Freak Athlete Hyper Pro Review: The Most Versatile, Space Saving, Lower Body Machine?

Introduction

So I don’t think I have ever seen a standalone piece of gym equipment with this much dedicated or potential functionality packed into a single machine. This is what I consider the fully loaded Freak Athlete Hyper Pro with the leg developer and GHD attachment add-ons, which all together boast the ability to basically transform into 9 dedicated machines all using in a singular adjustable and transformative frame and footprint. This is actually a really exciting machine, and one that has grown on me significantly over the last 6 months or so of ownership, for reasons I will go into further, but mainly because lower body exercises and machines are typically both hard to come by and expensive, especially when talking about home gyms with limited space. This Hyper Pro allows you to use it as a GHD and a Reverse Hyper, and additionally perform exercises like Decline Situps, Back Extensions, Leg Extensions, Leg Curls, Hip Thrusts, GHD Situp’s, and even more especially considering they have an additional upper body kit and some future upgrades and attachments planned for this machine, and all it’s available for a very reasonable price compared to the equivalent standalone machine alternatives. So let’s check it out!

Hey guys this is Michael with The Jungle Gym Reviews, today we are reviewing the Freak Athlete Hyper Pro which as of today I think could be the best lower body machine for home gyms just due to the sheer amount of exercises you can do in a relatively compact footprint, especially because the machine stores vertically and can be rolled into a corner when not in used. I do want to note this review also includes the coverage of two of the separate add-ons you can purchase, including the leg developer and GHD attachments which, as you will see later, and from my experience, do seem to be like very worthwhile but you can that decide for yourself after the review.

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My Use for This Machine

First, I do want to mention that my perspective on this type of machine may be different from other reviewers since I only have trained primarily in a bodybuilding or hypertrophy style, a good handful of these exercises I really haven’t done before using this machine, especially in a commercial setting, like a reverse hyper or GHD, which I consider a little more sport specific type movements, so feel free to either roast me or go easy in pointing out how I am not doing them optimally. Why I really wanted to mention this though, is because now after 6 months I found have a way to incorporate and continue to incorporate these into my training. I say this so that others who might be in a similar boat like me and think, I don’t do half of these exercises so I don’t need this machine, I would suggest you at least watch the rest of the video and consider my final thoughts from someone with a similar original perspective, because knowing what I know now I really appreciate having more lower body variety in my training after overcoming the learning curve associated with all the knobs, angles, pads, setup, and such.

Nordic Curl

So the first exercise on this machine is would be what I consider the base functionality of the Hyper Pro, meaning if you order the unit without the additional attachments of the leg developer and the GHD pad, you will still be able to do this the Nordic Curl. The Nordic curl is a good hamstring accessory and do a true Nordic curl on a flat surface is really hard. What’s cool about the Hyper Pro is that this allows you to do regressions, meaning you start at a higher angle than flat to make it easier so that you can learn the movement, progressively overload, and get stronger, and on the flipside if you are really strong, you can do progressions and go beyond just flat. This is cool because then you don’t need to add weight right away just due to the increase in difficult due the downward facing angle and gravity.

When doing the Nordic curl I stick to the easier higher angle regressions and it is very easy to lock in your ankles with the foot pad and pop pin. The padding density for the footpad and overall on the machine is supportive and comfortable so it doesn’t hurt your knees while doing a Nordic curl, and the texture of the padding feels soft, smooth, but not slippery. Because it is smooth it does show a little bit of sweat or skin marks a little more easily than others, but the good tradeoff they made is that doesn’t pinch or grab your skin like a grippy bench press pad would for example.

Back Extension

The back extension is the next exercise you can do, and it feels solid and stable, and setup is very straightforward. You simply just remove the rectangular main pad which comes by loosening the yellow knob holding the pad in place and there are no pop pins or anything here. From there you can raise or lower the height of these thigh pads because they are mounted to a main length adjustment shaft and with the red pop you can set it as desired for that movement. Second, you can adjust the spacing for the thigh pads easily by just loosening the knob underneath each one which allows the pads to slide freely left to right to accommodate your body size, shape, and…anatomy.

The movement itself feels great the padding makes it more comfortable than commercial versions I have used in the past. The different angle adjustments on the hyper pro also make it easier to dial in the angle preference and progressively overload without weight. Also while doing these and any of the movements in general the overall the machine is extremely solid and sturdy front to back and left to right because of the wide frame and feet.

Decline Situps

Going from the back extension, with another few quick adjustments, you can then flip the orientation of the front to back angle and put the seat back on for decline sit-ups.

These are a little awkward to get in because your body weight is sliding you down and you need to grip the knurled base plate handles to hold on, while also trying to get your feet in between the leg rollers, all while pulling the foot holder pop in to lock your feet. But once you do all of that you can perform the decline situps with ease. I do want to mention doesn’t feel as good as a dedicated decline ab bench that supports the back of your knees and front of your ankles in tandem, but this definitely still gets the job done, just know you have to balance your weight distribution and how you hinge at the hips and knees to do a sit-up here, just because your ankles are really the only thing being supported here.

