Use a small push-up to assist the return to the starting position, then use your hamstrings to pull yourself back up.

Key cues: "Stay tall through the hips," "fight the fall," "slow and controlled." The most common error is hinging at the hips — this shifts the load away from the hamstrings and onto the glutes.

Injury prevention: A landmark meta-analysis (van Dyk et al., 2019) found that NHC programmes reduce hamstring injury incidence by 51 %. The effect is dose-dependent — more consistent implementation produces greater protection.

Eccentric strength: The NHC develops eccentric hamstring strength at long muscle lengths, which is the primary determinant of hamstring injury risk during sprinting (Timmins et al., 2016).

Sprint performance: Athletes who incorporate NHCs into their training show improvements in 10 m and 30 m sprint times, likely due to improved force absorption during the late swing phase of sprinting (Ishøi et al., 2018).

Fascicle length: Regular NHC training increases hamstring fascicle length by 10–15 %, making the muscles more resistant to damage at long lengths — the exact mechanism behind its protective effect.

Level 1 — Assisted NHC: Use a resistance band attached to a high anchor point and looped around your chest. The band supports some of your bodyweight during the descent. Start with a strong band and progress to lighter bands over 3–4 weeks.

Level 2 — Partial range NHC: Lower yourself only halfway down (to about 45° of forward lean) before returning. This reduces the leverage and makes the exercise manageable for those who cannot yet control the full range.

Level 3 — Full NHC with hand catch: The standard version described in the technique section. Control the descent fully, catch with hands, and assist the return.

Level 4 — Full NHC with concentric return: Lower slowly AND pull yourself back up using only your hamstrings, without hand assistance. This is significantly harder and should only be attempted once you can control the full descent for 5+ seconds.

For injury prevention: 2–3 sessions per week, 3 sets of 5–8 reps. The FIFA 11+ protocol recommends starting with 1 set of 3 reps and building to 3 sets of 10–12 over a 10-week progression.

For performance: 2 sessions per week, 3–4 sets of 4–6 reps with a 3–5 second eccentric tempo. Pair with concentric hamstring work (Romanian deadlifts, hip thrusts) for balanced development.

When to programme: Place NHCs at the end of a lower-body session or on a separate accessory day. They cause significant muscle soreness in the first 2–3 weeks, so start conservatively and ramp up gradually.

Soreness management: Expect delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) for 48–72 hours after your first session. This is normal and decreases dramatically after 2–3 exposures through the repeated bout effect. For more on this topic, see Romanian Deadlift Guide: Technique, Programming & Benefits.