While most traditional back-focused exercises have solidified their place in a gym routine, they sometimes miss one of the biggest drivers of chronic back problems: muscle imbalances around the hips and pelvis. If your quads and hip flexors are weak or tight, your pelvis may tilt forward. If that's you, placing extra strain on your lower back might not be your best option. That’s where the simple reverse Nordic curl exercise comes into play.
Here are the benefits of this exercise:
→ Strengthens Quads
→ Boosts Hip Flexor Strength and Flexibility
→ Enhances Core Stability
→ Reduces Anterior Pelvic Tilt
→ Promotes Posture Balance
→ Supports Knee Joint Health
→ Helps Prevent and Relieve Back Pain
In this article, you’ll learn exactly how to do the reverse Nordic curl (with and without a band), why it’s such an good exercise for supporting back health, how to progress it safely for long-term results, plus a look at its benefits, the muscles it works, and answers to FAQs.
How to Do a Reverse Nordic Curl Exercise
You don’t need any fancy schmancy equipment to get the benefits of a reverse Nordic curl.
Here’s how to do it with an easy step-by-step tutorial using just your body weight and a mat:
1) Start in a Tall Kneeling Position: Kneel on a soft surface or yoga mat with your knees hip-width apart. Keep your toes pointed straight back or tucked under – whichever feels stable.
2) Fully Engage Your Core: Actively brace your core and glutes to maintain a straight line from your head all the way to your knees. Your hips can stay extended and your torso upright here.
3) Begin Your Backward Lean: Slowly lean your entire body backward from your knees while keeping your core tight and spine neutral (keep an eye on your form, folks, it does matter). Your hips and shoulders should move together as a unit – but try to avoid any bending at your hips.
4) Control Your Descent: Go as far back as you can while maintaining good form. You’ll know you’re nailing it when you feel a deep eccentric contraction through your quads and hip flexors.
5) Return to Your Starting Position: Once you’ve reached the most comfortable end range, engage your quads and core, returning to the starting position in step 1. Keep lots of control.
6) Repeat: You can do 2 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps, depending on your strength level and goals.
→ Pro Tip: With reverse Nordic curls, start with a small range of motion and steadily increase your depth as your strength, flexibility, and control improve (which they will as you do more reps!). This ensures good form and helps prevent unnecessary strain on your back and knees.
How to Do a Reverse Nordic Curl With a Band (AKA Banded Reverse Nordic Curl)
Adding a resistance band to your reverse Nordic curl is a prime way to scale the exercise and build strength through a fuller range of motion. Here’s how to do a banded reverse Nordic curl:
1) Anchor Your Resistance Band: Secure one end of a band behind you at around knee height. The other end can loop around your torso or under your arms for some extra support.
2) Sit Up Tall, Kneeling: Kneel on a soft surface or yoga mat with your knees hip-width apart. Keep your hips extended and your core engaged for max activation throughout the whole move.
3) Lean Back With Control: Slowly lean backward while keeping your hips and shoulders completely aligned. The band will assist you as you go through the range of motion in this step.
4) Pause and Return: Once you reach your most comfortable end range, fully engage your quads and core to return to your starting position, resisting the band on the entire way up.
→ Pro Tip: The banded reverse Nordic curl is a true gem for exercise newbies or anyone wanting to improve their range of motion safely and effectively without sacrificing their form.
What Is a Reverse Nordic Curl?
The reverse Nordic curl is a bodyweight exercise that pro targets your quads and hip flexors through a controlled backward lean. You start in a tall kneeling position, keep your torso straight, and slowly lean back, engaging your front-body muscles to fully control the descent and return.
Traditional Nordic Curl vs. Reverse Nordic Curl vs
Below is how this move differs from the traditional Nordic curl:
→ The traditional Nordic curl targets your hamstrings and glutes. You lower your torso forward toward the floor in an ultra-controlled motion, focusing on hamstring strength and building power in the posterior chain. It’s commonly used to improve hamstring durability and reduce injuries.
→ The reverse Nordic curl flips this whole dynamic. Instead of hinging forward, you lean your body backward from your knees, maintaining a straight line. This move strengthens your quads and hip flexors, helping improve front-body strength, pelvic alignment, and muscle balance.
Why it matters for back health: Did you know many back issues stem from imbalances between front and back muscles? Tight or weak quads and hip flexors can tilt your pelvis forward, increasing stress on your lumbar spine. By strengthening them through moves like the reverse Nordic curl, you improve pelvic alignment, reduce anterior pelvic tilt, and support a healthier spinal position, helping your back move and feel better in training and everyday life.
Hamstring Curl vs. Reverse Nordic Curl
The hamstring curl (AKA the seated or lying leg curl) and reverse Nordic curl are often compared, but truth be told – they target completely opposite sides of your body and serve different purposes in a well-rounded regime.