Hip Thrust

Now just like with decline situps and a couple of front to back angle adjustments later, you take that leg pad from the top of the Hyper Pro, move to the front of the machine, bring the little tube up and lock it in with the detent pin, then slide the leg brace to the height of your choosing, and bam now this is your back support for hip thrusts.

This is really nice because if you have even done hip thrusts from a bench or similar you know that both the height of the bench and the fact it has square edges make it less than ideal. Again the smoothness of the padding and the fact it is round make it super super nice and the only real downsize is you need to make sure you orient the bench and your barbell to have enough room.

GHD and GHD Situps

So those prior exercises I mentioned are the main ones you can do if you by the Hyper Pro machine by itself. If you buy the $220 GHD attachment you get 3 more dedicated exercises you can do. The first two being the Glute Ham Raise and GHD situps like you can perform on a traditional GHD machine. To do either of these exercises you takeoff the rectangular main pad, go get your GHD pad, length of the main shaft, put the pad on the top most hole, tighten it down and you are ready to rock. In order to get up into position, the Hyper Pro has these little knurled what look like handles, but are actually steps so you can step up or down. They also are magnetic so when you store them up they won’t be in your way, but I find I usually just leave them down and they don’t bother me.

As I mentioned before I haven’t really used a GHD before so don’t have a great frame of reference for other machine comparisons, but I can say it feels comfortable enough and it definitely works my posterior chain. This is one exercise that I probably won’t do as often going forward since I have more preferred exercises to work these muscle groups, but this is a personal preference not a function of the machine being bad, this exercise just isn’t high on my priority to do list for my workouts. The GHD situp however is definitely more up my alley and it like a traditional sit-up except you can hyperextend your torso backwards, which feels weird at first but once you get the hang of it it’s just another solid ab exercises to cycle into your training as desired.

Reverse Hyper

The other functionality you gain with the GHD pad attachment is the Reverse Hyper. I typically lower the back end of the machine by an adjustment or two which puts me at a better and slightly downward torso angle and gives my feel a little more clearance. Speaking of the clearance I am 6ft 2 and have had a friend who is 6ft 3 try this movement with no issues. This we both still have about 2-3 inches to spare before our feet hit would hit the floor or some of the frame of the machine.

When do you the reverse hyper you can grab onto the baseplate which has these narrow knurled handles on the top and the side for you to grab. These were also a movement I was less familiar with at first but am now very happy I have the ability to do them even if my form is still a work in progress. These are great for my low back and glutes, and since you can only do them bodyweight on here, requires you to do higher reps per set which give you a really nice pump to those areas. I have found myself even using this on leg day as a warmup to get my heart going and my legs primed for squats.

Leg Extension

Moving to the next exercise is simple as you grab the leg developer attachment and simple line it up and lock it into place on the frame. Since the leg developer is only attached to the frame and not to the seat, you can adjust the specific front and back angles of the Hyper Pro to what feels best for you for each exercise.

For me that ends up being the 15 degree front angle setting for leg extensions, which you will see is not actually selected via the pop pins but rather from the little lock or catch at the bottom of the unit, and the back is down at 0 degrees in the fully locked position. Freak Athlete also includes these handle extensions with leg developer which simply pop into the existing handle locations. There are geared specifically for use with leg extensions, so that you can find the right grip for you, since the built in aren’t are the right ergonomic position to grab the most comfortably. I find myself gripping about somewhere halfway down the handle extensions in most situations.

Just like the rest of the Hyper Pro, the padding is the same material and density on the leg rollers. One thing you will notice when you do leg extensions is the leg curl bracket looks like it will come hit you, but it wont, but you can remove that hamstring curl bracket if it makes you feel better with a detent pin but I leave mine on since it doesn’t actually interfere and for me is nice to be able to superset both exercises. The resistance curve always a hot topic, and for this leg extension it is very even throughout the movement, almost too even in my opinion because it is nearly just as hard at the top end and it is at the bottom for leg extensions, which feels ok but comparing it to standalone options I own or have used in the past, you want it slightly easier at the top so you can hold peak contraction just a little longer. Fortunately, you can bias the movement to do this very easily just by leaning slightly back which improves both the stretch on your quads and makes the top of the movement slightly easier, so then it feels fantastic for just an attachment.

Leg Curl

Speaking to the lying leg curls, the resistance curve feels ideal for this exercise because there is another foot or so of travel at the top of the movement compared to leg extension, where the resistance does get a bit easier which feels much more natural right away. Also the angle adjustments of the machine are great to swap between leg extensions and curls, because for curls, I just adjust the angle one more setting in the front from 15 degrees to 20 degrees which mimics a traditional lying leg extension machine where the hips are in line or a little higher than the knee pad which really let’s you just drive and focus on your hamstrings while getting a nice stretch at the bottom of the movement.

The only downsize for lying leg curls raise is that leg holder pad near the back end of the machine is sitting right in front of your face, so if you’re tall like me you have to take that off and leave it on the side and shift your head to either side of that square tubing which is mildly annoying, but I will happily make that tradeoff since you have the footplate grips to hold onto as well and everything else about this exercise feels very good and natural.

