When I got the GMWD hip thrust machine I thought I was dealing with a one trick pony but…

I’ve found other ways to use it to add more versatility to my leg workouts.

Out of all the hip thrust machines I’ve reviewed so far, this one’s my favorite.

It’s allowed me to train my lower body without putting pressure on my lower back.

Let’s check it out!

Unboxing

The GMWD hip thrust machine came in two boxes.

One box is long, heavy, and brings most of the metal parts.

The second box is smaller and brings a hip thrust pad, back pad, and seat pad.

Here’s everything once I got it out of the two boxes.

Assembly was straight forward and took about 40 minutes.

Specs

Dimensions: 71″ L x 31.1″ W

Material: 14 gauge steel

Weight capacity: 800 lbs

Hip thrust machine weight: 192 lbs

Footplate: 3 incline levels, 1 flat level, 21.8″ H x 31.1″ W

Weight horns: Compatible with 1″ and 2″ weight plates, 9″ long (8″ usable length)

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Features

Hip Thrust Pad

I like that the hip thrust pad is thick so I don’t feel any discomfort on my hip bones even when I go real heavy.

It’s 21 inches long so it covers people of different waist sizes.

The pad rotates freely around a metal arm that hinges on one end (right side) and locks down with a pop pin on the other (left side).

Later on I’ll show you another use I’ve found for the hip thrust pad that works perfect for leg day.

Here’s the spring loaded pin that locks the hip thrust pad down while I’m using it.

To unlock it, I pull the pin up and I can swing the bar open.

This is the other side where the hinge is.

And here it is with the bar open.

From here I sit down, bring the hip pad down, lock it, and I’m ready to hip thrust.

Back pad

The back pad is dome shaped and more comfortable than doing hip thrusts on the edge of a weight bench.

I’ve previously reviewed AbMat’s Pivot Pad which is a great alternative to using a weight bench during barbell hip thrusts.

Unlike the Pivot Pad though, GMWD’s back pad does not swivel but the dome shape contours well on my back.

Seat pad

The seat pad is 2 inches thick and comfortable but it’s not really used much.

It’s just there sit before and after a set….

Other than that, my butt is in the air for most of the set.

Footplate

The diamond plated footplate is big which I like because I can change the position of my legs to hit my glutes from different angles.

It has four levels of adjustment to accommodate for different people’s heights.

There’s a flat setting and 3 incline levels.

I feel like the incline lets me push off harder than just lifting on the flat surface.

With the footplate having these incline options, I also use it as a slant board which I’ll show you later.

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Weight horns

This plate loaded hip thrust bench has weight horns that are compatible with standard and Olympic sized weight plates.

So what you see above is a hard plastic sleeve for Olympic sized plates that slides into a 1″ diameter metal bar.

Each sleeve is 9″ long with about 8″ of usable space.

Depending on the thickness of your weight plates or bumper plates and how much weight you lift, this may limit the amount of weight loaded.

I can load three 55 lbs bumpers per side which is plenty for me or I can use thin weight plates if I feel like going heavier.

These weight plates are 3/4″ thick so I can really load it up if I wanted to.

I loaded each weight horn with all my Xmaster bumper plates to see the maximum amount I can load on them.

All of them fit (160 lbs each side) by a nose.

Safety Catch

There’s a safety catch on each side of the hip thrust machine and they’re connected to each other so they work simultaneously.

I can move one side and the other one moves automatically.

These safety catches work like a barbell jack and hold the weight up before and after the exercise.

Here’s a side view of the safety catches.

At the top I’m showing the safety catch supporting the weight of the machine without any weights.

The bottom arrow shows the safety limiter floating.

This way I can slide under hip thrust pad while the weight is suspended in the air.

Once I push up against the hip thrust pad, the safety catches automatically tilt back releasing the weight.

The safety limiter now rests on the frame of the machine at the lowest position.

When I’m done with my set, I push one of the handles forward so the safety catch takes the weight off my hips.

Here’s what the safety limiter looks like when I’m at the bottom of a hip thrust.

This can be adjusted based on your height so you can go deep without the bottom touching the frame.

