BaseBlocks The Nordic Plus

Go back to 2022 and we have Nordic Benches in various sizes. And we have various folding back extension options. But in 2023, the home gym market exploded with combo units promising to blow up our backside and bulletproof our body. In my pursuit of knowledge, I’ve managed to acquire all four of the main offerings in this market, with the final piece being the BaseBlocks The Nordic Plus.

This will join the other four as I dive into the best of the best, budget builds, and everything in between, so you can purchase the right model for YOU!

There are a handful of discount codes floating around for BaseBlocks but I’ve never been able to get them to reply to an email or chat. If you buy anything from them, try Code – Simonster10 for 10% off

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Transparency Note

The BaseBlocks The Nordic Plus was actually purchased by Freak Athlete, for me, for the sake of a comprehensive review and comparison. They knew people were asking for me to cover all four units, they wanted to support that process, so they purchased it for me. As always, the goal is for anything free to not skew my feedback and perceptions. Current I do not have an affiliate or code with BaseBlocks.

BaseBlocks The Nordic Plus Specs

This will be the fourth Nordic and Back Extension combo unit in my gym, alongside multiple Hip Thrust options and back extension units over the years.

Assembly

The BaseBlocks The Nordic Plus gets shipped in one box, that is inside another box. You open the boxes and the unit is almost entirely assembled. 8 total bolts are added to attach the footplate to the unit, and you are done.

This was the simplest and most straightforward unboxing of just about any piece of gym equipment I’ve ever used, and especially compared to the other four combo units.

What Else

The BaseBlocks The Nordic Plus, as mentioned, is the budget option clocking in at under HALF of a couple of the other options. You can see some of that come to life with a few of the specifics like how thick (or in this case, thin) the steel is.

The unit stores vertically, kind of. You can technically stand it on its back side, but it has to lean against something. Plus, the bottom side is the backside of the bolts for the footplate. The footplate itself isn’t straight.

It even weighs about half of what the other units do. There are multiple items out the gate that really SCREAM budget. We will see as we progress, if this translates into a poor product design and user experience, or if they are just cosmetic and little annoyances.

Specs List

• Brand: BaseBlocks
• Made In USA: No
• Dimensions: 47” x 20” x 16”
• Vertical Storage Dimensions:
• Weight: 54lbs
• Suitable Athletes: All ranges
• Finish: black powdercoat
• Weight Limit: 330lbs
• Assembly: ~5 minutes
• Additional Notes: 4 angle adjustments
• Return Window: 100 days to give it a shot, and return if it doesn’t work for you (less the cost of shipping)

Things I’m Looking For in the BaseBlocks The Nordic Plus

I have had some great experiences so far with a few of these units. Being a 6ft 260lb lifter, I have concerns of the robustness of budget options. So this unit is going to get the same thorough testing that everything else does. My wife will use it, my daughter will use it. In the end, we will see if the BaseBlocks The Nordic Plus can hang with the bigger offerings on the market, or not.

I want to see how BaseBlocks managed to shaved several hundred bucks off the price tag, and still make it a Nordic AND Back Extension unit. I want to see if the pads are adequate, if the wheels are good enough, you get it. My stance is typically that budget items get a little break. Like when I reviewed the AboveGenius bench. That thing was under $100, so I didn’t have the same expectations as a fully decked out $1000 bench from REP or Rogue. BUT, it still needed to be safe. It still needed to perform. It still needed to be a viable option in a home gym.

So when I take a look at the BaseBlocks The Nordic Plus, I’ll be cutting it a lot of slack. But it won’t get a stamp of approval if it falls apart, if it is built poorly, if it overall doesn’t belong in a home gym.

I’m perfectly comfortable forgoing some aesthetic and finer details, for the sake of a cheaper and well performing unit. But if this thing can’t hang, it doesn’t belong in the discussion. Time will tell!

Other Options On The Market

The obvious one is the Freak Athlete Nordic Hyper GHD. This has been our go to for several months.

The BEST Freak Athlete Nordic Hyper GHD Review – 2024

The Shogun Nord-EX

The next obvious one is the Shogun Nord-EX. This is the most expensive and premium offering between the main offerings out there.

We are currently reviewing this product.

The Tib Bar Guy Nordic Back Extension Machine V2

One option on the market is the Tib Bar Guy’s Nordic Back Extension Machine V2. Their machine is a little cheaper. And their V2 model takes some HEAVY influences from the Freak Athlete model.

We are currently reviewing this product.

Will one be better than the other?

This will almost certainly come down to your needs, budget, space, and time available. But we will have a comprehensive review for all 4 of these units, as well as a side-by-side-by-side-by-side look at all four, so you can make the right decision for YOUR home gym.

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✅ I’ll have a full review on this in a few months. Myself, my wife, and my daughter will play around with the BaseBlocks The Nordic Plus to see what we like, what we don’t, and share our thoughts. If you have something specific you’d like answered, let me know.

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