Nordic Curl

Setup

Kneel on a pad with your ankles secured under a bench, partner's hands, or sturdy object behind you. Start upright with your body forming a straight line from knees to head, arms ready at your sides.

How to do it

1. Lower your torso forward slowly while keeping your hips extended and body straight
2. Use your hamstrings to control the descent as long as possible
3. Catch yourself with your hands when you can no longer control the movement
4. Push off the ground with your hands to help return to the starting position
5. Keep your core tight throughout to prevent hinging at the hips

Watch out for

• ✗Bending at the hips instead of maintaining a straight line from knees to head
• ✗Dropping too quickly without controlling the eccentric phase
• ✗Forgetting to engage the glutes which causes lower back arching