5 Best GHD Machines For Your Home Gym

If you’re in a hurry I’d recommend the Rogue Abram GHD 2.0 for 99% of people after 40 hours of research into the best GHD machines on the market.

However, I highly recommend you read on to see why…

A bad GHD machine is a pain in the posterior chain.

So is a good one.

The difference is the kind of pain.

That clumsy attempt at humor is meant to convey one crucial point – choosing a good GHD goes way beyond muscle development or wasted money.

It’s about injury risks – from pulled muscles and strains to herniated discs.

But let’s take a step back…

My name is Steve Hoyles, and I’d like to welcome you to our guide on choosing a GHD machine for your home gym.

“Who’s this guy?”

I’m a personal trainer and a gym owner with over two decades of experience with GHDs.

That “experience” goes for both daily use and in-depth research.

Bottom line – I’m fairly confident I can separate the good ones from the duds.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve compared 41 GHD machines.

I’ve rated each in 29 quality and feature categories – everything from build and geometry to the footprint, price, and warranty.

We’ll take a closer look at the 5 that came out on top.

Let’s dig right in.

Budget Option

Rep Fitness GHD

Check the price here

Best Overall

Rogue Abram GHD 2.0

Check the price here

Premium Option

Rogue Monster

Check the price here

5 best GHD machines

1 – Best GHD machine overall – Rogue Abram 2.0

Rating: 78 out of 100

Who it’s for: Anyone looking for a top-of-the-line GHD that doesn’t break the bank.

Pros:

• Quick one-motion adjustment.
• Footplate angle adjustable.
• Robust mainframe and premium padding.
• Stable without bolting it down.

Cons:

• No foot platform for getting on/off (step-up).

Summary

Rogue Abram is the best GHD machine for most home gyms.

I’d sum the reasons for that into the following 3 points:

1. It’s more well-rounded than competitors from other brands that cost the same.
2. It’s better than Rogue GH-1.
3. It’s (almost) as good as Rogue Monster, which costs more than double.

Simply put, it is, hands-down, THE best value for money.

Some people will be looking to save space with a GHD. But by looking at the size of this machine you can see you are getting a lot for your money…

Simply put… this machine is VERY stable… and affordable.

A lot of that value is in the swing-arm mechanism.

Abram compared to similar GHDs from other brands

The fair comparison here is to other machines with a similar adjustment mechanism.

A few tried to emulate the mechanism, but none of them feels as smooth and seamless.

For example – you have the Titan machine that’s similar but not really close in terms of overall build – from the robustness (32 pounds lighter) to the padding, welds, and coating.

And yes, the 1-year warranty on the Titan is a dealbreaker for me in this price range.

Compared to the more basic ROGUE GH-1

The previous version of the Abram was similar to the GH-1.

The 2.0 is a significant improvement because they switched to the swing arm adjustment.

That did two things:

1. Made the adjustments easier and faster.
2. Lowered the center of gravity and made the machine more stable when not bolted down (a bigger deal than it sounds).

Compared to the beastly, high-end Rogue Monster

If money was no object, then, yes, Monster GHD is the better machine.

But the margin isn’t huge.

It’s certainly not big enough to merit paying more than double for it – at least for most people.

The 5 key differences are:

1. Monster’s frame is mostly welded (which also allows it to be smaller but just as stable).
2. Adjustment mechanisms work the same, but the Monster features a lever arm.
3. The bottom roller pads on the Monster are angled, to make getting your feet in and out easier.
4. The Monster features top handles for reverse leg raises and a footplate for getting on and off.
5. Monster’s padding is red (but unless interior design ranks above functionality, this shouldn’t be an issue!)

All 5 points have one thing in common – they add convenience and coolness but aren’t game-changing.

The more-than-double price point is game-changing for most people.

Specs

2 – Best budget GHD machine – GetRXd linear-bearing glute-ham developer

Rating: 68 out of 100

Who it’s for: Anyone on a tight budget looking for a GHD machine that ticks all the main boxes.

