Masaba Gupta works on her hamstrings; here’s why you should too

Posted by Admin June 8, 2023 Fitness

Of late, Masaba Gupta has been thoroughly impressing us with her dedication to fitness, a glimpse of which she yet again shared on social media. This time, the Masaba Masaba star was seen enjoying a leg day at the gym. Sharing a picture on Instagram Stories, she wrote, “Hamstrings day”, as she seemed to be doing assisted Nordic hamstring curls.

According to experts, in assisted Nordic hamstring curls, resistance bands or cables are used to reduce body weight and make it easier to exercise. “These methods stimulate muscle development, which can lead to improved endurance, strength, power, and even stronger bones. Plus, increasing your muscle strength can have a particularly positive impact on your overall quality of life,” said Varun Rattan, co-founder, The Body Science Academy, Noida.

Take a look.

A look at Masaba Gupta’s hamstrings day (Source: Masaba Gupta/Instagram Stories)

What is the exercise all about?

The Nordic hamstring curl is an eccentric strengthening exercise that targets the hamstring muscles, said Rattan. “It involves kneeling on a padded surface with your ankles secured by a partner or a piece of equipment, and then slowly leaning forward using only your legs to hold you up. This engages your hamstrings to control the movement. The exercise places a significant load on the hamstrings during the eccentric (lengthening) phase, which helps to strengthen the muscles and improve their resilience to injury,” Rattan told indianexpress.com.

As per a 2015-Strength and Conditioning Journal analysis, Nordic hamstring curls (NHC) have been shown to reduce the incidence of hamstring tears and are widely used in conditioning and injury prevention programs. The idea is to strengthen the hamstrings by not bending at the hips, elucidated Rattan.

What makes the exercise challenging?

It works through knee flexion and extension with little or no hip movement. “So the back of your legs do all the work,” Rattan said.

Here’s how to correctly do the exercise

*Place your heels under a sturdy object/ or have assistance from a partner/ or use resistance bands
*Kneel on something padded and start with your body upright
*Lean forward while keeping your hips and back straight
*Use your hamstrings to slowly let your body descend to the floor
*Push off the ground and squeeze the hamstrings to get back
*Repeat to complete the number of reps.

Would you try?

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