Freak Athlete Leg Developer Review

The Freak Athlete Leg Developer turns my Nordic Hyper GHD into an 8-in-1 machine!

As if the Nordic Hyper didn’t do enough, the gang at Freak Athlete keeps adding more versatility to their flagship product.

Now I can do leg extensions and lying leg curls that feel just like using a dedicated machine at a commercial gym.

Let’s check it out!

Unboxing

Everything came neatly packed with no damages to report.

Here’s everything out of the box.

This is a pre-production model so some parts like the weight horn will be different.

It will be galvanized rather than painted to prevent scratches.

Specs

• Weight capacity: 225 lbs

• Leg developer weight: 25 lbs

• Finish: Powder coated

• Padding: 2″ thick (5″ diameter)

• (2) Front loading bars: 4″ tall

• Leg extension pad adjustments: 4 vertical settings

• Leg curl pad adjustments: 12 horizontal settings

• Weight horn length: 9 3/4″ long

• Weight horn plate compatibility: Works with Olympic sized and standard sized weight plates

What Is The Leg Developer Attachment?

The Leg Developer is an attachment that connects to the Freak Athlete Nordic Hyper GHD to target the quads and hamstrings.

It turns the Nordic Hyper GHD into a seated leg curl and prone (lying) leg curl machine.

Installing The Leg Developer

First, I removed the original 2″ loading bars that are included with the Nordic Hyper to replace them with 4″ bars that come with the Leg Developer.

Once I got those off, the rest of the set up takes about 20 seconds.

On the left you can see the original 2″ Nordic Hyper loading bars that I’m replacing with the 4″ on the right.

These are used to anchor the Leg Developer attachment to the base of the Nordic Hyper.

I like the addition of the longer loading bars because it makes it easier to grip so I can twist them tightly to the frame.

Then I set the leg attachment on top of the Nordic Hyper’s front legs.

One part of the Leg Developer hooks right into the Nordic Hyper’s handle…

And the other two connection points are where the loading bars are screwed in.

I insert the loading bars into the circle shown above (repeat on the other side) and twist them all the way to the right until they’re tight.

Here’s what the base looks like once the Leg Developer is anchored down to the Nordic Hyper.

Leg Extensions Set Up

The leg extension set up is straight forward.

Only thing I have to do is set the Nordic Hyper GHD higher so that the bench is horizontal and at the same height as the top leg extension rollers.

To get the Nordic Hyper at the right height, I set the front end to 20 degrees.

Then unlock the other end until it’s horizontal.

Once that’s done, all I have to do is throw some weight plates on the loading bar and I’m good to go.

I have a set of rollers right under my knees and another on top of my shins.

The roller pads on top of my shins can be adjusted vertically to 4 different settings with a pop pin.

And here’s the leg extension.

Notice how the weight plate doesn’t go completely vertical which helps to keep constant tension when I’m at full extension.

This makes it feel just like a dedicated leg extension machine which is great to have in my garage gym.

Lying Leg Curls Set Up

For lying leg curls, I need to attach this piece to the Leg Developer.

This piece has 12 adjustment settings for the rollers that sit on the back of my leg.

I attach this piece to the top center portion of the Leg Developer.

I secure it in place and remove any wiggle by inserting the pin with the grey head and twisting the red knob all the way to the right.

Then I can adjust the position of the leg rollers by pulling the pop pin.

And the last thing I do is set the footplate side all the way down so that the bench declines.

Once I’m on the bench, I hang on to the handles on the footplate for stability.

The decline set up keeps the footplate rollers away from my face and also creates a small forward tilt on my pelvis.

This slight tilt gives my hamstrings a pre-stretch before starting the exercise so I get full range of motion.

Once I’m anchored down, I do my leg curls.

And again, the weight plate never goes completely vertical which keeps tension in my hamstrings.

Even with the loading bar fully loaded, my legs still have plenty of room.

Top Benefits of The Freak Athlete Leg Developer

Works Quads and Hamstrings

I can work my quads and hamstrings through opposing strength curves in one machine.

For my hamstrings, I can do Nordic curls and lying leg curls.

And for my quads, I can do reverse Nordics and leg extensions.

Full Range Of Motion With Constant Tension

Notice how my shin is angled back (not at 90 degrees) at the start of the leg extension.

This gives my quads a pre-stretch so I get full range of motion and feel tension right from the beginning of the exercise.

Same happens with my hamstrings because my pelvis is slightly tilted forward.

To add to the pre-stretch, the weight plates are angled at 45 degrees for constant tension.

Best Leg Developer Features

Padding

The roller pads are 5″ in diameter and 2″ in thickness all around.

This gives me plenty of cushion and feels comfortable when I load weights on the Leg Developer.

Weight Horn

The weight horn is 9 3/4″ which gives me plenty of room to load it up.

You’ll notice there’s a bolt at the tip of the weight horn and that’s because it’s a metal sleeve that can be removed for standard weight plates.

Here I took off the sleeve to show you the smaller diameter weight horn.

So if you’re someone with older 1″ center hole weight plates, you can still use this attachment.

Weight Capacity

The Leg Developer has a weight capacity of 225 lbs and of course I had to test it out.

So I grabbed a bunch of bumpers and loaded it all the way to the tip.

I was only able to load it up to 200 lbs since my bumper plates are thick but it held the weight without any issues.

Adjustable Leg Rollers

Having the ability to adjust the leg extension and leg curl rollers is a big plus so that people of all sizes can use the attachment.

Storage

When I’m done using the Leg Developer, I stand it up vertically in a corner.

Since it’s about the same width as the Nordic Hyper GHD, it’ll take up just as much space.

Leg Developer Pros & Cons

Pros

• Adjustable: Leg rollers can be adjusted so it fits people of different heights

• Comfortable: Leg rollers are 5″ in diameter and 2″ thick so there’s plenty of cushion for my legs

• Constant tension: The 45 degree angle on the loading bar allows for constant tension at the top and bottom of the exercises

• Full range of motion: I get full range of motion on both leg extensions and leg curls

• User friendly: Takes me 20 seconds to install and it’s easy to adjust the rollers

Cons

• Space: Even though it’s not very big (23″ wide), it’ll take up just as much space as the Nordic Hyper GHD when stored

Freak Athlete Leg Developer Price & Discount Code

The Leg Developer retails for $300 but it’s currently discounted for $250 when bought by itself.

This is for those who already own the Nordic Hyper GHD.

However, if you don’t own a Nordic Hyper, here’s how you can get a better deal.

Bundle the Leg Developer with the Nordic Hyper and it’ll bring the price down of the Leg Developer to $200.

If you decide to pick up the bundle, click the red button below to reveal my exclusive coupon code that gives you an additional $50 discount.

My Experience Using The Leg Developer

I dig the way this was designed from a muscle contraction stand point.

Getting a pre-stretch before the exercises allows me to get full range of motion and keeps constant tension on my muscles.

I’ve reviewed other machines like this one where I lost tension at the bottom of the movements and it threw off my mind-muscle connection.

The constant tension on the Leg Developer makes my muscles work efficiently for better results.

Conclusion: Should You Buy The Freak Athlete Leg Developer?

I really like the Leg Developer attachment because it allows me to train my legs through different strength curves.

Leg extensions and leg curls are isolation exercises I’ve always done ever since I started going to the gym.

And having this as an attachment to the Nordic Hyper GHD takes up less space than having a stand alone leg extension and curl machine.

This is a great addition to the Nordic Hyper that adds more versatility without sacrificing too much gym space.

Click Here to Check Out The Leg Developer