Hammer Strength Plate Loaded Assisted Nordic Ham

The Hammer Strength Plate Loaded Assisted Nordic Ham is a nordic curl machine that lets you run the nordic hamstring curl through the full range of movement, even if you cannot yet manage it under your own strength. The machine works with a counterweight, and that turns the usual logic on its head: the more plates you load, the more support you get. Intended for the serious home gym, the personal training studio and the semi-professional space where the hamstrings and the posterior chain have a fixed place in the programme.

Assisted Nordic Ham at a glance

• Counterweight instead of resistance: more plates means more help on the way down, so you can run the exercise through the full range from day one.
• Progression by taking weight off: you build up by removing plates rather than adding them, which takes you towards the unassisted nordic curl in small, measurable steps.
• A single adjustment for the upper body pad: you set it to your height in seconds, so swapping between users takes almost no time.
• Twin knee pads: your knees sit on a fixed pivot point, so the movement runs the same way every rep.
• Starting resistance of 8.2 kg per arm: the lowest setting sits close to unloaded, so there is room to make the last step to working fully under your own strength.
• Four 20 kg plates per arm: even if you cannot manage the movement at all yet, there is a setting with enough support.
• Built-in plate storage with two weight pegs: your weight sits on the machine, so the floor around it stays clear.
• Maximum user weight of 159 kg: plenty of room for heavier users.

Why support makes the exercise usable

The nordic hamstring curl is one of the toughest hamstring exercises there is, and that is exactly why almost nobody does it well. Without help you lower the first thirty degrees under control and then drop through. With a counterweight the machine takes over part of your upper body, so you can cover the whole path under control. That way you train the phase that matters, namely braking at length, instead of only the easy first stretch.

Building up by taking weight off

Progression on this machine runs the other way round from what you are used to. You start with four 20 kg plates per arm and work back over the weeks to fewer, until you are on the starting resistance of 8.2 kg per arm and doing the movement virtually under your own strength. That makes progress concrete: the number of plates shows you exactly where you stand. For an athlete whose goal is the nordic curl, that is a clearer yardstick than the number of reps you can just about manage.

Setting up and use by several people

There is a single adjustment for the upper body pad and it covers the whole height range. Everything else is fixed, which makes the machine quick to use: set it, hook in and go. The twin knee pads bring your knees onto the right pivot point automatically, so the angle is the same every rep. In a studio where people take turns, that is the difference between an exercise that stays in the programme and one that quietly gets skipped.

Construction, space and placement

The frame is built from 11-gauge steel with an electrostatically applied powder coating, and the pads are moulded foam, so there is no wrapped filling that starts to shift over time. The feet have holes so you can anchor the machine to the floor. The machine measures 196 cm long, 136 cm wide and 147 cm high. That build height of 147 cm is low for a strength machine, so it also fits a basement or garage with limited ceiling height.

Worth knowing

Weight plates are not included and you need them on both sides. Beyond that, this is a machine for a single movement: it trains the hamstrings and the posterior chain and nothing else. If you only have room for one or two machines, a multi gym is more versatile. The Assisted Nordic Ham becomes interesting once you want the nordic curl in your week on a regular basis and do not want to put a training partner on your ankles every session.

Frequently asked questions about the Assisted Nordic Ham

How exactly does the support work?

The machine is counterbalanced, so the plates work against your body weight rather than with it. More weight on the pegs means more help on the way down and on the way back; less weight makes the exercise harder. So you start heavily loaded and take plates off as you get stronger. That is the reverse of what you are used to on most plate-loaded machines.

How much weight can I load?

Four 20 kg plates go on the pegs per arm, with a starting resistance of 8.2 kg per arm once you take everything off. That range covers the whole way from beginner to the virtually unassisted nordic curl. Because it is a counterweight, the top of that range means maximum help and not maximum load. Plates are not included and are bought separately.

Is this machine suitable for beginners?

Yes, and that is exactly what it is made for. Without help the nordic hamstring curl is not doable through the full range for most people; with maximum support it is. You start with four plates per arm and take one off each training block. The single adjustment makes sure the position matches your height, even if you have no experience with the exercise yet.

How much space do I need?

The machine measures 196 x 136 x 147 cm. On top of that, allow clear space to change plates and to walk behind the machine. The build height of 147 cm is low for a strength machine, so a lowered ceiling is rarely the problem here; the length of almost two metres is more likely to be. The feet have anchor holes if you want to fix the machine down permanently.

What user weight is this machine suitable for?

The maximum user weight is 159 kg. That is separate from the loaded plates, so a heavier user can make full use of the support as well. The frame is built from 11-gauge steel with a powder coating and the feet have holes for floor anchoring. On a level floor that can take the load, the machine stands stable without anchoring too.

Can I do other exercises on this as well?

No, the machine is built for the nordic hamstring curl and variations of it. That is also its strength: no compromises in the movement, no fiddly settings. If you are after a machine that covers several muscle groups, a multi gym or cable station is a more logical choice. The Assisted Nordic Ham is an addition for anyone working specifically on the hamstrings.