Nordic curls: To strengthen hamstrings and knees

What are Nordic Curls?

The Nordic Curls (or Nordic Hamstring Curl) are an essential exercise for strengthening the hamstrings, essential for knee flexion and hip extension. It particularly stimulates eccentric contraction, crucial for preventing injuries such as strains and knee problems.

The body leans forward, hips and back straight, with the feet fixed to stabilize. As well as improving strength, Nordic Curls enhances hamstring elasticity, boosting sprint speed and the ability to change direction.

The benefits of Nordic Curls

1 - Strengthening the hamstrings

The Nordic Curls are a powerful exercise designed to strengthen the hamstrings. It is distinguished by its focus on the eccentric phase of contraction, enabling this muscle to be strengthened throughout its entire range of motion. This method enhances strength and stability, which is essential for both sporting activities and everyday tasks.

2 - Preventing knee injuries

Nordic Curl 's main asset is its ability to prevent injuries, particularly to the knees and hamstrings. By strengthening muscles and tendons, it reduces the risk of strains and injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament.

It improves knee stability and strengthens the structures essential for keeping joints strong!

3- Improving sports performance

As well as preventing injury, Nordic Curls boost sporting performance. By strengthening the hamstrings, it improves sprinting, jumping and changes of direction.

The strength and stability gained also contribute to better posture and muscular symmetry, key to achieving high levels of performance.

How to do nordic curls at home?

Equipment and installation

To achieve an effective Nordic Curls at home, it's important to have the right equipment. We recommend our weight bench specifically designed for Nordic Curls, which offers an ergonomic design with adjustable support for feet and ankles.

Basic technique for beginners

To get started, start by positioning yourself on the bench with your feet firmly planted. Lower yourself slowly, controlling the movement until you feel tension in your hamstrings.

Then use your arms to help you back up to the starting position. Repeat this movement several times, gradually increasing the duration of the descent to maximize the eccentric effect.

Variations and progressions

For beginners, the use of elastic bands can be an excellent alternative for lightening the load and mastering the technique before progressing to more advanced versions.

For more advanced athletes, there are a number of possible variations and progressions. You can start by using different incline levels on the bench to increase the difficulty of the exercise. Another option is to add weight to increase resistance (e.g. weighted vest), which allows you to target the hamstring muscles more intensely.

For experienced athletes, unilateral (single-leg) versions can be incorporated to increase training intensity. You can also vary the speed of the descent, slowing down the movement to increase muscle tension.

Nordic Hamstring Curl training program

To maximize the results of Nordic Curl, it's important to integrate it into a regular training program. Here's an example of a program that can be adapted to different levels:

Conclusion

In short, the Nordic Curls stand out as a powerful and effective exercise for strengthening hamstring muscles and preventing knee injuries 💪

Extensive research has shown that incorporating Nordic Curl into injury prevention programs significantly reduces the risk of hamstring injuries, with a reduction of up to 51%.

When practised correctly, this exercise helps to improve leg strength and stability, indispensable assets for top-level sporting performance.

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See you soon!

Eric Flag