Hammer Strength Hits the Sweet Spot Between Innovation & Simplicity
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Sponsored By Life Fitness
Plate-loaded strength training isn’t going away anytime soon, argues Hammer Strength, but the equipment giant is making some tweaks to make it even more effective for users
Hammer Strength isn’t cutting any corners with its approach to strength training — even with increased pressure from the modality’s increased demand.
The equipment supplier keeps things simple, clean and efficient when crafting its muscle-making hardware. The brand isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel with strength training, but perfect it while staying true to its core principles.
“The foundation of Hammer Strength machines has not changed at all,” said JP Stockton, Product Director for Hammer Strength. “Gary Jones did such an incredible job defining the basic principles of Hammer Strength, both in design and manufacturing, that we lean on it daily as we develop new products.”
“We use proven components and design products with the original exoskeleton philosophy, so the machines always feel rigid and pure,” he added. “The evolution has been in the fine details. We scrutinize every movement we create. In an era where machines are getting more complicated to use and less durable to own, we strive to simplify each machine which increases the user experience and machine reliability. Innovation and creativity are at their peak when delivering a product that is simple to use.”
Plate Loaded Power
Hammer Strength reaches that simplicity Stockton alludes to with its plate-loaded machines. Unlike free weights, these make weight-lifting balanced and controlled — ensuring safe and targeted muscle engagement.
“We are movement and balance-based,” said Stockton. “If you want to improve strength in a given movement to improve performance on a competitive field or in life, we can guide you through that. Balance is critically important so, if you are training in a given plane of movement, we offer the opposite movement.”
The machines’ fixed patterns reinforce proper form, allowing users to push themselves without any discomfort. This makes plate-loaded machines a hot commodity for seasoned fitness enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
“Athletes love Hammer Strength because the movement allows them to train naturally with heavy loads without pain or discomfort in their joints,” said Stockton. “But most start with resistance levels that are very light, such as 10 or 12 pounds per hand. That is part of the secret sauce and that translates to the general population. The person willing to put in the work will reap the rewards and we are there to support them.”
Innovating for Comfort
Hammer Strength makes sure not to confuse simplicity with complacency, however. The brand is eager to continually upgrade its plate-loaded machines in the name of comfort.
“We are constantly building and evolving our Plate Loaded portfolio,” said Stockton. “We challenge ourselves to improve our customer’s experience with each machine we make. We want anyone to sit down in our machines and be able to use it correctly with minimal set-up or instruction, which puts the design effort on us.”
The brand’s new Assisted Nordic, a hamstring-curling machine, ensures comfort for people of all sizes. Rather than making it adjustable, the brand identified an optimal position for the calf pad and placed it in a fixed position to eliminate the guesswork. Doing so makes it easy for almost anyone to hop on, feel comfortable, feel confident and begin working out.
Hammer Strength also included two shin pads so users can align their primary hinge joint with the machine’s axis of rotation. The pad separation keeps the knee joint vaulted in the proper position as well.
“All of these seemingly minor things make the exercise more comfortable, intuitive, and attainable for exercisers or athletes of all levels,” said Stockton.
The emphasis on comfort extends to the brand’s Glute Drive, which also carries a similar feature. The pads on the Glute Ham Reverse Hyper add relief in the front for gut comfort as well. The Belt Squat includes a second set of weight rods to reduce footprint with the high user effective load ratio.
“These are the intricacies that make Hammer Strength unique,” said Stockton. “We are thoughtful, intentional and don’t accept ‘normal’ as gospel. We question everything when looking at new machines.”
More Questioning on the Horizon
That questioning promises to continue for some time as Hammer Strength is already eyeing its next machine upgrade.
“We work closely with strength and conditioning coaches because we are a performance company,” said Stockton. “Athletes need strong lower body strength and that is trending in fitness as well. At the risk of exposing our plans, I’ll say that the Pendulum Squat has become a really popular unit in clubs; however. it has some flaws. We demand a lot from ourselves and expect to build a machine that will expose the pendulum squat and bring to light what a great movement feels like.”
Stockton added that it is an exciting time at Hammer Strength and the company has some great innovations coming for 2025.
“There are other new machines coming too but we’ll leave it here for now,” he said.