Freak Athlete Hyper Pro vs Shogun NordEx

Freak Athlete Hyper Pro vs Shogun NordEx, which one should you pick? It depends…

One of them is perhaps the most versatile Nordic bench around.

The other is built with the thickest steel and best padding available.

And both are on the high end when it comes to the Nordic bench combo category.

I’m gonna give you all the details so you can make an informed decision…

Reviews

Freak Athlete Hyper Pro Review

Click play on the video above to watch my Hyper Pro video review, where I go over all the details about this machine.

If you prefer to read and see detailed pics, check out my Freak Athlete Hyper Pro review.

Shogun NordEx Review

I haven’t gotten around to do a NordEx video review yet, but I did write an in-depth review with tons of pics.

To read my in-depth written review with lots of pics go to this link –> Shogun NordEx review.

Freak Athlete Hyper Pro vs Shogun NordEx

Similarities

First I’ll show you the similarities between Freak Athlete and Shogun Sports, then I’ll give you their differences.

45° Lower Back Extensions

Both benches work for lower back extensions with multiple incline angles and can be lengthened so that people of all heights can use them.

Here I’m doing a 45 degree lower back extension on the Shogun NordEx.

It feels comfortable and the base of the NordEx is so heavy that stability is perfect.

Here’s what that looks like on the Hyper Pro.

Also feels comfortable on legs and hips and with a wide base, there’s no wobble involved so it’s also very stable.

RELATED: Freak Athlete vs Tib Bar Guy

Nordic Curls

As far as Nordic curls go, both Nordic benches are adjustable so I can start at an angle and work my way down to a flat Nordic curl.

But the Hyper Pro has full range of motion regressions while the NordEx does them as partial reps.

I’ll show you this soon when I show you what’s different between these two.

This is what a flat Nordic curl looks like on the Shogun NordEx.

And here I am doing it on the Freak Athlete Hyper Pro.

So for both benches the flat Nordic curl feels comfortable on my knees.

ALSO CHECKOUT: Best Nordic Bench – A Comparison Of The Best Nordic Benches

Differences

Full vs Partial Nordic Curls

When I do Nordic curls at an incline on the Hyper Pro, you can see my hamstrings go through a full range of motion.

So my legs end up fully stretched at the bottom of the movement.

On the Shogun NordEx, the incline position only allows me to do partial Nordic curls so my hamstring don’t go through a full range of motion.

I feel this is a disadvantage because my hamstrings aren’t being challenged in the hardest position (the bottom).

For this reason, I personally prefer full range of motion Nordic curl regressions.

Rear Elevation

The biggest difference between Freak Athlete and all Nordic bench combos, is that the Hyper Pro has rear elevation.

In the pic above, I’m showing you how this adds another dimension to the Hyper Pro vs the Shogun NordEx only having front elevation.

I’ll show you how this feature opens up a lot of options that other Nordic benches don’t have…

This opens up a lot of options that other Nordic benches don’t have…

90 Degrees Lower Back Extensions

With the 45 degrees low back extension I’m able to hit my lower back muscles.

The Hyper Pro’s rear elevation gives me the 90 degrees option so I can hit more of my glutes and hamstrings.

It’s great having the option to have both angle selections in the same machine.

Decline Sit Up Bench

I can elevate the rear and decline the front to use it as a decline sit up bench.

And do a 180 while holding on to the footplate to do leg raises…

GHD Pad

The GHD pad attaches to the frame with a pop pin and the foam feels great.

With the rear elevated I can attach a GHD pad for GHD sit ups, glute ham raises (GHR’s), and reverse hypers.

The reverse hypers are not weighted since there’s no way to add a pendulum to the machine, but I can do them with a resistance band or bodyweight.

Here’s how I do GHD sit ups on the Hyper Pro.

As you can see, it mimics a standalone GHD machine.

And here’s how I have to do them on the Shogun NordEx.

Similar movement but the set up is very different.

Reverse Hypers

With the Hyper Pro, the GHD pad lifts me up a few inches so I am able to keep my legs straight…

But taller people may have to bend their knees to avoid hitting the frame on the way down.

On the Shogun NordEx, I definitely have to bend my knees at the bottom of the movement.

Not an exercise that can be done perfectly on both machines but one that can be performed nonetheless.

Split Squats & Hip Thrusts

I can set up the NordEx for splits squats and hip thrusts by setting the incline to the highest setting (45 degrees).

This gets the footplate out of the way so my body doesn’t come in contact with it while exercising.

Here’s how I do hip thrusts on it.

