NordBench Speed Run

November has been MOSTLY about cleaning up and wrapping up the Fall GGC. My goal in future years is to make that process a little more sustainable, so I don’t have to take 3 to 4 weeks off everything else… But right now, I’m just happy I get to do some cool things with the Garage Gym Competition.

When I wasn’t inside Excel or PowerBI doing data stuff, I was getting some new toys and updates about sales and new products and stuff.

NordBench by NordStick

One of the most requested reviews I’ve had, is to take a look at the NordBench from Nord Stick. This comes in around $400 and has Nordic Curl Regressions, Hip Thrusts, Split Squats, Back Extensions, and the footplate drops for a Squat Wedge. On top of that they offer some accessories for a landmine and even band hook ups.

I posted this to r/HomeGym and due to the Black Friday sale, was asked to do a Speed Run review. This is something I think I’m going to do going forward for all of you on the newsletter… a VERY first impressions look. So here we go…

Overall Build

The pads, padding, finish, and more of the NordBench feels more premium than the TibBarGuy NBE V2. Unfortunately in shipping I had a few dents and dings. The powdercoat has several scratches, one of the pads has a rip, you get it.

The installation process was pretty subpar. Maybe the worst of all of the Nordic Combo Machines I’ve used. Garret has told me that they are already improving that process. They have plans for many of the pieces to come pre-assembled, and they plan to have each step that remains separated out into bags similar to how SHOGUN has done it, alongside an interactive video like Freak Athlete. They claim 3 TOTAL steps, and done in under 10 minutes.

With the dings and tears, Garret told me that they would replace any damages anyone has. No questions asked.

Nordic Curls

The Nordic regressions are fairly easy to adjust as we have a ladder system throughout. This means no pop-pins to adjust, so you can jump between 45 down to flat and back within seconds. The downside here is that there is a lot of movement. The Freak Athlete Nordic Hyper GHD got a lot of flack for how much it rocked side-to-side. This is a LOT more noticeable. Similar to the Nordic Hyper, it only makes a difference when setting up. In use, we don’t have that issue.

Both myself and Audrey worked from 45 degrees down to flat to test the abilities here.

Audrey’s only issue was that the ankle roller doesn’t come down low enough to lock her feet in at the right position for Nordics. She was able to make it all the way down to flat, but couldn’t quite get a flat Nordic Curl due to the bench being so low to the ground. The Flat Nordic on the NordBench is a VERY strict movement.

From 45 degrees down to flat, I had to take advantage of an extra weight post they provide. The machine has a lot of movement on the back feet without it at my size. I loaded up 2×25lb plates and was good to go. But keep in mind, for the bigger boys and girls out there, this is probably an extra step you will take every single time.

Back Extensions

I was the only one who got a ride on back extensions so far. I was able to use a 40lb dumbbell and do back extensions without any problems. Again, I need to load up the extra weight post, but it works. Because there is a lot of adjustments available, the majority of athletes should be fine. I’ll make sure to take official measurements for the full review.

I did not get a chance to try and work with this on my VOLTRA I, but I assume the light frame is going to struggle.

Hip Thrusts

I ran some bodyweight tests, and my wife was able to do a full barbell hip thrust workout here.

First thing we noticed, is that the height adjustments are pretty limited for hip thrusts. You use the same pad and adjustments for nordics, which means the angle is at 8 degrees or 15 degrees. 15 degrees was too high, while 8 degrees was pretty low. You can get some variation in there by extending the pad further out from the base of the unit, but you can only do that so much without risking issues.

Both me and my wife noted, that since you were doing hip thrusts off the ladder system, there was an inherent bend and give during your sets. My wife weighs around 150lbs and was hip thrusting 150lbs. Their weight rating is 500lbs, which means she is almost there, and honestly I can believe that 500lbs might be as far as you’d want to push that. Think about doing a hip thrust off the front of a diving board, it is kind of like that. Not that extreme, but you get the idea.

My wife did enjoy the full pad support for hip thrusts, compared to the roller of the Hyper Pro. But ranking our current options for future use… it went… First Place, Hyper Pro, Second Place Booty Sprout, Third Place NordBench.

