NORDIC HAM STRING CURL
Exercise used in the field fitness, athletic training e sports medicine, Nordic Ham Curl it has become one of the most used movements in injury prevention.
Also called Russian leg curl, or reverse curl, it is a simple knee flexion-extension, however the tension is generated not by moving an external overload, but by moving one's body in space.
The exercise is performed by kneeling on a pad with the torso straight, securing the feet under a stable support such as a barbell, lat machine pads, a wall bar or simply held on the ground by a partner. From this position, the trunk is lowered towards the ground trying to slow down the descent.
ACCIDENT PREVENTION
Il Nordic Hamstring Curl it is one of the most used exercises for the prevention of sprain injuries to the hamstring muscles, as well as one of the most referenced in the scientific literature together with the squatting, Olympic lifts and deadlifts. It is believed that the nhc is one of the best exercises for this purpose due to the biomechanics and especially the resistance profile, or resistance profile. Indeed, unlike the variants of leg curls with cam machines (weight stack) where the maximum tension occurs at the moment of maximum muscle shortening, in the NHC this tension corresponds to the maximum elongation of the fibers of the posterior thigh muscles.
This makes the exercise predominantly eccentric in nature and that is very positive in disciplines such as skiing, snowboarding, football, basketball, athletics and many others where the athlete is "forced" to perform movements that place joints and muscles under maximum stress in a very short time.
PERFORMANCE INCREASE
There are dozens of studies regarding the correlation between this exercise and the prevention of sports injuries, but not only. In fact, the moment of force expressed during knee flexion is strongly related to sprint speed. Right in sprint, the hamstrings contract to both extend the hips and flex the knees to create forward propulsion. It follows that training the knee flexion movement, with a resistance profile different from the classic machines, it can also be very useful for increasing the performance of sprints and horizontal jumps.
An important clarification needs to be made. Run the nhc, and therefore increasing the eccentric force in knee flexion, does not a priori avert the injury. In fact, it has been seen that injury to the knee (and related muscles) is related to multiple factors such as flexibility, strength, fatigue, core stability, and any prior injuries.
An athlete might have plenty of strength to absorb eccentric stress, high levels of hamstring flexibility so that they can stretch sufficiently during sudden overload, yet still sustain injury from overexertion (e.g. mid-to-late race) or a previous injury.
NEUROMUSCULAR ACTIVATION
Il nhc it is an exercise increasingly used also in the field fitness and bodybuilding to gain muscle mass in the hamstrings. In various studies, the results in terms of muscle activation investigated by electromyography (EMG), exceeded the seated leg curls, deadlifts with semi-stretched legs and good mornings.
It is therefore certain that the NHC leads to high levels of hamstring activation and as such should be included in a complete protocol in combination with other exercises such as semi-stight leg deadlifts, glute ham raises and machine leg curls.
EXERCISE SETUP
One of the biggest problems in performing this exercise is undoubtedly the difficulty of the initial positioning, or setup. In fact, finding a comfortable and safe position in a commercial gym, as well as in a home gym, becomes complicated. The station created by Sidea allows you to perform the exercise without having to load any barbell to stabilize yourself, or looking for a pad that is soft enough to not hurt your knees.
The station is immediately ready and adjustable for each type of user. Its important weight guarantees a lot of stability even for the heaviest athlete or for abrupt movements such as the last eccentric phase of the NHC movement, where one tends to let go due to the above-maximal tension when the femur is almost parallel to the soil.
ROMANIAN CHAIR SQUAT
In fact, this workstation was not designed just for the nhc, but also for the movement of Romanian Chair Squats, or Squat on the Roman bench. This exercise, which later became famous (wrongly) as the Sissy squat, places the quadriceps under great tension even without the aid of overloads.
However, together with the muscles, the patellar tendon is also subjected to a very important tension and therefore it is necessary to use this movement carefully. However, there are cases in which this exercise becomes extremely useful, almost essential. In sports such as skiing or snowboarding, the locked position of the knees is very similar to that of the Romanian Chair Squat, with the difference that the tension is much higher as this position is reached at very high speeds or following landings and/or changes of direction.
PROGRESSIVE APPROACH
To prevent hamstring injuries, as well as increase performance, including RCS in your training protocol can be a very smart choice, especially if combined with exercises such as barbell squats, monopodalic squats and machine knee extensions. To avoid injuring the patellar tendon or the anterior cruciate ligament, it is necessary to perform two types of progressions:
- Range of motion: start with a shorter movement and then go lower and lower during the workouts
- Overload: start with bodyweight and then use an overload, only if the range of motion is complete (otherwise work on that first)
PROJECTED IMPACT
The workstation created by Sidea is extremely convenient for its immediate use and simplicity, as well as being very stable and safe for all types of users. Also, the wide variety of exercises that you can do like Nordic Hamstring Curl, Romanian Chair Squat or Bulgarian Split Squatat, also makes it versatile as a multi-exercise station.
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9123 Ghd & Sissy Squats - Hamstring Bench
455,98€ VAT included
REFERENCES
- Attar, Wsa Al, et al. “Effect of Injury Prevention Programs That Include the Nordic Hamstring Exercise on Hamstring Injury Rates in Soccer Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Science and Medicine in Sports, vol. 20, 2017, doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2017.01.124.
- Attar, Wsa Al, et al. “Effect of Injury Prevention Programs That Include the Nordic Hamstring Exercise on Hamstring Injury Rates in Soccer Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Science and Medicine in Sports, vol. 20, 2017, doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2017.01.124.
- Brukner, Peter. “Hamstring Injuries: Prevention and Treatment—an Update.” British Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 49, no. 19, 2015, p. 1241–1244., doi:10.1136/bjsports-2014-094427.
- Cameron, Matthew L., et al. “Effect of the HamSprint Drills Training Program on Lower Limb Neuromuscular Control in Australian Football Players.” Journal of Science and Medicine in Sports, vol. 12, no. 1, 2009, p. 24–30., doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2007.09.003.
- Presland, J., et al. “The Effect of High or Low Volume Nordic Hamstring Exercise Training on Eccentric Strength and Biceps Femoris Long Head Architectural Adaptations.” Journal of Science and Medicine in Sports, vol. 20, 2017, p. 12., doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2017.09.213.
David Arrigoni
- Expert in women's training and bodybuilding
- Owner of GluteX personal training studio
- Sports Science graduate and ISSA USA Elite Trainer
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