Freak Athlete Hyper Pro vs Tib Bar Guy Nordic Back Extension

Freak Athlete Hyper Pro vs Tib Bar Guy Nordic Back Extension, which one should you pick? It depends…

What equipment do you already own that would overlap what these two machines have to offer?

One of them costs twice as much as the other, so how much are you looking to invest?

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.

Tib Bar Guy Nordic Back Extension V2 Review

I haven’t gotten around to do a Nordic Back Extension video review yet, but I do have a written review.

To read my in-depth written review with lots of pics go to this link –> Tib Bar Guy Nordic Bench Review

Similarities: Freak Athlete Hyper Pro vs Tib Bar Guy Nordic Back Extension

First I’ll show you the similarities between the Freak Athlete and Tib Bar Guy, then I’ll give you their differences.

Nordic Curls & 45° Lower Back Extensions

Both benches work for Nordic curls with multiple incline angles so that even beginners can build up to a flat Nordic curl.

The Nordic Back Extension can be adjusted in 8 angles while the Hyper Pro has 14 angles.

Here I’m at the top of a 45 degree lower back hyperextension on the Tib Bar Guy nordic bench.

And here at the bottom of the hyperextension on the Hyper Pro.

For the Hyper Pro, I have to remove the knee pad to do lower back extensions but I’ll show you that later when I get to the difference in pads…

Split Squats & Hip Thrusts

Here’s the setup for splits squat and hip thrusts on the Tib Bar Guy Nordic Back Extension machine.

I removed the top leg roller from the footplate side to the front.

Here’s what that looks like…

I can adjust the height of the leg roller to six different heights.

And here’s how I do hip thrusts.

The set up is similar for the Hyper Pro.

I detach the leg roller and insert it at the other end of the bench.

Here’s what the split squats look like…

And here are the hip thrusts.

GHD Sit Ups & Reverse Hypers

The GHD sit ups on the Nordic Back Extension are not the exact set up as when using a dedicated GHD machine but the result is the same.

I’m able to lock my legs down and get a big stretch on my abs and curl my way up.

Here’s how I do them on the Hyper Pro.

I can get a lot of height on the front end of the Nordic back extension so I’m able to keep my legs straight at the bottom.

With the knee pad removed, I’m able to on to the frame so my upper body is stabilized.

RELATED: Freak Athlete Hyper Pro vs Nordbench

Here’s what full extension looks like..

These feel really good and I can add a resistance band to my legs to make them harder at the top.

Of course, bands are not the same as reverse hyper machine but this is a good alternative to a stand alone reverse hyper machine.

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.

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

RELATED: Shogun NordEx Review

Differences: Freak Athlete Hyper Pro vs Tib Bar Guy Nordic Back Extension V2

Nordic Back Extension

Padding

Padding on both machines feels good on my knees and hips but as you can see above, the pad sizes are different.

Tib Bar Guy kept both knee and hip pads about the same length…

And Freak Athlete made the knee pad much bigger than the hip pads.

I took off both knee pads to compare them side by side.

Their size doesn’t really make a difference since both machines are adjustable to fit people of different heights.

Here are the hip pads side by side.

Both have a crotch gap and the biggest difference here, is that Freak Athlete’s can slide towards the middle to close the gap when doing decline sit ups.

Footplate

The Tib Bar Guy’s footplate uses a weight horn for vertical storage and doesn’t have handles.

Freak Athlete’s footplate has 3 handles that I can hang on to when using the decline sit up bench set up…

And it also has a foldable kick stand for vertical storage.

Freak Athlete Hyper Pro

Rear Elevation

One feature the Hyper Pro has that other Nordic benches don’t, is the ability to elevate its rear.

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

Decline Sit Up Bench

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

And 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.

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 vs Tib Bar Guy: Comparing The Footprint

Both Nordic benches are about the same length when they’re flat on the floor.

Freak Athlete is 65″ long and Tib Bar Guy is 61″ so they’re neck in neck.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Best Nordic Benches

Freak Athlete Hyper Pro vs Tib Bar Guy Nordic Back Extension 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.

Tib Bar Guy Pros & Cons

Pros

• Versatility: I can do a lot of exercises with all the different set ups

• Comfortable: Premium foam on the knee pads and leg rollers make it super comfortable

• One size fits most: This works for people from 5′ tall all the way to 6’8″ and has a weight capacity of 550 lbs so most people can use it

• User friendly: Easy to change configurations

• Price: About half the price of the Freak Athlete Hyper Pro

Cons

• No attachments: Compared to Freak Athlete, this doesn’t have the ability to add attachments

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…

Tib Bar Guy Price & Discount Code

The price of the Tib Bar Guy Nordic Back Extension V2 is currently $499 which is a very good price for a bench this versatile.

But I’m gonna hook you up with a 10% discount code so you can knock off $50 more.

Click the red button below to reveal your discount…

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.

Freak Athlete vs Tib Bar Guy: 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 lot of versatility in a space saving design.

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