I get middle back support and with the rollers being round, they feel more comfortable then doing these off the side of a weight bench.

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The set up is different with the Hyper Pro because it has a detachable leg roller I can move to the front.

I incline the bench to open up space and insert the leg roller at the other end of the bench.

Here’s what the split squats look like…

And here are the hip thrusts.

Leg Developer

The Hyper Pro has the option to add a leg developer attachment.

I can do leg extensions using Olympic sized or standard sized weight plates.

The tension at the top and bottom of these feels good.

And I can do lying leg curls so I have the option to hit my hamstrings using different resistance curves.

Nordic curls are easier at the top of the exercise while leg curls maintain constant tension throughout.

I got Freak Athlete’s upper body kit which lets me use the leg developer for a few upper body and core exercises.

If you already own long handles and a carabiner, you can use that to save you a few bucks.

Otherwise, the kit is about $30 so it’s not an expensive add-on.

Freak Athlete Hyper Pro vs Shogun NordEx: Comparing The Footprint

Freak Athlete Hyper Pro is 65″ long and the Shogun NordEx is 41″ so when in use, the NordEx takes up much less space.

The reason the Hyper Pro is longer than most Nordic benches, is because it requires more stability since it can rear elevate and also because of the extra weight at the front when using the leg developer.

Freak Athlete Hyper Pro vs Shogun NordEx Storage

With both benches having the ability to store vertically, they don’t take up much space when not in use.

With the optional attachments, the Freak Athlete leg developer and GHD pad, you will need a bit more floor space.

I set the GHD pad on top of the Hyper Pro so that’s vertical space but the leg developer does take up as much space as the Hyper.

Freak Athlete Pros & Cons

Pros

• Versatile: Easily one of the most versatile products in the home gym space

• Space saving: When I store it vertically, it only takes up 2 square feet of space. With the leg developer, it takes up about twice as much space.

• Stable: The base is long and stable so it doesn’t require any counter weight

• Padding: Thick, dense 2″ padding everywhere makes it very comfortable to use

• User friendly: Colored knobs make it easy to use

• Fits most people: Anyone between 5 feet tall to 7 feet tall can use this machine

Cons

• Upholstery: Skin oils are highly visible after use but can be easily wiped off with a wet cloth

Leg developer: A bolt on the leg developer comes in direct contact with the rollers which could cause the upholstery to tear (cap would be an easy fix). This is covered under their 2 year warranty if anything were to happen.

Shogun NordEx Pros & Cons

Pros

• Build: Metal used on the NordEx is top of the line making it heavy, sturdy, and durable

• Size: Compact design doesn’t take up a lot of floor space

• Storage: Stores vertically to reduce footprint when not in use

• Foam: Premium, molded foam is comfortable and made to last

• Adjustable: Length and angles can be adjusted to fit people of different sizes

Cons

• Cost: It’s one of the most expensive Nordic benches around

• Partial Nordic curls: I prefer to do inclined Nordic curls at full range of motion than partials

Prices

Freak Athlete Price & Discount Code

Freak Athlete lists the base price for the Freak Athlete Hyper Pro at $999 but it’s currently discounted at $799.

If you add on all the attachments as a bundle, it comes out to $1599.

But they do offer a $300 discount…

Shogun NordEx Price & Discount Code

The Shogun NordEx sells for $999.99 which is more than double the price of the NordBench.

As far as quality goes, the NordEx is made with some of the best materials compared to other Nordic curl benches.

But it is also not as versatile as others.

Click the red button below to reveal a 10% discount code.

Other Alternatives

NordBench

The NordBench is a super compact 5-in-1 mini Nordic curl bench.

One really cool feature I like about the NordBench is that it has the world’s first folding footplate that turns into a slant board.

When folded to its smallest size, the dimensions are 33″ L x 22″ W x 9″ H so it’s one of the smallest benches around.

I can use it for Nordic curl regressions, lower back extensions, hip thrusts, split squats, and slant board exercises.

Tib Bar Guy Nordic Back Extension V2

The Tib Bar Guy Nordic Back Extension V2 machine is another affordable Nordic curl bench option (sells for $499).

It is not as compact as the NordBench or NordEx but it can do a lot of the same exercises.

Freak Athlete Hyper Pro vs Shogun NordEx: Which One Should You Buy?

I’ve given you all the similarities and differences between both Nordic bench combos…

Now it’s up to you to determine which one fits your training style, workout space, and how much you want to invest.

Whichever one you go with, both benches offer a space saving design and several exercise options.

And you get a lot of bang for your buck compared to buying all the machines they replace separately.