A strong core is essential for overall fitness and health. It helps us maintain good posture, perform daily activities with ease, and improve athletic performance.
Traditional core exercises, such as sit-ups and planks, are effective but may put unnecessary stress on the spine.
This is where the Bells of Steel Reverse Hammer 2.0 comes in as the ultimate tool for total core training.
If you're looking for a versatile and effective piece of gym equipment to target your posterior chain muscles, the Reverse Hammer 2.0 is worth checking out.
Let's do a quick overview of this awesome equipment and cover a few exercises you can do to get the most out of it. 😉 The Bells of Steel Reverse Hammer is a unique machine that allows you to train your core from all angles. It targets spinal flexion, spinal extension, hip extension, and hip flexion, working all the muscles in the core musculature, including obliques, rectus abdominis, and transverse abdominis.
It is a hybrid of the Reverse Back Extension machine and the Glute Ham Developer (GHD), a Bells of Steel original design that was engineered in-house.
The Reverse Hammer 2.0 has a minimal footprint and is very versatile. The Reverse Hammer weighs 280 lbs and measures 74" (1900 mm) long, 47" (1190 mm) wide, and 42" (1065 mm) tall.
It is made of strong 2" x 3" steel tubing, has heavy-gauge steel, diamond-plate footplates and step-ups, and is assembled with heavy-duty hardware.
Check out the assembly instructions here.
The Reverse Hammer has anchor holes for optionally bolting the unit to the ground for increased stability, as well as a pair of weight storage pegs that, in addition to providing an extra place to store weight plates.
It even comes with our best-selling belt squat belt to serve as the strap. 🙌The best feature of the Reverse Hammer 2.0 is that it removes external loading from the spine, making it a safe option for people who are recovering from injuries or looking to improve their sports performance.
The Reverse Hammer 2.0 has dual functionality and can be used for glute ham development and reverse hyperextension movements, attacking the core from different angles.
The glute ham side is especially useful for posterior chain development. By locking the feet in and freeing the hips from the machine, you can hinge at your hips, working the glutes and hamstrings without involving the spinal erectors. Since the machine is unloaded, it's safe to put the spine through flexion and extension.
The Bells of Steel Reverse Hammer 2.0 is also excellent for working the obliques and anterior side of the core.
You can do a glute ham development sit-up which allows an unloaded full range of motion with spinal flexion and extension, which is excellent for building the rectus abdominis.
Another unique feature of this machine is the ability to load the obliques by facing the wall or the side and doing side bends from the glute ham developer.
As you do your side bends, you can hold onto the weighted arm, allowing the obliques to stretch in a way other equipment cannot.
This awesome equipment can also be used to work the hamstrings through knee flexion, not just hip extension. You can perform Nordic curls (an advanced version of the glute ham raise) because it doesn't have a big rounded pad in the way.
Last but not least, you can use this equipment to do the reverse hyper by resting your hips on the pad, holding on to the footrest, hooking your legs in the belt loop, and swinging them upward until you reach parallel. This lightweight leg swing is fantastic for building the posterior chain. It feels heavier than it looks and does wonders for injury prevention.
Bonus: Our friends over at Gluck's Gym also use this to do seal rows with a barbell. Get creative! If you’re ready to target your entire core — abs, lower back, and obliques — try this effective and straightforward Complete Core Tabata Workout.
This workout consists of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest with a total of 8 rounds for each movement. If you're new, no sweat (figuratively)! Scale back to 4 rounds for each movement until you're conditioned.
- Sit on the pad with your feet anchored.
- With your trunk in a neutral position, lean back, until you feel you are in a full range of motion with abdominal tension.
- Then come back up to a sitting position and touch the foot pad.
- Repeat for reps and rest for 10 seconds before the next round.
- To progress this movement, hold your body in a supine position (like a hollow body hold) for the last 10 seconds before the next round.
- Lay on the pad facedown, anchoring your ankles.
- Brace your core while holding the body in a horizontal position.
- Hinge your hips until the upper body is at 90 degrees to the lower body, or perpendicular to the floor. Maintain core tension throughout this movement.
- Pause momentarily at the bottom, then drive back up to parallel.
- Repeat for reps and rest for 10 seconds before the next round.
- To progress this movement, hold the extended position for the last 10 seconds before the next round.
- Lie on your side with your hips on the seat, and hook your feet under the pads.
- From a lying side position, let your torso lean slowly sideways toward the floor.
- When your body is approximately tilted at a 45-degree angle, flex your obliques hard as you return to your starting position.
- Repeat for reps.
- Rest for 10 seconds and repeat the movement with the other side.
Your range of motion may vary depending on your core strength and experience. Small movements have a big impact with this exercise.
- Lie face down on the machine with your hips on the pad and your legs hanging off the end, looping your ankles through the belt attachment.
- With straight legs and an engaged core, use your hips and hamstrings to drive your legs behind you to above the hips while holding onto the foot pad.
- Hold the hyperextension position for a second and slowly lower your legs to the starting position.
- Repeat for reps and rest for 10 seconds before the next round.
The Bells of Steel Reverse Hammer 2.0 is the ultimate tool for total core training. It’s a versatile and effective piece of gym equipment, you can do so much with it. 😁
Its unique features make it safe and effective for working all the muscles in the core musculature from different angles and it's an excellent investment for anyone looking to improve their core strength and overall fitness.
