// The Nordic Hamstring Standard · Free benchmark
Nordic Standard Test
Can you own 3× controlled eccentrics at your current level — with zero hip hinge and no hand assist?
Free test · Most athletes who pull hamstrings at speed never owned the eccentric in the first place — this test shows you which lane you are actually in. The Nordic Hamstring Standard is the 7 benchmark-gated phases path to close that gap — full program access from Day 1 with benchmark-gated Active Phase progression.
// The standard
What you are testing.
3× controlled 5-second eccentric negatives to your current box target — full prescribed ROM, no collapse, hips extended, zero hand assist on the rep.
This is not a training program. It is a single posterior-chain benchmark that shows whether your hamstrings can handle lengthened eccentric load — the same capacity The Nordic Hamstring Standard builds phase by phase. Performance unlocks progression, not the calendar.
// Scaled lanes
Beginner → elite.
Beginner
3× high-box eccentrics (4–5 sec) — controlled contact, zero hip hinge, no hand assist on the rep
Intermediate
3× bodyweight eccentrics to floor (4s+) — hips extended, controlled descent, hands reset only after floor contact
Performance standard lane
3×6 perfect full nordics — 4s eccentric, 3s glute squeeze, clean return (Phase 7 performance standard)
// After your test
What to do next.
If you missed the standard
That is your entry data — not a failure. Get the free brief or playbook if available, regress to the lane you can own, and join the waitlist for The Nordic Hamstring Standard. Phase 1 is built for exactly this starting point.
If you passed
Strong result — but a single test is not a periodized system. Preview The Nordic Hamstring Standard to see the full 7 benchmark-gated phases progression, performance standard, and full library access from Day 1.
// Warm-up
Before you test.
- 5 min easy bike or row
- 2×10 bodyweight good mornings — slow eccentric
- 2×8 single-leg RDL each side — control the descent
- 1×5 high-box nordic eccentrics — find your honest box height
// Rules
What counts.
- Every rep: 3–5 second eccentric — dropping fast does not count
- Film from the side so hip position and ROM are visible
- Fail the lane? That is useful data — get the playbook, regress, retest, then join the waitlist for the full system
- Acute hamstring pain = stop and get assessed — this is a test, not rehab prescription
Not medical advice. Sharp pain, swelling, or giving-way means stop and get assessed before retesting.
7 benchmark-gated phases
Seven benchmark-gated phases from Foundation & Patterning through Full Nordic Mastery — full program access from Day 1 with benchmark-gated Active Phase progression.
Get the free brief now — regressions, standards, and the framework. Then preview The Nordic Hamstring Standard for the full benchmark-gated system with full access from Day 1.
Not sure this is your system? Take the 2-minute quiz →