Safety Limiter

The whole purpose of the safety limiter is catch the weight at the bottom if I fail a lift so I don’t get pinned.

Here it is at the highest setting for shorter folks.

And here it is at the lowest setting for people with longer legs.

Wheels

The GMWD hip thrust bench weighs almost 200 lbs so adding a pair of wheels to it was a smart move.

Whenever I need to move it I just tilt the opposite end and roll it around.

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How To Use The GMWD Hip Thrust Machine

The GMWD machine is one of the easiest hip thrust machines I’ve used.

First thing I do is lift the hip pad up and sit inside.

Then I set the hip pad down and make sure it’s locked in place.

Set my feet to any width and push my hips up.

I prefer using the footplate at an incline because I feel like I can generate more power.

Previously, I reviewed the Core Home Fitness Glute Drive Plus machine which uses a seatbelt around the hips but I like GMWD’s set up better.

Exercises

Hip Thrusts

I love doing hip thrusts on this machine because all I have to worry about is lifting as much weight as I can.

No need to worry about setting up a bench, getting under a barbell, or balancing the barbell.

Load and lift, that’s it!

And after playing around with it for a while, I’ve found that it’s more than just a one trick pony.

Bulgarian Split Squats

I had been using the hip thrust pad on my Freak Athlete Nordic Hyper as a Bulgarian split squat stand.

And it works great but GMWD’s hip pad rotates so it rolls easily with my foot which I like better than a static leg roller.

For this set up I set the footplate completely, toss my leg back, and bust out my split squats.

Slant Board Exercises

The footplate is like a giant slant board so I use it for calf raises and heel elevated goblet squats.

Squats with elevated heels isolate the quads and are great alternative to a leg extension machine.

They’ve become part of my leg routine even since I started doing them while following the Knees Over Toes Guy program.

And having this included in the hip thrust machine makes it easy to do super sets.

GMWD Hip Thrust Machine vs Barbell Hip Thrusts

Can I do hip thrusts just using a barbell? Of course…

But a hip thrust machine is more efficient and easier to set up than barbell hip thrusts.

With a machine, I just load the weight horns and push the weight up.

This eliminates the whole barbell and weight bench set up process and balancing, especially when using heavier weight.

GMWD Hip Thrust Machine Alternatives

Bells Of Steel Hip Thrust Machine

The Bells of Steel hip thrust machine has a 600 lbs weight capacity and costs $1200 so it can hold less than GMWD and is priced higher.

It uses a a padded seatbelt so it feels very comfortable on my hips.

Like GMWD’s, it does take up a lot of space.

Bells Of Steel Hip Thrust Machine

BC Strength Thrust 3.0

The BC Strength Thruster 3.0 is a dedicated hip thrust machine that can be used with weights and/or resistance bands.

With a height adjustable pad, it also works for Bulgarian split squats and Nordic curls.

BC Strength Thruster 3.0

Gronk Fitness Vertical Hip Thrust Machine

Gronk Fitness took a different approach and went with a vertical hip thrust machine so this takes up less space.

It has a weight capacity of 440 lbs and costs $1300.

Gronk Vertical Hip Thrust Machine

Pros & Cons

Pros

Multiple uses: I’ve found other uses that make the hip thrust machine more than a one trick pony

Line of drive: I have perfect line of drive every time I thrust

Balance: I don’t need to worry about balancing a heavy barbell on my hips

Comfort: Both the back pad and hip pad are thick enough so they feel very comfortable

Adjustable: Footplate and hip thrust depth can be adjusted for different sized people

No spine compression: I can workout my lower body without compressing my spine

Safety: Depth limiters prevent me from getting pinned under the weight

Cons

Space: Biggest issue I see with this machine in a home gym setting is that it takes up a lot of space

Weight horns: 9″ long (8″ usable space) which may limit the amount of weight plates loaded depending on plate width

GMWD Hip Thrust Machine Discount Code

The GMWD hip thrust machine currently sells for $599.99 but I’ll show you how to get a discount.

Click the red button below to reveal my exclusive coupon code that’ll get you a 5% discount on all GMWD products.

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