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There is only one study investigating the use of the NHC with rowers specifically, a 2017 article titled, “The Effects of Nordic Hamstring Exercise on Pain and Performance in Elite Rowers with Low Back Pain.” Ten elite rowers, seven male and three female, with active low back pain participated in the study. At right, anatomy of the posterior thigh muscles (). Below at left, anatomy of the long head and short head of the hamstring muscle (). The whole muscle contributes to both movements, but due to their beginning points on the skeleton, the long head is stronger in hip extension and weaker in knee flexion, while the short head is stronger in knee flexion and weaker in hip extension. This makes the biceps femoris a two-joint muscle, acting to both extend the hip and also flex the knee. Both insert at the head of the fibula, below the knee. The biceps femoris long head begins at the ischial tuberosity of the pelvis, aka the “sit bones,” and the short head begins about halfway down the femur. The biceps brachii (arm flexor muscle) and biceps femoris are anatomically similar, hence the similar names. “Femoris” means relating to the femur, aka the leg bone between the pelvis and knee. “Biceps” means two points of attachment at one end. Biceps femoris (is what most people refer to when they talk about the hamstrings, and is what we’ll focus on in this article. “The hamstrings” are actually a group of muscles: the biceps femoris short head, biceps femoris long head, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus.
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We need a little bit of background on muscle anatomy to understand why. There is early information in research and practice that training this exercise for rowers can increase posterior chain strength, reduce low back pain, and improve rowing performance. The NHC offers great value for rowers as an exercise to train an underused muscle, the hamstrings, in an underused manner, focusing on eccentric muscle action. The NHC is less popular among rowers, though hopefully we can start to change that. The NHC is popular in training for field-based and running sports to improve hamstring muscle strength and ability for athletes to absorb high levels of force while running.
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On page 172 (below), we find a description and sketch of what is now known as the Nordic hamstring curl. George Herbert Taylor was a student at the institute and wrote a book in 1880, “Health by Exercise,” about his experiences and the institute’s methods. This program was founded by Pehr Henrik Ling when he was appointed by the Swedish government to establish the Royal Central Institute of Gymnastics (RCIG) in Stockholm in 1813.
Nordic hamstring curl manual#
This also requires great hip stability from the glutes and back muscles to keep the hip extended while the hamstrings work around the knee.Īs far as I can tell, the Nordic hamstring curl exercise appears to originate in the 1800s with the “Swedish Gymnastics” or “Swedish Movement Cure” program, which advocated for exercise and manual therapy massage techniques to improve physical health and wellness. The knee joint is the pivot point for the exercise, and the athlete works very hard to control this movement with the hamstrings muscles through knee flexion. The athlete kneels in an upright position, with heels held down firmly by a partner or anchoring device, and then inclines the trunk forward without bending at the hips or back. Whatever you call it, it’s a challenging exercise that focuses on the hamstrings muscles and can be done with bodyweight only. I tend to use both “curl” and “exercise,” and then abbreviate to “NHC” for short, but people also abbreviate to “NHE.” The Nordic hamstring curl exercise is referred to as the “Nordic hamstring curl,” the “Nordic hamstring exercise,” or both together. Illustration from Bahr and Mæhlum (2002), “Scandinavian Textbook of Sports Medicine”
Nordic hamstring curl full#
It is a challenging exercise that all rowers may not be ready for right away, so use variations in range-of-motion, tempo, and set-and-rep scheme to gradually progress up to full training. The NHC requires minimal equipment, so rowers and coaches can incorporate it into training just about anywhere. Key Points: The Nordic hamstring curl (NHC) is an exercise with good application for rowers, training the glutes and back muscles for hip stability and taking the hamstrings through a underdeveloped movement of eccentric knee flexion.
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This article tells you everything you need to know to begin using this in your strength training for rowing. The Nordic hamstring curl is a popular exercise in the strength training for other sports, but has not reached widespread use in rowing.