Pros:

• Cheap.
• Linear-bearing adjustment mechanism.
• Big footplate.

Cons:

• Padding doesn’t feel as rich as Rogue’s.

Summary

GetRXd is the top budget pick because it ticks all the key boxes.

Compared to the Rogue units, it costs anywhere from 40 to 400% less.

Compared to other GHDs in the price range, it’s the most well-rounded unit:

• Solid adjustability – both in terms of the number of adjustment points and the linear-bearing mechanism.
• Big footplate (21×15).
• Attention to detail and non-essential features (like band pegs and the step-up plate).

One downside compared to the Abram is you can’t adjust the angle of the footplate.

For most people, that’s not gonna be a big deal.

Specs

3 – Money no object pick – Rogue Monster Swing Arm GHD

Rating: 68 out of 100

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants the absolute best and has the money for it.

Pros:

• Mostly welded.
• Compact.
• Adjustment mechanism is second-to-none.
• Premium build and attention to detail.

Cons:

• Expensive.

Summary

Rogue Monster is the obvious choice if you have the money to burn.

Two reasons for that:

1. It does everything a peg better and with more pizzaz than other GHDs.
2. It also does one or two things that others don’t.

We covered most of it when we compared the Abram to it – the lever swing-arm mechanism, the top handles, the step-up plate, and the angled rollers.

The lever on the swing arm is more convenient than pop-pins.

It’s a non-essential feature that, once you get used to it, will have you wondering how other GHD owners manage without it.

I’d go with the angled roller pads.

They make getting on and off a breeze but still feel tight and secure.

Specs

4 – Best glute-ham developer for small spaces – Rogue 3×3 Echo GHD

Rating: 67 out of 100

Who it’s for: Anyone working with limited space.

Pros:

• Space-saving – attaches to your rack.
• Standard 3×3 dimensions.
• Cheaper than a standalone GHD.

Cons:

• You need a platform to use it.

Summary

Echo is THE choice when every inch counts.

Seriously, we can talk about footprints till the cows come home, but the reality is this – the difference between the biggest and smallest unit in our top 5 is less than 10 square feet (Abram and Monster).

And the smallest one is also crazy expensive.

I can imagine a scenario where that difference counts, but most people either have room for a standalone GHD or they don’t.

5 – Runner-up budget pick – REP Fitness glute-ham raise machine

Rating: 65 out of 100

Who it’s for: Anyone looking for a budget GHD from a reputable brand.

Pros:

• Budget-friendly.
• Angled roller pads.
• Smooth and stable adjustment mechanism.

Cons:

• 16-gauge steel frame.

Summary

This REP was (and is) a serious contender for the spot of best glute-ham developer for those on a budget.

It’s similar to the GetRXd unit but costs a peg more.

I’m not a fan of anything thinner than 14 gauge.

This time around, it’s not a deal-breaker because the joints are sturdy, and there’s minimal wobble.

GetRXd doesn’t list the gauge, but based on the unit’s weight, I suspect it’s also in the 15-16 range.

Specs

Buyer’s guide to glute ham developer machines

Below is my guide on choosing a GHD machine.

It packs two decades of experience into a 5-minute read.

I’ll keep it concise and avoid the commonplace stuff. I’ll also try to filter the essential from the non-essential info.

10 primary factors of choosing a good glute ham developer machine

1 – Build of a GHD machine frame – gauge and cross-section

(0 to 7.5 points in our ratings)

Structural build of a glute-ham machine frame comes down to three things:

1. Gauge of the steel
2. Cross-section of the tubing
3. Design of the base

Gauge describes what steel was used to make the GHD machine.

The best ones are typically 11 gauge, which is the sweet spot.

Of the 40 glute ham developer machines we compared, 28 use 11-gauge steel.

That’s a whopping 70%.

There’s a budget GHD on this list that barely made the cut because of the high gauge – the REP Fitness unit.

For most people, that’s still gonna be good enough because the intensity of exercises is rarely high, if ever.

