The Nordic Deadlift Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training The Nordic Deadlift Build Hamstrings and Posterior Chain Strength by Tanner Shuck February 13, 2022March 3, 2022 Tags Bodybuilding, Deadlift, Powerlifting & Strength A New Way to Deadlift Probably Are you an experienced lifter? Want to try a novel exercise to torch your hamstrings? Do the Nordic deadlift. This is a close relative to the gold standard of hamstring strength: the Nordic hamstring curl. I recently broke my ankle and was looking for a way to effectively load my posterior chain without using my ankle. I have a stronger-than-average posterior chain, but the Nordic deadlift lit up my hamstrings in a way I'd never experienced before. The Details The Nordic deadlift is essentially a weighted hamstring hip hinge. But I'd consider it closer to a Nordic hamstring curl because that's the only other exercise where I've experienced a similar level of near-maximal hamstring engagement. You can easily adjust the difficulty level by increasing or decreasing the weight on the bar. The first time I tried it, I was only able to use 30kg total (about 66 pounds), but after hitting it for four consecutive weeks, I worked up to 65kg (143 pounds) for sets of five. Before you try it, make sure you possess the requisite strength to perform glute ham raises or hamstring hip hinges at bodyweight. If you don't have a foot attachment, use a lat pulldown machine where you kneel on the seat backward and use the knee pads to secure your legs down. Or use a bench and Smith machine. Place a pad on the bar to secure your legs. To strengthen your hamstrings and posterior chain effectively, stick to the basics (deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, and glute-ham raises). You don't need to reinvent the wheel. However, if you're strong, enjoy trying new exercises, or have a foot/ankle injury, the Nordic deadlift is an incredibly high value-for-time exercise. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training The Most Dangerous Gym Equipment of All Time Here's are the four riskiest pieces of equipment in your gym, plus what you can do to stay out of the ER. It Hurts Fix It, Training Nick Tumminello April 24 Training Bodybuilding for Strength Athletes You won't continue making strength gains unless you're making some size gains too. Bring up your lifts by building more muscle. Here's the plan. Bodybuilding, Powerlifting & Strength, Training Paul Carter July 31 Training Building Your Rep - Part 1 Regardless of the profession in question, your "rep" (reputation) is usually what gets you where you want to go. In the world of physique and performance enhancement, building your rep is equally important, except that we're talking about an altogether different type of "rep" here. Training Chad Waterbury September 20 Training Tip A Band-Built Butt is a Superior Butt This banded exercise actually builds rounder glutes and thicker hamstrings than hip thrusts or kettlebell swings. Training TC Luoma December 5