Bodyweight Strength · Bodyweight — Power
Nordic Curl
Hamstrings, eccentric knee flexion, injury prevention
Minimum Effective Dose
1 min
The shortest time that still creates real, measurable change. Hit the dose and the benefit starts. Everything after is bonus.
Why it works
The Nordic curl is the most evidence-backed exercise for hamstring injury prevention. The eccentric loading at long muscle lengths builds the hamstring strength that protects against strains during running and sprinting.
How to do it
Anchor feet. Lower slowly.
Knees on floor, feet under couch. Lean forward as slow as possible. Catch yourself, reset. Progress here is measured in seconds, not reps.
- Kneel on a pad with your feet anchored under a couch or heavy object
- Lean your whole body forward as slowly as possible, keeping hips extended and glutes squeezed. Hinge only at the knees
- Catch yourself at the bottom and push back up. The slower you can go, the stronger you're getting
- Progress is measured in seconds, not reps
Variants
Easier
Hands catch early. Shorter range.
Fall forward less far. Catch yourself sooner.
Harder
Full range. Push off floor to reset.
Lower as far as possible, push off floor to return.
Related exercises
Pair with breathwork
Wind down after your session with a Shift breathwork protocol.
Baseline builds this into your session automatically.
The system decides what you need, sequences the exercises, and runs the timers. All you do is press start.
Launching May 2026 · Free to try
