French Fitness Reverse Hyper Donkey Review

The French Fitness Reverse Hyper Donkey is a heavy duty machine made for strengthening the posterior chain and core.

I use it for reverse hyperextensions, 90° back extensions, GHD sit ups, glute ham raises (GHR’s), and Nordic curls.

What’s unique about this machine is that it uses a pendulum so I can train my glutes and hamstrings without compressing my spine.

But it’s not for everyone because it is a big machine. And I mean 73″ long by 53″ wide big, so it’s not ideal for small home gyms.

Let’s take a look…

Unboxing

When I said this machine is big, I meant it.

It was delivered in a caged pallet that was taller than my car.

Every part came covered in multiple layers of bubble wrap so be prepared to spend some time unwrapping.

I don’t mind it cause I’d rather have the pieces arrive like new instead of having to deal with returning them.

And by the way, those pieces above are just a small portion of everything that came in the pallet. There’s lots more that I couldn’t fit in one picture.

I put the top pad in between my rack just to give you an idea of the size of this behemoth.

Look how small my wall mounted weight bench looks behind it.

And here it is after I put it all together. It is a tank!

This is one of those pieces that you put together once and keep it one spot so you don’t have to move it again.

Specs

• Material: 12 gauge steel

• Dimensions: 73″L x 53.1″W x 54.7″H 

• Weight: 251 lbs

• Weight capacity: 661 lbs

• Tube size: 75mm x 75mm x 25mm

• Hip pad dimensions: 21″D x 38″W x 5″H

• Pad thickness: 3″

• Crotch gap: 3.5″W

• Weight horns: 13″ long

• Finish: Powder coat

• Warranty: Frame (lifetime), parts (10 years), labor (1 year)

What Is The French Fitness Reverse Hyper Donkey?

The French Fitness reverse hyper donkey is a combo machine that targets the posterior chain and core muscles.

Using the built-in plate loaded pendulum, I anchor my legs and swing my legs back and forth against resistance to work on my glutes and lower back.

I can also work my lower back with 90° back extensions, flip around on my back and do GHD sit ups, or lie on my side and do oblique crunches, for a complete core workout.

And I can also hit my hamstrings with glute ham raises (GHR’s) and Nordic curls.

ALSO CHECKOUT: French Fitness Ski Exercise Machine

Who Is The French Fitness Reverse Hyper Donkey Best For?

✅ Ideal For

• Home gym owners with lots of space

• Commercials gyms

• People looking to strengthen their lower back and core

• Those who want stronger hamstrings and glutes without loading their spine

• Powerlifters and strength athletes looking for accessory moves to strengthen their lower back and posterior chain

❌ Not For

• Garage gyms with little room to spare

• Budget home gym shoppers

Top Benefits Of The French Fitness Reverse Hyper Donkey

Builds A Strong Posterior Chain

Reverse hypers, low back extensions, Nordic curls, and GHR’s build a strong posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, and lower back).

These big muscles help me with other exercises like squats, deadlifts, and athletic moves like power cleans and snatches.

For athletes, posterior chain muscles are crucial for explosiveness like sprinting and jumping so this can also help those involved in sports.

Strengthens The Lower Back

Reverse hypers hit the lower back differently than back extensions but a combination of both makes a back super strong.

The swinging weighted pendulum decompresses my spine on the down swing and strengthens it on the way up.

Great Accessory For Squats And Deadlifts

Because reverse hypers are all about hip extension, they carryover to deadlift lock out.

They also help to strengthen my glutes so I can push up explosively from the bottom of a squat.

Best Features Of The French Fitness Reverse Hyper Donkey

Wide Stable Frame

The French Fitness reverse hyper donkey has a 53″ wide frame made out of thick, heavy steel.

This makes it super stable so even if I swing the pendulum uncontrollably, the machine doesn’t wobble at all.

Each end has rubber feet to keep it from sliding when I swing.

One thing I’d like to see added to these rubber pieces is a screw going through the top and into the frame to keep it from popping out.

I’ve moved it around and sometimes they pop out. With a piece this heavy, it can be challenging to put it back on.

Adjustable Swing Arm

The footplate adjusts horizontally so I can anchor my feet and hands at different lengths in relation to the hip pad.

This allows me to change the position of my body so that I can do different exercises.

I do this with a pop pin where I can move the footplate and leg rollers back and forth into 9 positions.

Above, I have the swing arm angled all the way to the left (left pic) and on the right I pushed it all the way forward.

For GHR’s and Nordic curls, I adjust the footplate back so that my knees are on the far end of the pad.

And for back extensions, I move the footplate forward so that my hips sit on the front end of the pad.

There’s a pop pin right below the footplate where I can adjust it vertically.

From this view you can see the thickness on the handles which I like so I can grip them tightly when doing reverse hypers.

Here’s a view of the front of the footplate and leg rollers.

The leg rollers are 5″ in diameter and they feel very comfortable around my ankles.

Thick Hip Pad

The hip pad is 3″ thick on top so it’s comfortable for all exercises.

I like that it has a crotch gap which makes it comfortable for guys to do reverse hypers without crushing the jewels.

