WESTSIDE INVERSE CURL

Legendary strength coach Louie Simmons has called it “the greatest hamstring developer in the world." Now, Westside Barbell's innovative Inverse Curl Machine is available to order from Rogue. Made in the USA from 4x3" and 3x3” 11-gauge steel, this 605 LB unit is designed to help athletes perform proper glute ham raises (Russian leg curls), with assistance provided in the form of adjustable pad settings and custom weight load options. When used properly, the Inverse Curl works the entire posterior chain, initiating a firing pattern in the lower body muscles that develops greater athletic-oriented strength and explosiveness (be it for throwing, sprinting, jumping, lifting, etc.). It can also help potentially limit the likelihood of common hamstring and ACL injuries, and/or assist those already rehabbing from such injuries. To use the Inverse Curl, the athlete kneels on the flat pad/bench and places their feet against the steel footplate, under either set of adjustable roller pads. The adjustable chest pad is then held in the arms for stabilization as the athlete lowers and raises their upper body, putting the focus of the movement on the hamstrings.

Buying guide

Best GHD for a Home Gym — July 2026

What is a Machine?

What a strength machine is

A strength machine guides the resistance along a fixed path so you can train a movement safely, often without a spotter. The main types: selectorized (pick weight with a pin), plate-loaded (add your own plates for a heavier ceiling and better feel), and functional trainers / cable machines (adjustable pulleys for dozens of exercises).

Machines vs. free weights

Machines shine for isolation, safety, and high-rep hypertrophy, and for training hard alone. Free weights build more stabilizer strength and carry over better to sport. Most well-rounded home gyms use a rack and barbell as the core and add one machine — often a cable/functional trainer or a lat-pulldown/row — to fill the gaps.

The sub-types worth knowing

“Machines” covers several categories that barely compete with each other: GHDs for hamstring and posterior-chain work, belt squats for loading the legs without the bar on your back, leg press / hack squat combos for heavy quad volume, reverse hypers for posterior-chain work and lower-back decompression, cable towers and functional trainers for pulling movements, and row machines. Pick the one that fills a gap in what your rack and barbell already do. Almost nobody needs two.

Space and standalone vs. rack-mounted

Most of these come in a standalone version and a cheaper rack-attachment version. The attachment saves floor space and money, but often gives up stability or range of motion — a tradeoff worth checking on the specific product rather than assuming, since it varies a lot between designs.

A note on ratings

Machine listings frequently show a manufacturer’s own on-site rating, which runs high (4.7–5.0 is typical) and sometimes pools reviews across a whole product family rather than the exact configuration you’re buying. Where we have independent hands-on coverage, our summaries anchor to that instead, and say so on the product page.