Split Squats

Very similar to the Hip Thrusts, you have minimal options in terms of height adjustment. I had to tinker with the right angle and then extension of the unit to get where I wanted without bottoming out or being WAY too high. These work, but wouldn’t be my go-to option by any means. I’d take the Hyper Pro, Booty Sprout, or even a bench over this.

Squat Wedge

I was able to do some Goblet Squats and so was Audrey this weekend. Both of us liked this feature, and found it easy to use. The downside here is that you aren’t likely to use this in any other format. Meaning, you can’t combine the squat wedge with the split squats. You probably aren’t going to put it in your rack and barbell squat with it, or add it to a smith machine or anything. This is probably a one trick-pony for goblet squats and similar movements. You also only have one angle option, so if this isn’t the right one for you, too bad.

The grip tape works nicely, it was strong enough for my 245lb frame plus a 60lb dumbbell for goblet squats. I was able to get plenty deep without any issues, running into anything, etc. Audrey was CLOSE to hitting her butt on the adjustment pin, but we were good.

Mobility, Storage, and Other

The unit folds down very well and is super compact. It can store vertically with a quick adjustment to the footplate, and it is so light I can just lift it up and move it if need be.

Unfortunately, the current wheels suck. You have to have the unit at the exact right height for the wheels to be on the ground instead of the back frame, which isn’t the easiest thing to achieve. It often requires me to bend over and roll the machine. They told me via DM that they shortened the handle length to improve this feature, which might be the winner.

The adjustment pin for the pads is under the pads themselves. It is also basically 100% firmly against the pad, which makes it a hassle to find and adjust, and I believe over time it will rub against the underside of the pad. The team tells me they have already addressed this.

For vertical storage, I have to complaints.

1) I wish you didn’t have to adjust the footplate down to get into storage mode. I regularly pick it up and roll it into place, then remember I have to adjust that down. Set it down, adjust it, pick it back up, and done.

2) Like with the TibBarGuy NBE V2, there is nothing holding the base to the frame in the flat position. This means that when you lift it up or go to move it, they separate from each other and can fall over or pinch your hands.

Overall Thoughts From The Speed Run

There are some things to like here, and some things to not. I’ve sent over some more of the notes and feedback above to the team, and they are confident that they have already fixed the majority of them, or are actively working to fix them as we speak.

If the team has addressed the items they have told me they have addressed, we are doing pretty good. From my understanding, anything they address right now will reflect in the units shipping into December, which means if you have recently ordered or will order before the sale ends, you’ll get the most up-to-date model.

For the handful of negatives, I think you have to look at who you are and what your expectations are.

If you are lighter and lift lighter in general, this could be a big win. It’ll do SOME of the Hyper Pro stuff, at about 1/2 the price. I think it is a better decision than the NBE V2 in a number of ways, but the NBE probably wins in the robustness of the build. After TibBarGuy fixed their one fatal flaw, their bench is still very BUDGET, but it is sturdy. Sturdier than the NordBench.

The NordBench feels and looks more premium. The padding is nicer, the finish is better, and the pop-pins and adjustments are smoother and easier. The squat wedge aspect is a win as well. And if you want the band hook ups, that is a real win with the NordBench. It is also WAY smaller. And king is space in the home gym.

If I’m a smaller athlete in general, I’d lean towards the NordBench. More features, better overall build and construction, and you likely won’t run into some of the weight issues I’m looking at.

If I’m a bigger athlete on a tight budget, the NBE V2 is the right choice. And our current favorite in the big boy premium category is still the Hyper Pro from Freak Athlete. All three are on sale right now BTW, and I have links to support me on the appropriate pages if you choose to buy one during the Black Friday sale.

I will have a full review planned in January. So stay tuned!

X Mark Big Easy

I owned an X-Mark Curl Bar some years ago. It sucked. It was a “commercial chrome” curl bar, which was meant to be their high end offering. It had rust spots within a couple of months of owning it.

X-Mark reached out a few months back and wanted to connect. I don’t think this was the first time. But they were a little more persistent, so I bit. I hopped on a call with their team and they expressed that they have been overhauling their entire lineup of products.