→ Hamstring Curl: Strengthens your posterior chain, focusing on the hamstrings and glutes. Helps improve hip extension power and supports your spine through hip-driven movements. Hamstring curls are best on posterior chain days, during deadlift or hinge-focused workouts.
→ Reverse Nordic Curl: Targets your anterior chain, specifically the quads and hip flexors. Helps improve pelvic control and balance between the front and back of your body. These are excellent for quad-focused seshes, core work, or as a supplemental exercise to back support.
Why Both Matter for Your Back Health: Back pain and poor posture often come from muscle imbalances. If you train the back of your body (posterior chain) without also strengthening the front (anterior chain), it can lead to a tilted pelvis and extra strain on your lower back. Adding both hamstring curls and reverse Nordic curls to your exercise routine can help keep your hips and pelvis ultra-balanced – leading to better posture, a stronger core, and a healthier spine.
Best Reverse Nordic Curl Alternatives
Can’t seem to do reverse Nordic curls yet? No worries – you’ve got plenty of options!
Whether you’re dealing with limited mobility, knee issues, or just looking to mix up your routine, there are lots of other exercises that can help you strengthen your quads and improve muscle balance for better overall back health. Here are the best reverse Nordic curl alternatives to try:
→ Sissy Squats: This bodyweight move mimics the deep quad activation you get from reverse Nordic curls. You lean back while keeping your hips extended, forcing your quads to work super hard – just be sure to control the movement and only go as far as your knees will allow you to.
→ Weighted Wall Sits: This is an excellent low-impact option for building quad endurance and stability. All you have to do is slide down into a squat against a study wall, hold the position, and feel those quads burn – all without putting much strain on your back or hips. I love a win-win.
→ Bulgarian Split Squats: This single-leg exercise strengthens your quads, glutes, and hip stabilizers while also improving balance and pelvic control – all key for back health. Plus, you can easily scale it by adjusting depth or adding weight. Captain Morgan's are another option.
→ Reverse Sled Drags: One of the most joint-friendly ways to build bulletproof quads is a reverse sled drag. Walking backward while dragging a sled activates your quads through a full range of motion, helping improve strength and knee health without loading up on your spine.
When to use alternatives: If you have knee pain, a hip injury, or are recovering from back issues, these can help you safely build strength while respecting your body’s limits. They’re also great if you simply want to vary your program or work up to full reverse Nordic curls over time.
Reverse Nordic Curl Progressions: The 411
If you’re new to the reverse Nordic curl, no worries.
This is an exercise that can be easily scaled to match your current strength and mobility level. Using smart progressions allows you to build strength gradually and safely, helping you enjoy the full benefits of the reverse Nordic curl without putting any unnecessary strain on your back.
This is how to progress the reverse Nordic curl to meet your ongoing gym goals:
→ Start With Partial Range of Motion: In your first few seshes, only lean back as far as you can while maintaining perfect form. Focus on keeping your core tight and your hips extended.
→ Use a Resistance Band for Help: As I described in the banded reverse Nordic curl, adding a band can help you control the move and build confidence through a larger range of motion.
→ Gradually Increase Depth: Over time, work on leaning further back while keeping your form dialed in. Even a few extra inches of controlled depth can dramatically increase the challenge.
→ Add Eccentric Emphasis: Once you’re comfortable with reverse Nordic curls, try slowing down the eccentric (lowering) phase to 3 to 5 seconds to increase muscle control and strength.
→ Progress to Weighted Variations (Advanced): When bodyweight reverse Nordic curls feel strong and controlled, you can add light resistance (such as a weight plate held across your chest) to further challenge your quads and core. I don’t recommend jumping into this, though.
Why use progressions? Progressing the reverse Nordic curl safely helps you strengthen your quads and hip flexors without aggravating any back issues you may have or triggering unnecessary strain. Gradual increases in range and difficulty also support better pelvic alignment and core stability, both of which are crucial for long-term back health and posture.
Find out how poor posture can result in back pain by taking a peek at this article →
Reverse Nordic Curl Benefits
Check out the reverse Nordic curl benefits below:
→ Strengthens Quads: It uniquely reinforces your quads, helping improve muscle control, joint stability, and functional strength – key for overall athletic performance and injury prevention. [1]
→ Boosts Hip Flexor Strength and Flexibility: It actively strengthens and stretches your hip flexors, promoting good pelvic alignment and reducing excess strain on your lower back. [2]
→ Enhances Core Stability: It challenges your core to stabilize your spine during the move, helping you develop deeper core strength that translates into better posture and back support.
→ Reduces Anterior Pelvic Tilt: It balances front-body strength and improves hip positioning, which may help reduce anterior pelvic tilt – a common contributor to lots of low back discomfort.
→ Promotes Posture Balance: It builds front-side body strength to counterbalance stronger back-side muscles, helping create better posture and reducing unhealthy movement patterns.
→ Supports Knee Joint Health: It strengthens your quads eccentrically (this means in a new, uncommon way), improving tendon resilience and helping support healthier, more stable knees.
