Even when your hamstrings get bigger from training, that doesn’t really predict how much stronger you’ll get at the other exercise—so bigger muscles don’t mean much more strength in this case.

82

Pro

0

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

82

Community contributions welcome

82

Minimal Role of Hamstring Hypertrophy in Strength Transfer Between Nordic Hamstring and Stiff-Leg Deadlift: A Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

The study found that getting stronger at one hamstring exercise doesn’t really come from muscles getting bigger — except maybe in one case — which is exactly what the claim says.

Contradicting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Minimal Role of Hamstring Hypertrophy in Strength Transfer Between Nordic Hamstring and Stiff-Leg Deadlift: A Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial

Score: 82

DOI: 10.1101/2024.12.17.24319207

Similar Assertions

Doing two different hamstring exercises—Nordic curls and stiff-leg deadlifts—makes you stronger at both, even if your muscles don’t grow the same way, meaning muscle growth isn’t what’s making you stronger in the other exercise.

82

0

82%

In stiff-leg deadlifts, the size of the biceps femoris muscle (back of the thigh) seems to matter more for getting stronger at other exercises—unlike the other hamstring muscles.

82

0

80%

Both Nordic curls and stiff-leg deadlifts make your entire hamstring group bigger after 9 weeks of training—Nordic curls make them grow a bit more.

82

0

76%

Nordic curls make one part of your hamstring (semitendinosus) grow more, while stiff-leg deadlifts make another part (semimembranosus) grow more—so different exercises target different muscles in the same group.

82

0

70%