Quads, eccentric

Reverse Nordic

Kneel tall and lean back from the knees, slowly, keeping the hips open. The mirror image of the Nordic curl and a knees-over-toes staple: it loads the front of the thigh at a long length, which is exactly where it is usually weak.

How to do it

1. 01Kneel on something soft, feet pointed behind you, body tall from knees to head.
2. 02Squeeze the glutes so the hips stay open, not folded.
3. 03Lean backward slowly, hinging only at the knees, as far as you can control.
4. 04Return without collapsing forward; five slow reps, twice.

Mistakes that waste your reps

• ×Folding at the hips so the movement becomes a sit-back rather than a lean.
• ×Going deeper than you can return from with control.
• ×Skipping the padding and grinding the kneecaps.

Where this comes from

Discomfort that eases as you move is normal; pain that sharpens is a stop sign. If this area is injured or persistently painful, a clinician outranks this page.

Written by Kyle Jenkin · updated August 31, 2026 · how we grade evidence

Pairs well with