→ Helps Prevent Back Pain: It can drastically improve pelvic control and muscular balance, both of which reduce lumbar compensation and support a healthier, more resilient spine. [3]
Reverse Nordic Curl Muscles Worked
The reverse Nordic curl is a powerful exercise for building strength through the front of your body – muscles that play a key role in maintaining healthy posture and supporting your back.
Here are the primary and secondary muscles worked by the reverse Nordic curl:
Primary Muscles Targeted:
1) Quadriceps
2) Hip flexors
Secondary Muscles Engaged:
3) Core stabilizers
4) Spinal erectors
Release Hip Flexor Tension With The QL Claw to Get More Out of Your Reverse Nordic Curls
If your hip flexors (especially your psoas and iliacus) are tight, they can fight against the very movement you’re trying to boost with reverse Nordic curls. And the deeper you lean back in the exercise, the more this tension can show up. That’s why releasing these muscles first will make a huge difference – not just for comfort, but also for better range of motion and quad activation.
While there are numerous self-massage tools available on the market today, most of them fail to reach the deep hip flexor trigger points effectively. That’s where The QL Claw comes in. It’s uniquely designed to pro release the psoas and iliacus – two of the most stubborn and often overlooked contributors to anterior pelvic tilt, low back strain, and reduced hip extension.
→ What the Psoas and Iliacus Actually Do (and Why They Get Tight Sometimes)
The psoas connects your lumbar spine to your femur, playing a major role in hip flexion and spinal stability. When tight, it can compress your lower back, tilt your pelvis forward, and cause some sharp pain during standing or movement.
The iliacus attaches from your inner pelvis to your femur and works alongside your psoas. When it’s knotted up, it often creates deep groin pain, discomfort when sitting or rising, and a constant pulling sensation at the front of your hip.
Together, these muscles can silently sabotage your reverse Nordic curls by limiting hip extension, reducing your range of motion, and locking up your pelvis in a forward tilt.
→ How to Release Your Psoas With The QL Claw:
1) Place The Claw inside your front hip bone (medial to the ASIS – anterior superior iliac spine)
2) Softly lie down on The Claw, relaxing your weight into the tool
3) Breathe deeply and slowly, rocking side to side to find tender spots
4) Hold the pressure on each spot for around 1 to 2 minutes
5) Switch sides
Watch the psoas release tutorial using The Claw here.
→ How to Release the Iliacus With The QL Claw:
1) Place The Claw lower and deeper into the inside bowl of your pelvis (just inside the hip crest)
2) Lie down slowly, breathing into the pressure – it can feel sharp at first, but no worries
3) Make small micro-movements side to side to find any trigger points
4) Hold each one for about 1 to 2 minutes
5) Switch sides
Watch the iliacus release tutorial using The Claw here:
Releasing these deep hip flexor muscles first can help you lean back further, engage your quads more fully, and do reverse Nordic curls with much less resistance from tight tissues.
Try The QL Claw for deep hip flexor release today.
Or, take a look at what others are saying about The QL Claw below:
More Quad + Hip Flexor Resources
“Can Hip Flexors Cause Back Pain?”
Reverse Nordic Curl Exercise FAQs
What Muscles Does Reverse Nordic Curls Target?
Reverse Nordic curls target these muscles:
1) Quadriceps
2) Hip flexors
3) Core stabilizers
4) Spinal erectors
Are Reverse Nordics Safe?
Reverse Nordic curls are 100% safe when done with good technique and the right progression.
However, it’s important to know that they do place a unique demand on your knees – especially through deep knee flexion — so individuals with patellar tendinopathy, acute knee pain, or limited mobility may want to approach them cautiously or modify the range of motion. Using a thick pad under your knees and starting with a smaller range of motion can help you start out.
Are Reverse Nordic Curls Good for Quads?
This one is a huge “absolutely!” Reverse Nordic curls are A+ for strengthening your quads, especially a muscle called the rectus femoris (which is harder to target with squats or leg presses). Studies show it helps improve muscle strength, size, and flexibility in your quads. [4]
It also builds better knee stability and may help protect against injuries. [5]
What Are the Cons of Reverse Nordic Curls?
The biggest downside is that they can be tough on your knees if you’re not ready for them.
Deep knee bending in this move can cause discomfort or injury if you push too far, too soon. Another drawback is that reverse Nordics don’t work every part of your quads equally – some muscles (like the vastus lateralis) get more activation from other exercises like Bulgarian split squats. And because this is an eccentric (lowering) move, it can leave your quads very sore.
Are Reverse Nordics or Sissy Squats Better?
This question really depends on your end-game goal.
Sissy squats do a great job of working your whole quad through a big range of motion and keeping constant tension on the muscle. Reverse Nordics are better for improving flexibility, building strength in a stretched position, and protecting your knees. If you want to grow your quads and build size, sissy squats might give you more bang for your buck. If you want injury prevention and to train your quads in a unique way, reverse Nordics are a great move to do.
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