Tip: Nordic Regressions That'll Still Kill You 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 Tip Nordic Regressions That ll Still Kill You It' s the bodyweight exercise that humbles even the strongest of lifters Here' s how to do one if you CAN' T do one by Ryan Sapstead February 22, 2021April 11, 2021 Tags Training Most lifters don't have the strength to do a perfect, crisp Nordic curl. At least not yet. These two variations will get you there AND build some serious hamstring size and strength. 1 Nordic Hamstring Eccentrics Emphasizing the eccentric (lowering) phase of the movement while assisting yourself in the concentric (lifting) phase is an effective yet still brutal alternative. Basically, you're going to give yourself a push-off at the bottom. Don't worry, your hams will still have to kick in and do a tremendous amount of work. How To do It Set a barbell up in a rack with enough weight to hold it down during the exercise. No barbell? Grab a buddy and have him hold your ankles down. Place a pad on the bar to cushion your heels. Secure your feet under the bar with your toes against the floor. Place a mat or a yoga pad below your knees to protect them from pressing against the hard surface of the floor. Starting from the top position, press your hips into full extension and engage your glutes and hamstrings. Lower yourself down to the ground in a slow and controlled manner, catching yourself in a kneeling, press-up position. Do an explosive push-up to project yourself off the floor while engaging your hamstrings. Use your hammies to pull yourself back to a fully upright position. 2 Nordic Hip Hinge This time, instead of emphasizing the rep's eccentric portion, the emphasis is on increasing hamstring activation through manipulating the leverage. Extend your hips throughout the movement until you reach a high (but bearable) level of engagement. This will gradually increase the load placed on the hamstrings. The range of movement will either be relatively moderate or large, depending on how advanced you are. How To do It Set the barbell up and position yourself in the same starting position you'd be in during a Nordic curl. Start from the top with your hips hinged back and your torso forward, then extend your hips forward. Allow your torso to rise to an upright position while pressing your hips forward, aiming to achieve full extension. As your hamstrings are about to give way, retract your hips and drop your torso to decrease the leverage. Related: Big Quads, No Squat Rack Related: No Weights, Big Wheels 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 Dave vs Dog The Throwdown Two certified bad asses training hard. 'Nuf said. Bodybuilding, Powerlifting & Strength, Training John Meadows April 5 Training Real Fast Fat Loss The five most important components of fat loss, all in one program. Check it out. Fat Loss Training, Metcon, Training Alwyn Cosgrove & Chad Waterbury May 30 Training Tip Choose the Right Load for Hamstrings Get this part right and you'll maximize hamstring hypertrophy. Here's what you need to know. Tips, Training T Nation April 15 Training Tip Build Overhead Power With This Exercise This movement teaches your body to turn on all available motor units and much more. Check it out. Tips, Training Joel Seedman, PhD August 10