The hamstring's worst enemy. Lower with everything you've got.
Keep your hips fully extended, no bending at the waist. Control the lower, don't drop.
With your ankles anchored and your body a rigid line from knees to head, the hamstrings alone control the fall of your entire bodyweight, which makes this the most brutal eccentric knee flexion exercise in existence. The magic is in the lowering, the hamstrings working at long length under a load they could never lift concentrically. That eccentric overload is why sprinters and team-sport athletes treat Nordics as essential hamstring insurance rather than a party trick.
Loop a band from above around your chest for assistance, limit the range and catch yourself early, or push off the floor with your hands to help the way back up. Fighting the lower for even a few controlled degrees is where the value starts.
Once or twice a week is plenty, the eccentric loading generates ferocious soreness at first. Start with very low reps and let your hamstrings adapt before adding volume.
A partner works, but so does anything sturdy, a loaded barbell, the bottom of a machine, wall bars, or a dedicated Nordic bench. The anchor just has to be immovable, because your hamstrings will test it.
