For hamstring growth
For hamstring growth, B-stance Romanian deadlift rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more stretch.
Nordic curl keeps more of the work on the hamstrings.
Both are good choices, and they train the hamstrings differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
B-Stance Romanian Deadlift. Most of the load on one leg gives each hamstring a deep stretch with half the weight a regular RDL needs.
Nordic Curl. A brutal eccentric. Great for resilience; hard to progress for growth.
For hamstring growth, B-stance Romanian deadlift rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more stretch. Nordic curl keeps more of the work on the hamstrings. Both are good choices, and they train the hamstrings differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.
B-stance Romanian deadlift is easier: it’s easy to learn, while Nordic curl takes some practice.
B-stance Romanian deadlift needs dumbbells, so a home gym covers it. Nordic curl needs no equipment, so you can do it anywhere.
B-stance Romanian deadlift: it rates Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Good for Nordic curl.