DIY Fitness Club

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Nordic Curl Hacks

PJ

Introduction:

I love Nordic curls. They are a fantastic leg day exercise. The only problem is most people buy or DIY a rather bulky item in order to perform the exercise. Therefore, in this installment I offer you two hacks that will allow you to perform the exercise without any additional bulk equipment.

Hack #1: Barbell in Your Power Rack

I have seen many people do Nordic Curls this way. However, often times I see it being done in less than ideal ways/ Often times, people will place the barbell inside their rack - throw some 45s on, and then kneel on a bad and begin exercising. Usually the barbell is far too high - and therefore, as they lower their body up and down - their ankles are flailing up and down with each rep in order to catch themselves as they descend.

The key is your ankles need to be stationary - placed tightly against the barbell (ideally with a barbell pad for comfort). This will allow you to better focus on your hamstrings, and focus less on worrying about falling flat on your face with every rep. For this reason - make sure that your “kneeling pad” is thick enough so that the backs of your ankles are places firmly against the barbell pad. To make your pad thicker - simply place something underneath it (e.g., foam puzzle mat, folded yoga mat, wood, etc.…anything). Further, I see many people use pads that are far too narrow. As a result, they must keep their knees unnaturally locked together as they perform the exercise. For this reason, I highly recommend the 2 foot wide balance pad that I used in the video.

Also the barbell is going to slightly roll with each repetition This is why I also suggest that you use lashing straps to firmly secure the barbell to your Power rack’s uprights. This will extend the setup time by 10-15 seconds…but it is worth it!

Hack #2: Lashing Strap on Your Power Rack

This version has a significantly quicker setup time than hack #1, and therefore is my preferred method for performing the Nordic curl.

Simply add a 10 FOOT long lashing strap to your rack’s rear uprights. Since the back of your ankles will be placed against two segments of the strap, the strap is comfortable enough on its own. However, if you do want extra comfort, just add a barbell pad to the straps.

As I explain in the video - as you perform the exercise the strap might creep up the uprights, but just add a hitch pin or something to act as a barrier so that the strap cannot creep up. Since the holes in my rack do not go down far enough, I used a second lashing strap to “strap the strap” to the bottom rear cross member of my Power rack.

If you have a “light weight” rack like mine, you may also want to weigh the rack down more by adding some plates to the rack’s weight horns (or add a loaded barbell on your J cups). This will prevent your Power track from moving/rocking as your perform the exercise.

Band Assistance

I order to aid in your progression towards performing the exercise unassisted, I recommend starting out with incorporating band. You can hold onto them or wear them across your chest. I recommend 41” long bands for this. I use Rogue Monster Bands which are very high quality. To buy your own click here: https://bit.ly/3JlRhCq

The looser the band the less assistance it will provide. Therefore by adding a lashing strap to the band, you can adjust the “length” of the band by adjusting the length of the lashing strap. The more you tighten the lashing strap - the more assistance the band will provide you.

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Once you try this for yourself - be sure to let me know how it worked for you! Happy Lifting!

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