**After reading this review and deciding if this is for you, feel free to use code GGE to save on the Shogun Nord-Ex.
Introduction
Posterior chain movements and Nordic curls, more specifically, seem to be having their time in the sun at this moment of social media-influenced fitness. Don’t misinterpret what’s being said. These movements are extremely beneficial and have been around for ages, but they do seem to be ‘in’ right now.
Whether it’s a fad or something they are hearing about, we are happy to see some new innovative pieces of equipment hitting the market.
The Shogun Nord-Ex is an innovative, well-built beast with an impressive fold-away ability that makes it a premium home gym product.
Features
For the Nord-Ex, it’s not only about what it can do, but more what is more impressive is how well it does these movements.
From the space-saving features to the build quality to its versatility, the unit is above average in a lot of different ways.
Small Footprint
The unit is reminiscent of a transformer, the way a few pop-pins allow it to fold into itself and be stored vertically and will take up hardly over 3 sq ft of floor space.
The Shogun Nord-Ex was built with space saving in mind.
It feels like it belongs in the home gym or a small private studio. When you have it out in use, you’re looking at something that takes up 7 sq ft and lays 10 in off the ground (a few taller components like the heel support and the bench when it’s set up for extensions).
Vertical Storage
Space is a huge bottleneck in home gyms, so the ability to store something vertically is an underrated feature. If you have (or want) a bench with vertical storage, you understand the argument.
After you quickly tuck the Nord-Ex back into its compact form, you can simply wheel it up against the wall and utilize its ability to store it vertically, out of your way, until you are ready to use it again.
Mobility: Wheels and Handles
If you are performing (or wanting to perform) Nordics and back extensions, you are most likely not going to want a piece of equipment constantly in your way for the few days a week you use those movements. Heck, if you want to perform nordics or back extensions daily, you still probably don’t want a piece of equipment that your working around.
The Nord-Ex has a long steel handle and thick rubber wheels that make moving this 126 lb bench easy and convenient.
Build Quality
The robust build of the Shogun Nord-Ex cannot be underestimated. It is rock solid and does not wobble when in use.
The attention to detail makes it stand out as a premium piece of gym equipment. The base of this unit is carbon steel, and it doesn’t go under a thickness of 11 gauge steel.
The engineering also impresses. The thought of a transformer going from a sports car to a robot continues to jump into my mind.
Right where you think there should be a pop-pin and a piece that should move, it’s there.
Stainless Steel
Where others use chrome-plated pieces, Nord-Ex goes with stainless steel. All of the adjustable pieces are made of 13-gauge stainless steel, and they have laser-engraved numbers.
Not only does this look good, but it will continue to look good far into the future.
High-Density Foam
What they call ‘custom molded, highly engineered, self-skinning, polyurethane foam’ is what we would call the best quality pad a piece of gym equipment could have.
It’s comfortable to move on but does not budge when in use.
Pop-Pins
This piece’s unique ability to fold from a Nordic bench to a back extension and to be folded and wheeled away into vertical storage is what makes it so unique. It utilizes heavy pop-pins to transform into any of these set-ups.
While these pop-pins may have a plastic tip, the metal pins are not the cheap ones you may have run across on other home gym pieces. These, like the entire unit, are very well done.
Weight
Since you will be leveraging the weight of your entire body plus whatever resistance you may or may not add, the 126 lb weight of the unit is a major benefit. You are going to feel secure on this bench.
With the handle, wheels, and overall size of the bench, the weight is not an issue when it comes to wheeling it around your space.
Versatility
So, it’s built well and has some amazing features. What can the Shogun Nord-Ex do?
Nordic Bench
In what we’re going to refer to as its base set-up, the bench lies flat on the ground and gives you heel support to perform Nordic curls. The bench has you about 10″ above the ground, which is still close enough to catch yourself with your hands as you fall forward.
Back Extension
Tucked into the Nordic bench is the hip support for back extensions. To set-up back extensions, a pop-pin releases the hip pad. You also use a pop-pin to release the receiving end of the pad at the base. Attach the two together, and you are ready to go.
One of the best features of this back extension is the ability to change the angle from a more vertical 55 degree extension all the way to a 35 degree back extensions with 5 total positions.
Assisted Nordics
Using the receiving sleeve for the back extension then removing the hip pad, and attaching it directly to the sleeve, you can have an adjustable pad in front for assisted nordics.
Most of us need to modify Nordic curls anyway. The way this bench is configured, a third set-up option allows you to do Nordics to a progressive depth.
Preacher Curls
Is this a joke? Sort of.
Any gym bro is looking for the next great way to grow their biceps, and we found it! Using the back extension as a preacher bench works pretty well.
What’s the point? Something this highly adjustable is begging for a hackers unique eye to see just what else it is capable of.
Overall Impressions
If you haven’t read the tone of this article yet, my overall impression of the Shogun Nord-Ex is that it is very impressive. It is well built, very well thought out, and engineered, and it does everything it states better than expected.
Quality and Function
The attention to detail is not lost on the consumer when they use this bench. It is very nice. Nothing rattles, the pins are tight, and when you are twisting and torquing your body, the bench doesn’t wobble. It acts like an above-average Nordic bench AND back extension.
The fold-up and fold-away capabilities make it easy to store even if you’re tight on space. This bench is so well engineered that it has space for everything.
Price
Has this sounded like a glorified commercial throughout the entire read? This is where we hit you with the hard stuff. The unit comes with a price tag of $1,000.
The promo code GGE will save you 10%, though!
Is it overpriced? Shogun didn’t take any shortcuts, and they made an amazing bench, so the answer is probably no.
Is it too much for what it is for most?
For the majority of home gym owners who may like these movements, it still may be out of your budget range, and that’s understandable.
It would be hard to find this combination of versatility and quality within such a small package.
Who Should Consider?
If you are looking for a premium posterior chain trainer, this is for you. If you have a large budget and see yourself using these beneficial exercises, this is for you.
It could also be for you if you have a studio and other people/members/clients are using your space. You want to make sure you have durable options.
If you have experience with these movements, value them, and can fit this into your budget, it’s unlikely this bench will disappoint.
Compared to Its Competitor
The Nordic Hyper GHD from Freak Athlete is making its rounds on social media and the gym equipment world now. It looks extremely similar to the Nord-Ex from Shogun, but Freak Athlete’s bench allows you to do 6 different exercises and has a current price tag of $699 (marked down from $999). Note: it looks like there will be a price increase soon and that the $699 price is an introductory price.
Having NOT used the Freak Athlete bench, it’s hard to make a good comparison, but seeing it in action in video reviews, I would bet that the Shogun Nord-Ex is the premier option with better stability with better padding, and overall build quality.
The reviews of the Freak Athlete bench seem to be overall positive, and it does look like a good piece that can accomplish more than the Nord-Ex (and with a smaller price tag), but again the finer details in the Nord-Ex are quite impressive.
Conclusion
To reiterate, this bench is extremely well-engineered, it doesn’t take any shortcuts in its build quality, and it accomplishes both movements as advertised.
The Nord-Ex by Shogun is a premier posterior chain piece of exercise equipment, and if you can stomach the price, it would be tough to disappoint.
