Nordic Curls at Home：Build Hamstrings Without a Gym

If you wish to construct hamstrings that look robust and really are robust, you don’t want fancy fitness center machines. You want one transfer — the Nordic curl.

This body weight beast has earned a popularity amongst athletes, lifters, and even physiotherapists for one cause: it really works. And the most effective half? You are able to do Nordic curls at residence — no leg curl machine required.

So seize a mat, just a little creativity, and let’s construct hamstrings that defend your knees, enhance your deadlift, and switch heads.

Nordic curls (additionally known as Nordic hamstring curls or generally Russian curls) are principally the final word body weight hamstring train. Image this: you are kneeling in your mat, somebody or one thing is holding your ankles, and also you slowly decrease your complete physique ahead whereas conserving your knees planted. Your hamstrings are doing ALL the work to regulate the descent.

Sounds easy. WRONG! This train is brutally efficient, and this is why I am utterly obsessive about it:

The Nordic Curl Magic:

• Builds unbelievable eccentric hamstring energy (the decreasing part)
• Reduces hamstring damage danger by as much as 51% (sure, that is an actual stat!)
• Requires ZERO gear (effectively, in addition to one thing to anchor your ft)
• Works your hamstrings tougher than most fitness center machines
• Improves athletic efficiency dramatically
• Will be executed wherever in your house

One of the best half? Nordic curls have been game-changers for skilled athletes, and now we are able to do them proper in our dwelling rooms. How cool is that?

Nordic curls gentle up the posterior chain — the muscular tissues on the again of your physique. Right here’s what’s doing the work:

These muscular tissues work collectively that can assist you dash sooner, leap greater, and scale back the danger of hamstring tears — one of the vital widespread sports activities accidents.

This is the place residence health will get inventive! Within the fitness center, you’d use a flowery Nordic curl bench or GHD machine. However at residence? We work with what we have, and belief me, I’ve tried EVERY potential setup!

• Kneel dealing with away out of your sofa
• Slide your ft beneath the sofa cushions so far as they’re going to go
• Make sure the sofa is sturdy sufficient to not tip (check this gently first).
• That is my favourite as a result of the sofa supplies excellent resistance

Professional tip: Add weight to the sofa cushions if wanted

• Have your companion, roommate, or member of the family maintain your ankles
• They need to apply agency, constant strain
• Ensure that they’re ready for a way a lot power you may generate
• That is really how I discovered – my husband held my ankles!

Bonus: It is an awesome bonding exercise (they usually’ll giggle once you wrestle at first)

• Use your mattress body, heavy dresser, or squat rack
• Hook your ft beneath the underside edge
• Take a look at stability earlier than going full effort

• If in case you have a barbell, load it with plates

• Place it low and hook your ft beneath
• This offers you adjustable resistance by altering the burden
• Nice for extra superior progressions

• Anchor a heavy resistance band to one thing steady
• Loop it round your chest/shoulders
• This assists as you decrease
• Good for freshmen who need assistance!

Hear, I’ve made errors, so you do not have to. Earlier than you try your first Nordic curl at residence, do that security examine:

• Take a look at your anchor level with mild strain first
• Ensure that nothing will slide or tip
• Clear the house in entrance of you (belief me, you may face-plant)
• Have your palms able to catch your self
• Begin on a thick yoga mat or padded floor to your knees

No fitness center? No drawback. You possibly can grasp Nordic curls proper in your front room.

You want one thing to lock your ankles in place — assume:

• The sting of a sofa
• A sturdy mattress body
• A companion holding your ft

Professional tip: Use a rolled towel or yoga mat beneath your ankles for consolation.

Kneel on a delicate floor (yoga mat or carpet). Maintain your knees hip-width aside and toes pointing down.

Tighten your abs and glutes to stabilize your backbone. Don’t arch your decrease again.

Begin decreasing your physique ahead — as slowly as potential. Use your hamstrings to regulate the descent.

As soon as you may’t maintain it anymore, catch your self together with your palms.

Use your palms to push your self again to the beginning place flippantly.

Begin with 3 units of 4–6 reps, 2–3 instances per week.

What it seems to be like:

• Your butt strikes backward as an alternative of your physique staying straight
• You are principally doing a bizarre good morning train
• Your hamstrings do not get the complete profit

The repair:

• Take into consideration pushing your hips ahead all through the motion
• Maintain your physique in a single straight line from knees to go
• Squeeze your glutes HARD the whole time
• Movie your self from the facet to examine kind

The issue:

• You are letting gravity do the work as an alternative of your hamstrings
• This defeats the whole goal of the eccentric emphasis
• You are lacking out on the injury-prevention advantages

The repair:

• Rely slowly in your head (1-Mississippi, 2-Mississippi…)
• Intention for at the least 3-5 seconds on the descent
• Assume “managed fall,” not “drop”
• High quality ALWAYS beats amount right here

What I see:

• Persons are attempting full Nordic curls on day one
• Skipping the help phases
• Including weight earlier than mastering body weight

The repair:

• Comply with my development plan above
• Spend at the least 2 weeks at every stage
• Your hamstrings want time to adapt
• Persistence = long-term success

The issue:

• Solely specializing in how far you may decrease
• Ignoring the velocity and management of the descent
• Lacking the eccentric energy advantages

The repair:

• Make the decreasing part your primary focus
• Intention for easy, managed motion
• Really feel your hamstrings working the whole time
• Video your self to examine for constant velocity

What occurs:

• Your ft slip out in the course of the train
• You possibly can’t generate correct rigidity
• Threat of falling or dropping place

The repair:

• Take a look at your anchor earlier than every set
• Modify your foot place as wanted
• Do not be afraid to strive totally different setups
• Ensure that your ankles are actually safe

No fitness center? No drawback.

Nordic curls at residence are the final word low-cost, high-reward method to strengthen your hamstrings, stop accidents, and increase athletic efficiency.

Sure — they’re exhausting. However that’s why they work. Every rep trains your physique (and your thoughts) to remain robust via resistance.

Begin small. Keep constant.

Quickly you’ll go from face-planting to proudly owning these reps — and your hamstrings won’t ever be the identical once more.