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Reverse Nordic Curl Progressions

Muscles worked

  • Quadrizeps

Form Cues

  • Start kneeling on the floor, knees maximum hip wide apart

  • Hold a band coming from the front for assistance

  • Keep the hip forward and extended

  • Engage the abs and glutes, maintaining a posterior pelvic tilt

  • Slowly start to lean back, bending at the knees

  • Stop before you lose control or when your knees are fully bent

  • Pause for a second, then start to come back up, leading with the hip

  • Avoid the hip bending on the way down

Progressions

  1. 01

    Band-Assisted Negative Reverse Nordic

    • Start kneeling on the floor, knees maximum hip wide apart

    • Hold a resistance band anchored in front of you for assistance

    • Keep the hips forward and fully extended — squeeze the glutes

    • Engage the abs to maintain a posterior pelvic tilt throughout

    • Slowly lean back by bending only at the knees, keeping the body straight from knees to shoulders

    • Go as far back as you can while maintaining control, then use the band to help pull yourself back up

    • Feel free to hinge at the hips on the way up for additional assistance

    • Focus on slowing down the eccentric — the lowering phase is the most important part

    • Avoid letting the hips bend on the way down

  2. 02

    Band-Assisted Reverse Nordic

    Bands
    Bands

    • Start kneeling on the floor, knees maximum hip wide apart

    • Hold a resistance band anchored in front of you for assistance

    • Keep the hips forward and fully extended — squeeze the glutes

    • Engage the abs to maintain a posterior pelvic tilt throughout

    • Slowly lean back by bending only at the knees, keeping the body straight from knees to shoulders

    • Pause for a second at the deepest point you can control

    • Use the band tension to help you pull back up to the starting position

    • The band should assist, not do the work — reduce band strength as you get stronger

    • Avoid letting the hips bend on the way down

  3. 03

    Negative Reverse Nordic

    • Start kneeling on the floor, knees maximum hip wide apart

    • No band — this is an unassisted negative-only progression

    • Keep the hips forward and fully extended, squeeze the glutes hard

    • Engage the abs to maintain a posterior pelvic tilt throughout

    • Slowly lean back by bending only at the knees — take at least 3 seconds to lower

    • Maintain a straight line from knees to shoulders the entire way down

    • Go as far back as you can with control, then catch yourself with your hands behind you

    • Use a hip hinge or push off the ground with your hands to return to the start

    • The lowering phase is the exercise — make it as slow and controlled as possible

  4. 04

    Reverse Nordic

    • Start kneeling on the floor, knees maximum hip wide apart

    • This is the full unassisted movement — no band or hand assistance

    • Keep the hips forward and fully extended, squeeze the glutes hard

    • Engage the abs to maintain a posterior pelvic tilt throughout

    • Slowly lean back by bending only at the knees — maintain a straight line from knees to shoulders

    • Pause for a second at the deepest point you can control

    • Drive back up to the starting position using quad strength alone

    • Avoid hinging at the hips on the way up — keep the body as one straight unit

    • Control the tempo in both directions: slow down, controlled up

Common mistakes

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