## Elevating Hamstring Development: Martin Fitzwater’s Cable Nordic Curl Strategy
Following a challenging fifth-place result at the 2025 Mr. Olympia competition, IFBB Pro Martin “The Martian” Fitzwater is wasting no time recalibrating his training regimen. Having already secured his ticket to the 2026 Olympia stage in Las Vegas, Fitzwater is shifting his focus toward refining his physique through innovative biomechanical adjustments. Central to this evolution is his adoption of the cable-assisted Nordic curl-a movement he credits as a transformative addition to his posterior chain development.
### A Fresh Approach to Posterior Chain Training
While traditional Nordic curls are a staple for hamstring hypertrophy, they rely solely on body weight, which can eventually lead to a plateau for elite-level athletes. Fitzwater, alongside fellow pro Brett Wilkin, has been experimenting with a high-tension variation that integrates cable resistance to push past these limitations.
“Whether you call it a Cable Nordic Curl or a Romanian Chair Hamstring Curl, it has quickly become a cornerstone of our leg day programming,” Fitzwater noted in a recent update to his 320,000-strong social media community. By introducing external load, the duo is able to apply constant tension throughout the eccentric and concentric phases of the movement, a stark contrast to the variable resistance found in standard floor-based variations.
### The Mechanics of the Cable Nordic Curl
The primary advantage of this setup is the ability to overload the hamstrings beyond what gravity alone provides. In a standard Nordic curl, the athlete anchors their ankles and lowers their torso, relying on the hamstrings to act as the primary stabilizers and movers. Fitzwater’s method amplifies this by utilizing a Roman chair (hyperextension bench) as the base of operations.
To execute this movement, Fitzwater secures himself on the hyperextension bench, ensuring his lower body is locked in place. He then utilizes a cable belt attachment positioned just beneath the armpits. This configuration allows the cable stack to pull against the torso, forcing the hamstrings to work significantly harder to maintain control during the lowering phase and to initiate the upward curl.
This technique is particularly effective because it mimics the knee-flexion pattern of a leg curl while maintaining the torso-stabilization demands of a Nordic curl. For bodybuilders looking to add density to the lower hamstrings-an area often neglected by hip-hinge movements like Romanian deadlifts-this cable-assisted variation offers a unique stimulus that bridges the gap between isolation and compound training.
