Legs · Glute Ham Raise Bench
Nordic Curl
How to do the nordic curl, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Glute Ham Raise Bench
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Curl
- Mechanic
- Isolation
See it in motion
How to do it
Anchor your feet and kneel on the ground. Slowly lower your torso forward, using your hamstrings, then return to upright.
- 1Anchor your feet and slowly lower your torso forward so you feel your hamstrings lengthening and controlling the descent
- 2Keep a straight line from your head to your knees, engaging your glutes and core to maintain alignment
- 3When you can't control the descent, catch yourself with your hands and push back up, feeling your hamstrings fire
Common mistakes
- Don't hinge at your hips or let your body sag, keep your torso rigid
- Avoid dropping quickly without control; the goal is a slow eccentric contraction
- Don't strain your lower back or neck; maintain a neutral spine throughout
Muscles worked
The nordic curl mainly works the hamstrings, with the glutes and calves assisting.
- HamstringsPrimary
- GlutesSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Lower BackMinor
Kovo programs the nordic curl for you and tracks it every session.
The AI builds your whole program, drops the right lifts into each workout, and adjusts your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More hamstrings exercises
- How to do the leg curl
- How to do the dumbbell romanian deadlift
- How to do the glute ham raise
- How to do the lying leg curl
- How to do the romanian deadlift
- How to do the seated leg curl
Last reviewed April 2026.