Price

Quickly to mention the price of all these, please check their website which I have linked below for the most up to date pricing. But as of the time of filming this video the price of the Hyper Pro without the other attachments is currently listed at $999 on their website but is on sale for $799. To GHD pad attachment is $220 GHD attachment but you can add it to a bundles right now for $170, and similarly the leg developer is $350, but for $300 you can add it in a bundle with the main unit plus the GHD pad. So just know they likely will have a package sale or discounts where you can get the attachments cheaper when you buy everything together.

Learning Curve

As far as a learning curve, there definitely is one here and I honestly put off integrating this machine daily into my training as I had originally planned just due to thought process that was involved in setting up and adjusting for each specific exercise. I don’t want to sugar coat it, you do have to spend some time learning the different adjustments and angles associated with each exercise. There is a front angle, back angle, leg pad adjustments height and width, taking on and off the main pad and the GHD pad, attaching and storing the leg developer or any weight plates, etc. It does take some time and thinking at first – and referencing their website here was my friend. The good news is that if I can do it, you can too, and I am happy to say after 6 months niw I actually don’t have to think about it nearly at all and setting up for any exercise is  second nature now.

As you can see, there are a lot of knobs and handles and stuff here, and they did a good job at trying to color code them, but again I found it a little daunting and I don’t even pay attention to the colors because I now understand just which knob location does what. While I appreciate them trying to color code them, the fact there is 742 of them, it personally doesn’t matter what the colors are since I am never going to remember them by color alone.

Also the topic of adjustment complexity, I did want to mention the different angle adjustments on the front to the back. The front goes up in increments of 5 degrees, 5,10,15 using the little lock and latch cutouts on the bottom of the frame, and then 20-45 degrees in 5 degree increments with that front pop pin. The rear end starts at 0 degrees, jumps to 20, and then goes from 20-45 degrees in 5 degree increments.

Overall Thoughts

Overall this machine really grew on me the more I used it and became familiar with how to use. If you asked my opinion if I would keep this 1 month into owning it vs. now at about 6 months my answers have wildly shifted, so I think you really need to give it some time as I did as well to learn and get accustomed to the adjustments and the different movements if you aren’t already. I now think this machine is a really good value when you consider the sheer amount of things you can do in one footprint and for the price of a singular standalone equivalent machine. I don’t think you can find another lower body oriented machine that allows you to do everything this one does while not being incredibly expensive, and this one can be stored upright and tucked into a corner when not in use so it honestly a no brainer for people who care about or want to add more dedicated lower body exercise options to their spaces.

Things To Consider

Not there is one main thing I have found others should consider, and that is less a function of how well the machine works and moreso the tradeoff of using a multi-functional, all-in-one type machine.

Besides the learning curve, which you will eventually master, is the storage when not in use. Storing it upright takes time to store it and set it down and spending 30 seconds to a minute doing that can get annoying if you are doing it everyday. The time plus then the additional space you need to store leg developer attachment somewhere which also takes up pretty much the same floorspace as the machine itself. Also just knowing Freak Athlete from their products, I assume they are going to add more attachments or capability to this machine in the future, which is absolutely fantastic, I applaud them, and I am all in for that by the way. I just can’t help but keep thinking in the back of my mind that I will quickly run out of places to store all of these things, but I assume pretty much everyone would rather have the options to have more capability and in turn will learn to live with the storage situation.

Footprint

Speaking to that storage the over overall size when stored upright is only about 23x22 inches or close to 2 by 2 feet. When it is setup on the ground the machine footprint is about 65 inches long by 23 inches width for the main unit and when you add the the leg developer increases to approximately 84 by 23 inches.

Other Attachments

The last thing I wanted to mention is they also sell a very cheap Upper Body Kit which includes an eye bolt to attach to the leg developer and some D handles, extension strap, and some carabiners. All this allows you to use the leg developer as a weight loading horn for any upper body movements you can think of to do creatively on here. I will be honest since I am spoiled with my free weights and cable machines I haven’t really used more than a handful of time but if you don’t have a good way to do upper body movements at home this is another cheap $30 or so option that you can add. A row and face pull are two of the main ones I have tried since it's primarily geared towards pulling movements, and honestly it feels much better than I expected, but again I am not personally get the whole machine out of vertical storage mode, add on the leg developer and these handles just to do some rows compared to easily grabbing dumbbells or using the functional trainer I have.

The other thing I wanted to showcase was an unreleased, but coming soon, add on option to the leg developer which adds a fixed bracket, some pulleys, and a cable for you to attach to a weight stack if you have one nearby. This way you can do cable driven leg extension and leg curls. It feels good, it’s smooth, but I think I still prefer the plate loaded version because of the ability to alter the strength curve with your torso positioning rather than a consistent strength curve throughout the whole range of motion, but that may just be my personal preference and I appreciate them again thinking of users who really want this functionality and already have their machine.

Signoff and Q&A

So guys that’s it for this review for the Freak Athlete Hyper Pro. As always, if you have any questions, please comment down below and I will be happy to answer or at least try. Thank you for tuning into The Jungle Gym Reviews, we will see you next time, take it easy, peace.