Since Louie Simmons first came up with the reverse hyper it’s been one of the most coveted pieces of equipment for many a powerlifter or strongman.

When we heard about the plans for a DIY reverse hyper over at GarageGymReviews, we had to give it a shot. The foundation of our current outdoor gym area was DIY – we had a contractor put down a large concrete pad, sunk 6×6’s 2 feet in the ground around it, and put together three pull-up bars, a 13 foot rope (because there’s 2 feet in the ground, of course) and a set of rings.

When Jo got into strongman we thought a yoke would be cool and we built that with some leftover bits and pieces and a few pick-ups from the store.

So a reverse hyper? Oh yes please.

We aren’t going to include the full instructions here since – well – it’s not our content, but we’ll talk about the process and a few things that came up.

Difficulty

This is really not a difficult project, but you do need some basic tools. Also, the instructions keep talking about pocket holes. Some of you might be perfectly familiar with this but while I’d seen them, I didn’t know what it was until I looked it up. I was sorely tempted to just drill straight through and skip the pockets, but a few minutes of research turned up that pocket holes allow for some of the strongest joins… although this finding is hardly unanimous.

The Video

Function

Once complete the device felt quite sturdy. We had no concerns about laying on it, cranking on the handles, or loading up the weight. That said, it is also fairly tall, so for Jo, at 5 ft 3 inches, it is a bit of a hop to get up there.

The pipe used is all 3/4 inch black. While using the machine we found the plates tended to move around quite a bit and shifted their way down the pipe. We’ll probably try to find a 1 inch to 3/4 inch reducer so we can use a larger pipe for the weights and add standard size barbell clips to hold the weights in place. As it stands the shifting is a bit of an issue as it can rotate the main shaft of the plate assembly.

The top is also pretty rough; without some kind of pad it is tremendously uncomfortable – while this is just part of some exercises (Conan’s wheel anyone?) it shouldn’t be such a big part of this one. We did get a cheap yoga mat from 5 and Below, double/tripled it up, and that helped a lot.

Cost

GarageGymReviews.com claims the total cost of the project to be under $100. As long as you have a drill and a Kreg Jig available, that works out. The project basically only requires a few 2x4s and some screws. At least at base. While I have a lot of tools, I’d never needed a Kreg Jig before so that was an added cost for me. I got a cheaper version at around $35 though there are more full-featured versions available for more.

All that said, there are several upgrades and tweaks that could add cost such as castor wheels and padding.

Overall Thoughts

This definitely works, but there are a few hiccups. If you aren’t familiar with the techniques and tools it will take longer and cost more. There will be places you’ll want to add to this plan as well, like padding for the top and edge.

So was it worth it? It depends. If you have your heart set on a Westside hyper (at about $3k) and you want something to get you by in the meantime, by all means build this. If you have spare wood already and just need a few extras, go for it, and particularly if you already have the right specialty tools (or can borrow them).

…the fact of the matter is you can buy a reverse hyper that will do a better job for not much more – $250-$300

For most people, though, the fact of the matter is you can buy a reverse hyper that will do a better job for not much more – $250-$300. It will have pads, it will hold the weights on, you won’t have to jerry-rig something for your legs, and the weights won’t spin. I’m glad we have something we can use for now, and I feel ok leaving it outside where I wouldn’t with a store-bought, but it won’t be too long before we upgrade – because it’ll just be better.

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