What Are Nordic Hamstring Curls?

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Personal/Fitness Training Blog

The Nordic hamstring curl, which is also known as the Nordic ham curl as well as the inverse leg curl, is a lower body exercise which uses your bodyweight in order to activate your hamstring muscles. Perform Nordic hamstring curls by starting in a kneeling position with your ankles secured. Gently lower your body down towards the floor. Catch yourself with your hands before squeezing your hamstrings to lift your bodyweight again.

What Are The Muscles That Nordic Hamstring Curls Target?

Clearly, the Nordic Hamstring Curl tightens and tones hamstrings. However what is great about this movement is that it works the hamstrings very deep into the muscle tissue for ultimate power as well as strength.

The hamstring is essentially made up of three muscles. These work together in order to support the movement of your legs and also stabilise your joints. The Nordic Hamstring Curl works all of these hamstring muscles, together making the entire muscle group stronger.

Then, there are the other muscles which are worked as a consequence of this movement. Also, your inner thigh, or sartorius, can benefit big time from Nordic hamstring curls. In addition, you might feel it in your glutes as your bodyweight moves towards the ground.

Your upper body may even see some beneficial results from this exercise. Your biceps and triceps will be strengthened as they stabilise your weight and push your weight off the floor. Also, you will feel the burn in your pectorals and deltoids as your chest and shoulder muscles are activated. In general, this is a great exercise for multiple major muscle groups.

What Is The Nordic Ham Curl And The Glute-Ham Raise?

The Nordic hamstring curl is often called the poor man’s glute-ham raise. The two exercises have a tonne in common. They’re both bodyweight knee-flexion movements which hammer the hamstrings, the difference is that the glute-ham raise uses a device which puts the body in an optimal position that allows for a far more effective range of motion.

It’s sort of like the preacher curl as opposed to the old-fashioned bicep curl. While one is a little swankier and does a slightly better job, both of these exercises are great for building as well as strengthening the bicep.

The same goes for Nordic ham curls as well as glute-ham raise (GHR). Both are phenomenal for hamstrings and while the GHR is a tiny bit more effective, you should feel no qualms about performing them Nordic style if you don’t have a GHR chair. (And no, the glute ham raise isn’t all that great at strengthening the glutes — it’s largely a hamstring exercise, like the Nordic ham curl.)

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How to Exercise Safely and Prevent Injury

If you have a prior or pre-existing health condition, consult your doctor before starting an exercise programme. Proper exercise technique is very important in ensuring the safety as well as effectiveness of an exercise programme, however you may need to adapt each exercise in order to attain optimal results based on your unique needs. Always select a weight which allows you to have full control of your body during the movement. When doing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and immediately stop if you note pain or discomfort.

In order to see constant progress and build body strength, include proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise programme. Your results will eventually be based on your ability to recover adequately from your workouts. Rest up for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow for sufficient recovery.

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