Introduction
I’m a huge fan of Nordic curls for hamstring strength. I incorporate them frequently in my remote clients programs. And let’s be honest, they look pretty freaking cool when someone can do full reps. At a certain point, as you begin to progress your nordic curl, having a proper setup is extremely important. The more secure your feet are anchored down, the easier it will be to generate force with your hamstrings, allowing you to increase your hip angle. Set-ups like a barbell in a squat rack, your best friend sitting on your feet or a noridc strap (gymnastic ring Strap) around a bench can get the job done, but are definitely sub optimal options. Below are the 6 options I have come across. Keep in mind, when I mention price that does not include shipping. And if you enjoy training tips like this, you’ll love my weekly newsletter!
Top 3
1. Rogue Fitness
Two of the facilities I have trained at have this piece of equipment. Its like all other Rogue Fitness equipment, extremely well built. Its solid, the padding on the bench is forgiving on the knees and the foot pads have a variety of heights allowing you to anchor your feet in very snug. The downside to this piece of equipment is that, like all other Rogue equipment, its quite expensive ($600) and it takes up a ton of space.
2. Atlantis
I have actually not had the pleasure of using this brand. I know Charles Poliquin was a huge proponent of all things Atlantis. I spoke with Marcus Filly, who has one and highly recommended it. It’s funny, they call it the “Poor Mans Glue Ham Developer,” but there is nothing “Poor” about the price tag. This one tops our list at $800. Like Rogue you are paying for a name but also guaranteeing quality. Unlike the Rogue bench this one takes up a lot less space. I believe you also have the option of choosing what color you want here.
3. Sorinex
Rounding out our top 3 list is the Sorinex “Poor Mans Glute Ham Developer” (these companies need to get more creative at naming). I have had multiple athletes that follow the Beyond The Gym, purchase it for their home gym and really like it. This one comes in at $700, takes up a ton of space like the Rogue one BUT you can choose your own colors like the Atlantis one.
High Hopes
4. Freak Athlete Essentials
This one keeps showing up on my IG feed which got me to take notice. It comes in at $250 and doesn’t seem to take up a lot of space. I already reached out to the owner of the company on the roller to pad distance, he assured me you can get your feet very secure. One of my Canadian remote clients already ordered it so we know they ship outside of the US. The need for the weight on the back makes me slightly nervous. I have not a freaking clue on the construction quality but I am hoping the price tag simply reflects a young entrepreneur over delivering and undercharging to get started! Me and @Themovementjourney talk about this bench on this episode of the podcast.
MEH
5. BC Strength - AKA “The Glute Guy’s” Company
The Glute Lab Nordic Ham Curl bench comes in at $449. I have personally not used this bench but I am going to assume it is as high quality as his other pieces of equipment. I have used his Thruster bench and I was very impressed with the quality. If I had to speculate why I would not like this bench, it’s because the roller pad is not adjustable. Meaning it has one fixed setting. You can see from the photo here the athlete had to place an ab mat under her knees to be able to secure her feet. While this isn’t a big deal, if I am going to spend close to $500 on a bench I don’t want to be having to Macgyver the set-up like I would if I didn’t own a bench.
Absolutely Not
6. Titan Fitness
Rounding out our review is the Titan Fitness nordic bench. It actually is no longer on their website so hopefully they discontinued this POS. But incase they didn’t or someone comes across a used one for sale, I would not recommend it. I purchased it directly from them for $399 and was extremely underwhelmed. While the foot pad is adjustable, the lowest setting still left about 8 inches between the top of my achilles and the bottom of the pad. The bench pad itself was extremely uncomfortable on my knees. The bench was also extremely heavy and took up a ton of space.
Closing
If you aren’t in a place financially to drop the cheddar biscuits needed to purchase a nordic bench, here is a great alternative I have come up with that I can tell you, works as well as the rogue bench. And the nice part about it, the equipment can also be used for other things. Where as when you buy a nordic bench, it basically only serves one purpose.
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