If you’re over 200 pounds and a hardcore crossfitter, skip anything over 14 gauge (lower number means thicker steel).

Finally, there are outliers with massive frames – as thick or 6-gauge thick. You don’t need that for a home gym.

The cross-section is self-explanatory – it describes the dimensions of the tubing.

The best glute-ham machines will have a 6-9 square inches cross-section.

Some heavy-duty units go as high as 11 (again, not needed for a home gym).

2 – Weight capacity of glute ham developer machines

(0 to 7.5 points in our ratings)

The best glute-ham developers are so robust they don’t list the maximum user weight because there’s no reason to.

A robust 11-gauge frame isn’t yielding in a 1000 years.

Weight capacity comes into play with high-gauge frames on the cheaper machines (like the budget pick from REP).

Even that will be safe for most people.

Bear in mind that safety doesn’t equal stability.

If you want a machine that inspires confidence and never feels flimsy, go with the better units without a user weight limit.

3 – Standalone vs. attachment GHD

(no specific number of points in our ratings)

There are two key questions here:

1. Do you have the floor space for a standalone GHD?
2. Do you have the “air space” to use it fully?

For most home gyms, the answer to at least one of those questions will be a no.

That’s why an attachment like the Echo is the best GHD “machine” for small home gyms or those who’ve already used up their space.

You mount it, use it, and remove it when done.

Also, you can just leave the footplate mounted if it doesn’t get in the way.

4 – Size of a standalone glute ham developer machine – footprint and actual space needed

(0 to 15 points in our ratings)

If you’re dead set on a standalone, you’ll need at least 25-30 feet of space to comfortably use it.

That’s my rough estimate.

Albeit rarely a dealbreaker, the actual footprint of the machines is still a part of that equation.

Below is a GHD size-comparison graph for reference.

Note that, for the Echo GHD, this number represents the pad only.

Bonus tip: If you have an unused corner for the machine but only have space in the middle of the room, choose a GHD with wheels. Stay away from the likes of Rogue Monster, which is heavy and made to stay put.

5 – Adjustability of a GHD machine – convenience, speed, and adjustment points

(rated across 5 categories)

The “cleanest” way to analyze this is to split the topic into essential and non-essential adjustment points.

The musts and the likes, if you will.

Here’s what I mean…

Two must-have adjustment points

Even the most basic GHD must have two adjustment points:

1. Pad-to-footplate distance
2. Vertical plate adjustments

Those two will cover 90% of body types and exercises.

The better machine will also allow you to adjust some or all of the following:

1. Footplate angle
2. Footplate-to-roller distance
3. Height of the GHD pad

Finally, the best ones will feature fasteners to tighten everything in place (image below).

6 – Padding of the best glute ham machines – quality, shape, design

(0 to x points in our ratings)

Things are straightforward here – the more expensive the machine, the denser the padding foam, and the better the finish.

With that said, there’s a red line where using denser foam and thicker PU stops adding value.

In my experience, that line is at about $750.

Bonus tip: Make sure the pad is split down the middle to avoid squishing your family jewels.

7 – Versatility of a GHD – beyond the glute-ham extensions, raises, and sit-ups

(0 to x points in our ratings)

Like with the adjustability, I’d split the versatility category into basic and non-basic.

In basic terms, a versatile GHD machine allows for all the primary moves to be performed correctly and comfortably, whatever your body type.

In gym-bro language – it hits just right.

Non-basic versatility adds one exercise to the glute-ham raise portfolio – the reverse leg raise.

Specifically, it features handles to grab when doing it (image below).

It’s a plus but not a must.

Why?

Because you can grab the pads or the frame and do reverse raises.

Handles are important if you have a history of back problems, especially bulging discs…because they allow you to perfectly stabilize the spine and initiate the raise from your butt.

8 – Additional resistance – band pegs on GHDs

(0 to 1.9 points in our ratings)

If you’re an advanced lifter or plan on becoming one, you’ll want a GHD machine that allows for additional resistance.

It’s more of a factor for back extensions than glute-ham exercises.