After chatting for a bit, I mentioned that their Big Easy Squat Bar looked intriguing. It comes in a full Black Cerakote finish on the shaft and a QPQ finish on the sleeves, and clocks in at a full $80 less than the comparable Texas Squat Bar. It is a little different in specs, but close.

I received one at the end of last week, and out the gate I have good feedback. Their packaging was great. Fully wrapped in a plastic bag, with rubber end caps, inside a cardboard tube, which was inside a carboard box, which was ziptied. The ONLY feedback I gave them was to use foam inserts to keep the bar stiff inside the cardboard, and the tube stiff inside the box.

Plan is to use this as my primary squat bar for the 2025 GGC Season, and in the middle of the year put together a video discussing the want/need for a dedicated Squat Bar and Deadlift Bar.

BTW - the bar is currently on sale with Black Friday @ 15% off.

No Get RxD RX3 Tornado… But You Can Help

I had sent a full “pitch” to Get RxD about reviewing their new RX3 Tornado Smith Machine and was told their team was “considering it”. Well apparently because Gluck and GGR are reviewing it, they don’t see a benefit in anyone else doing a review.

I’ve had a few people already poke them directly asking when I would receive the RX3 for review because they were waiting on it to make a decision. This is a HUGE piece to getting companies to change their perspective.

Nothing bad to say about Gluck or GGR here… But I assume if you are reading this, you feel the same way I do, in that my reviews are different. Not better, different. While both of them will have their review out in a week or two after receiving it, mine will take 6 months. I’ll be using it with my daughter, myself, and my wife, with my growing assortment of cable attachments, comparing to the FT2, and more.

If you want to help my cause, you can send Get RxD a direct message on Instagram or email letting them know that you want to see me review it. Something like:

“Hey team, I wanted to know when the Gray Matter Lifting review of the RX3 Tornado Smith Machine will be available?”

or “Do you know if Gray Matter Lifting will be reviewing your RX3 Tornado Smith Machine?”

Direct customer inquiries, questions, and comments push companies much further than anything I could ever do. So any support you can offer, I appreciate it.

Upcoming r/HomeGym AMA

I got to chat with my dude Kurt from The KurtLocker about his upcoming AMA in December. I’ve got another AMA Warm-Up coming real soon as well for the final AMA of the year.

Oh… and the 2025 schedule for AMAs is almost completely booked already.

MAIAK-GO Updates

A post this week in the MAIAK-GO group asked about timelines for purchasing. From my understanding, everything has been delayed slightly due to some weather issues. But they are hoping to have a legit pre-order available before the end of the year.

Updated Prime Super Squat Bar Review

At the end of each year I tend to spend some time revisiting the majority of my articles. Part of this is for outdated information, bad links, etc. But also to simply update my thoughts and ideas around something.

I realized that I never really wrote a written review for the Prime Fitness Super Squat Bar, so this past weekend I took a bit of time and put that together. This is without a doubt the bar I choose to squat with when off program. It is just fantastic for squatting.

Freak Athlete Was Here!

Benji just left my house as I type this, as I’m once again product testing some stuff for them. Stay tuned on that, I think a lot of you are going to like this.

More Reviews and Videos on the Way

I hope everyone has a fantastic Turkey Day, spends time with friends and family, plays some board games, maybe a little football, and eats big.

I’ll be taking Thursday off, my first day off in awhile, and then back at it Friday. I am MOST of the way through a review for the Chirp Halo, then an updated Massage gun from Bob and Brad, some Normatec type leg compression pieces, and a few other small items.

Then I’ll get back in front of the camera and start rolling on YouTube again.

If you are reading this by the way, you are awesome. I truly appreciate every person who has signed up for this Newsletter and continues to open and read the emails. I have some data that tells me that I have a roughly 85% open rate and 8% click through rate. I’ve told companies that lately and they don’t believe. The metric for a good number by the way is closer to 25% and 1% respectfully.

So thanks for being here, checking out this home gym stuff, and I got more coming your way soon!

• Joe