Best ability...your availability

Hamstring strains remain one of the most common non-contact injuries in high-speed running sports like American football, association football, baseball, and track and field. For athletes in these sports, a hamstring injury can mean weeks — sometimes months — away from training and competition.

One of the most popular and effective exercises for addressing this risk is the Nordic hamstring curl.

The Nordic curl specifically targets eccentric hamstring strength — the ability of the hamstrings to produce force while lengthening. This is critical because most hamstring strains occur during the late swing phase of sprinting, when the hamstrings are working eccentrically to decelerate the lower leg at high speeds.

By strengthening the hamstrings in this lengthened, high-force position, Nordic curls help improve tissue resilience and increase the muscle’s ability to tolerate the demands of sprinting.

That does not mean Nordics are the only solution — sprint mechanics, progressive speed exposure, overall lower-body strength, and workload management all matter. But when it comes to directly developing eccentric hamstring strength, few exercises are as well-supported and widely used.

If you work with athletes in speed-dominant sports, incorporating Nordic hamstring curls into a well-structured program can be a simple, powerful step toward reducing injury risk and keeping athletes on the field.

Strong hamstrings aren’t just about performance — they’re about availability.