This also helps to keep my junk safe when doing 90 degree back extensions.

I feel the back of the hip pad has too sharp on an angle.

It’d be better if it was dome shaped like a GHD pad so it’s easier on my knees when I do GHR’s.

Here’s what it looks like when I do GHR’s.

You can see how steep that angle is and that puts more pressure on my thighs than if it was curved, so that’s something I’d like to see improved.

Pendulum

The pendulum sits right under the crotch gap and swivels on bearings.

It feels super smooth and follows whatever my legs are doing.

The weight horns sit at the bottom of the pendulum.

These suckers are long (13″ each) so lots of weight can be added on them.

I like to clamp the Keppi open collars on the weight horns so it opens up space for my legs.

Then I sandwich the strap in between the weight plates and collar.

Here’s what it looks like when I strap my feet down.

The strap does its job but it’d be better if it was cushioned more on the inside to reduce some of the friction on my legs.

French Fitness Reverse Hyper Donkey Pros & Cons

Pros

• Build: Thick, heavy frame makes it stable and durable

• Weight capacity: With a 661 lbs weight capacity, this can take on anything I throw at it

• Hip pad: Thick hip pad feels comfortable fo

• Pendulum: The pendulum has a smooth swing from start to finish

• Adjustable footplate: This lets me anchor my feet and adjust the length so I can do multiple exercises with the same machine

• Versatile: I use it for reverse hypers, 90° back extensions, oblique crunches, GHR’s, and Nordic curls

Cons

• Footprint: Requires a lot of space so it may not be ideal for compact home gyms

• Hip pad rear angle: The rear of the hip pad has a sharp angle which can be bothersome on my thighs when doing GHR’s

• Strap: Thin strap can feel uncomfortable on my legs when I go heavy. More padding o the inside of the strap would be optimal.

French Fitness Reverse Hyper Donkey Price

The French Fitnss reverse hyper donkey is priced at $999.

It costs at least $300 less than similar products in this category (keep reading so you can see them).

French Fitness Discount Code

Even though this is more affordable than other options out there, I’m always looking for ways to hook you up.

So here’s how to shave off around $50 from this beast so you don’t pay full retail price.

Click the red button below to reveal my exclusive 5% French Fitness coupon code.

French Fitness Reverse Hyper Donkey Alternatives

Rogue Donkey

The Rogue Donkey is a tank with a 3″ x 3″, 11 gauge steel frame.

With dimensions of 73″ L x 44″ W, it is less wide than French Fitness’ version but still requires a lot of space.

This beast is priced at $2275 ($1275 more than French Fitness) so it is expensive which is typical of Rogue products.

Freak Athlete Apex

The Freak Athlete Apex works similar to French Fitness’ product but it adds a unique twist to these types of machines.

It adds angle adjustability so the pad and footplate inclines and declines for regressions and 45° back extensions.

I like that they separated the bottom of the pendulum to add more space for my legs.

This unit is priced at $1995.

Bells Of Steel Reverse Hammer

The Bells of Steel reverse hammer has one feature I haven’t see in other machines of this kind…wheels.

That may seem minor but these machines are big so for someone like me who’s always moving things around, wheels are a big deal.

Like previous machines, I can do reverse hypers, back extensions, GHR’s, Nordic curls, and more.

Bells of Steel sells this one for $1349.

Real Garage Gym Use Of The French Fitness Reverse Hyper Donkey

I’m working out in a garage gym and even though this machine takes up a lot of space, thankfully I have room for it.

With reverse hypers, I’m able to hit my glutes, hamstrings, and lower back in a way that I can’t with traditional weight training exercises.

When I first saw one of these, I thought they were one trick ponies, but after using it for a while, it is more versatile than I thought.

Reverse hypers, oblique crunches, 90° back extensions, Nordic curls, and GHR’s are some of the things I can do with.

It’s built like a tank so this is one of those machines you only have to buy once.

Final Verdict: Is The French Fitness Reverse Hyper Donkey Worth It?

If you want a dedicated posterior chain machine and have plenty of space in your gym, the French Fitness reverse hyper donkey is well worth the price.

At $999 (before discount), it’s less expensive than other reverse hyperextension machines and works just as well.

As long as you have the space for it, it’s a great specialty machine that’ll light up your back side and core.

French Fitness Reverse Hyper Donkey FAQs

What muscles does the French Fitness Reverse Hyper Donkey work?

The machine targets the low back, glutes, hamstrings, and core.

Are reverse hypers better than back extensions?

Both exercises are great for the posterior chain, but reverse hypers put less stress on the lower back than back extensions.

How much space does the machine require?

The dimensions on the machine are 73″L x 53.1″W x 54.7″H, so it does use up a lot of space compared other home gym machines.

Is the reverse hyper donkey good for strengthening the low back?

Yes, I can train my lower back with reverse hypers which help strengthen and decompress the spine, while 90° back extensions are a more traditional way to build up the erector spinae muscles.

Are reverse hyper machines worth it for a home gym?

These are considered specialty machine so they’re not essential for home gyms but they can be very helpful in building posterior chain and lower back strength.