My advice?

I wouldn’t worry about this unless you can easily do 3-4 series of 10 glute-ham raises.

If you can, consistent progress means you’ll outgrow the machine and get out of the sweet range (10-15, in my opinion).

At that point, you can simply grab a weight plate.

Most people at this level prefer weight plates for adding resistance to elastic bands.

That’s also why there are no pegs on Rogue machines.

Pegs are not a must for using elastic bands. You can always get bigger bands and wrap them around the frame.

The bottom line is this – don’t make your decision based on band pegs one way or the other.

9 – Warranty terms of a good GHD machine – frame and upholstery

(0 to 11.3 points in our ratings)

I have 3 rules of thumb when it comes to the warranty:

1. If you’re paying over $500, go for a GHD that gives you no less than a Lifetime warranty on the frame and 90 days on the padding.
2. The absolute minimum warranty for home use is 2 years on the frame and 30 days on the padding.
3. The only exception to rules #1 and 2 is a commercial warranty. If the GHD you’re eyeing has it, you’re free to ignore it because it tells you nothing. A commercial machine will last 5 lifetimes in a home gym setting.

10- Prices of GHD machines

(0 to 18.8 points in our ratings)

Expect to pay anywhere from $450 to over $1500 for a GHD machine.

On the lower end, you have the “REPs” and “GetRxds” that aren’t as well made as Rogues units, but they can absolutely do the job.

The sweet spot is $700-800 – it’s where the best value for a home gym is.

The higher end (over $1000) is commercial unit territory and, of course, home to the beastly stunner that is the Rogue Monster Swing Arm.

Below is a price comparison graph.

Methodology – how we rate a glute-ham developer machine

Below is a brief outline of what we did to get the results.

I’m including it not to brag but to point out that Strong Home Gym stands out in the space.

Experience is only the base and spice for the ratings.

The “meat” is the 1160 data points – 29 for each of the 40 potential picks.

Here’s a step-by-step list:

1. We created a GHD-machine database with over 40 units from 30+ sources. It also includes 700+ first-hand owner experiences and tests.
2. We created a rough list of quality factors. For this, we talked to experts and looked at first-hand reviews. The result of this step is 29 rated factors.

3. We awarded “gravities” to each factor, which is a frilly word for the number of points awarded.
   
   This is to fine-tune the list and create accurate separation between the picks.
   
   Here’s an example – for you, the potential buyer, secondary factors like band pegs won’t be as crucial as max user weight.
4. We went through a few iterations of those gravities to tweak the ratings and avoid any “injustice” or blind spots in the rating system.
5. We spent 20+ hours collecting and sorting the data for glute-ham raise-machine databases (1160 data points – 29 for each of the 40 potential picks).
6. At this point, we had the 10 picks.
7. If things were close, we went with the machine that adds more value to you and makes the list more versatile.

FAQs about glute-ham machines

Other glue-ham machines – close-but-no-cigar

• Titan Fitness GHD machine – good with a caveat – price-wise, it’s too close to a premium GHD machine like the Rogue Abram.
• Force USA Commercial GHD – also good and also too expensive to compete with two units in the Rogue lineup that are in its price range (Abram and GH-1).
• Legend Fitness compact GHD machine – small but too basic. Frail frame for GHD sit-ups, too. You’re better off with the Echo if space is the critical factor.

Best GHD machine – resume and key takeaways

All the work that went into creating the GHD database was worth it.

We pinpointed a few obvious winners in a crowded niche of the home gym market.

• For most people with the space for a standalone, Rogue Abram is the best glute-ham machine for the buck. It packs all the features of the Monster Swing at more than half the price.
• If the money is tight, go for the REP Fitness GHD or the GetRXd GHD.
• If space is tight, get the Rogue Echo and attach it to the rack when you need it.
• If there’s no tightness in the space or budget, you can always splurge on Rogue Monster. The premium price buys you a no-compromise GHD and some serious bragging rights.

If you’re still unsure, click here to skip back to the top picks table.