For hamstring growth

Nordic Curl vs Seated Leg Curl

For hamstring growth, seated leg curl rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more stretch.

Both are good choices that train the hamstrings the same way, so they swap freely. Rotating between them every few weeks is an easy way to vary your training.

Research score

Target tension

Excellent

Loaded stretch

Strong

Excellent

Progression

Fair

Excellent

Low cost

Good

Strong

See the full hamstrings ranking

What these mean

Target tension.: Whether the muscle you’re training is what gives out first, not your grip, balance or other muscles.
Loaded stretch.: How hard the muscle works while stretched. Training it there is linked to more growth.
Progression.: How easily you can keep adding weight in small steps over months and years.
Low cost.: How easy it is on your joints and recovery, and how quickly you can learn it.

The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work

When each one fits

Good reasons to choose Nordic curl

You have no equipment

Good reasons to choose seated leg curl

You want something easy to learn
You want to keep adding weight in small steps
You want more load on the hamstrings while they’re stretched

Nordic Curl

Seated Leg Curl

You need

Nothing but the floor

Machine

Skill

Takes some practice

Easy to learn

Type

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

Nordic Curl. A brutal eccentric. Great for resilience; hard to progress for growth.

Seated Leg Curl. Seated curls grew the hamstrings more than lying curls (+14% vs +9%) in a 12-week study.

Also compared for

Soccer

Ranking →

SNordic Curl#2 of 25
CSeated Leg Curl#22 of 25

For soccer, Nordic curl rates well ahead on our research criteria: more carry-over to soccer, more injury protection.

Side by side

Transfer

Strong

Fair

Injury protection

Excellent

Good

Practicality

Excellent

Strong

American football

Ranking →

SNordic Curl#1 of 35
CSeated Leg Curl#35 of 35

For American football, Nordic curl rates well ahead on our research criteria: more carry-over to American football, more injury protection.

Side by side

Transfer

Strong

Fair

Injury protection

Excellent

Good

Practicality

Excellent

Strong

From the research

Bourne et al., 2017: Both exercises lengthened the biceps femoris fascicles and grew the semitendinosus; 45° hip extensions grew the biceps femoris long head more than Nordics. (30 recreational male athletes; 10 weeks.)Cited for Nordic curl in hamstrings
Maeo et al., 2021: Seated leg curls grew the hamstrings more than lying leg curls (+14% vs +9% volume) over 12 weeks. (20 untrained adults; one study.)Cited for seated leg curl in hamstrings

More studies2

Petersen et al., 2011: Teams that added Nordic curls had about 70% fewer acute hamstring injuries over a season (3.8 vs 13.1 per 100 players). (942 Danish male professional and amateur players.)Cited for Nordic curl in soccer
van Dyk et al., 2019: Programmes that included Nordic curls reduced hamstring injuries by up to 51%. (A later reappraisal judged the effect less certain because of study selection.)Cited for Nordic curl in soccer and American football

Questions

Which is better for hamstring growth, Nordic curl or seated leg curl?

For hamstring growth, seated leg curl rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more stretch. Both are good choices that train the hamstrings the same way, so they swap freely. Rotating between them every few weeks is an easy way to vary your training.

Is Nordic curl or seated leg curl easier to learn?

Seated leg curl is easier: it’s easy to learn, while Nordic curl takes some practice.

Can you do Nordic curl or seated leg curl at home?

Nordic curl needs no equipment, so you can do it anywhere. Seated leg curl needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.

Which is easier on the joints, Nordic curl or seated leg curl?

Seated leg curl: it rates Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Good for Nordic curl.

More comparisons

Nordic Curl Seated Leg Curl All hamstrings exercises

Nordic Curl vs Seated Leg Curl

For hamstring growth, seated leg curl rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more stretch.

Both are good choices that train the hamstrings the same way, so they swap freely. Rotating between them every few weeks is an easy way to vary your training.

What these mean

Target tension.: Whether the muscle you’re training is what gives out first, not your grip, balance or other muscles.
Loaded stretch.: How hard the muscle works while stretched. Training it there is linked to more growth.
Progression.: How easily you can keep adding weight in small steps over months and years.
Low cost.: How easy it is on your joints and recovery, and how quickly you can learn it.

The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work

When each one fits

Good reasons to choose Nordic curl

You have no equipment

Good reasons to choose seated leg curl

You want something easy to learn
You want to keep adding weight in small steps
You want more load on the hamstrings while they’re stretched

Nordic Curl

Seated Leg Curl

You need

Nothing but the floor

Machine

Skill

Takes some practice

Easy to learn

Type

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

Nordic Curl. A brutal eccentric. Great for resilience; hard to progress for growth.

Seated Leg Curl. Seated curls grew the hamstrings more than lying curls (+14% vs +9%) in a 12-week study.

Also compared for

Soccer

Ranking →

SNordic Curl#2 of 25
CSeated Leg Curl#22 of 25

For soccer, Nordic curl rates well ahead on our research criteria: more carry-over to soccer, more injury protection.

Side by side

Transfer

Strong

Fair

Injury protection

Excellent

Good

Practicality

Excellent

Strong

American football

Ranking →

SNordic Curl#1 of 35
CSeated Leg Curl#35 of 35

For American football, Nordic curl rates well ahead on our research criteria: more carry-over to American football, more injury protection.

Side by side

Transfer

Strong

Fair

Injury protection

Excellent

Good

Practicality

Excellent

Strong

From the research

Bourne et al., 2017: Both exercises lengthened the biceps femoris fascicles and grew the semitendinosus; 45° hip extensions grew the biceps femoris long head more than Nordics. (30 recreational male athletes; 10 weeks.)Cited for Nordic curl in hamstrings
Maeo et al., 2021: Seated leg curls grew the hamstrings more than lying leg curls (+14% vs +9% volume) over 12 weeks. (20 untrained adults; one study.)Cited for seated leg curl in hamstrings

More studies2

Petersen et al., 2011: Teams that added Nordic curls had about 70% fewer acute hamstring injuries over a season (3.8 vs 13.1 per 100 players). (942 Danish male professional and amateur players.)Cited for Nordic curl in soccer
van Dyk et al., 2019: Programmes that included Nordic curls reduced hamstring injuries by up to 51%. (A later reappraisal judged the effect less certain because of study selection.)Cited for Nordic curl in soccer and American football

Questions

Which is better for hamstring growth, Nordic curl or seated leg curl?

Is Nordic curl or seated leg curl easier to learn?

Seated leg curl is easier: it’s easy to learn, while Nordic curl takes some practice.

Can you do Nordic curl or seated leg curl at home?

Nordic curl needs no equipment, so you can do it anywhere. Seated leg curl needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.

Which is easier on the joints, Nordic curl or seated leg curl?

Seated leg curl: it rates Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Good for Nordic curl.