I’ve never been able to use a duo hip and back. Was curious of the pros and cons of the machine.
I’ve mostly heard great stuff regarding them. Contemplating adding one to my collection.
While this is my first post, I’ve been a lurker in the old drdarden forum for years. Love all of y’alls input!
Too GD Huge!! You can accomplish much of the same for Glutes and Lower Back by pulling back from a low pulley. Start bent forward with a slight arch in your back and arms straight in front of you, pointing towards the pulley (2nd from the bottom works great, if you have such a machine). Now, initiate with your glutes and straighten your body up. Don’t pull with your arms, they are just a lever.
If you want something to finish off the hips, get a Hip Adductor machine. Some of these have a nice compact footprint. Though, you could probably get close to duplicating this with pulleys too!
Best, Scott
I like the machine but I don’t like the duo-poly aspect. I would much rather have a fixed movement arm. I built a knock off of one when I was in my 20’s and coaching basketball. I did heavy negatives with it and had incredible results in terms of my speed and jumping ability.
I have one in storage and if I can find the room to set it up I’d modify it and do 30-10-30.
I would replace the bushings with bearings all around to reduce friction. There’s so much friction now that 30-10-30 might not work very well.
When I used it before it was easy enough to rig the chain right above the weight stack to where it could be used as if it had a fixed movement arm. That would be necessary in order to use the 30-10-30 method. I took a couple of links of chain out so it would be easier to get into and out of and it didn’t make a lot of difference with the exercise. I don’t think the extreme stretch is necessary.
I have a pristine duo-poly Nautilus Hip & Back machine. 1st Nautilus machine I ever bought.
Years ago, this machine was desired by many women.
Pros
Wife adores this machine
Stops hip range-of-motion decreases due to aging
Meaningful resistance during full Range-of-movement
Applies such meaningful resistance in a safe manner
Cons
Huge machine
Little carryover to any other barbell movements or Athletics
I plan to refurbish mine with caster wheels, powder coating, new upholstery, cables and bearings, akinectic/infimetric bar.
I wanted one of those in the worst way for my wife as a way for her to work her glutes etc . I found one to buy and before I bought it she tried it out . She didn’t like it as she said it aggravated an old lower back injury she got as a kid. I even got one of the home version Nautilus of it but she said that hurt her back as well.
Scott
Nautilus hip & back
The kind of motivation that got me wanting one for my wife, ha ha!
Scott
Unfortunately, the glutes have received next to nothing in the way of attention from HiT.
Old man disease , a flat backside, leads to hip flexibility issues, and who knows what else. Old men should care little about legs, but those hips need help, or the next visit is the orthopedic surgeon
They are massive!! I found one really cheap, and was curious on the unique movement of them.
Thanks for all the replies! I never thought about such a movement being about longevity of the body. Which does make sense. I’m leaning towards buying it now.
I call it ‘Middle-Aged White Man Disease’! The exercise I described above has helped a LOT with that. I also like Bulgarian Squats, Duck Squats (or Sumo BD DLs), and also pivot-style Hack Squat machines!
An old man’s flat backside has no respect for race. The phenomenon is felt by all races.
Combine that with the other glute disease-flabby drooping backside.
As far as sexual appeal and performance , glutes are much more important than quads, hamstrings, or calves.
Old people get no respect because we (yes me!) are no longer beautiful, and vain. We don’t spend money on supplements as younger ones do because we have some experience with the snake oil in the fitness industry.
SH
The cable pull throughs are marvelous. I also use yoga blocks for static hip adductions, and resistance bands for abductions.
Hip belt squats are a great range of motion squatting motion without spinal compression.
I move the seat position forward on my Nautilus Leverage leg press to facilitate an outstanding increase in the range-of-motion of the hips (quads pressed against chest). I use lots of reps for a type of hip press. Hands on knees helps to initiate the movement when difficulty arises.
I have a Nautilus Low back (next gen) Apparently, Arthur Jones said it would have probably been better called a hip and glute machine because it failed to isolate the lumbar as his later medx device did. I find it provides very good stimulus to glutes… (and I also own a Dynavec Gluteator)
Ricky,
How do you like the gluteator?
Good device. Will elaborate more in a bit. I have company. 
I found that the duo-poly had some carry over to athletics. When I first started using it I was playing a lot of basketball and it helped my jumping a bit. However, when I switched to my homemade version using negatives and ditching the duo-poly style I had a tremendous carry over. I was in my early 20’s and coaching basketball and the differences in speed, quickness, and jumping ability were dramatic. I put about 6 inches on my vertical jump. When I left that job I gave the machine to a friend and my vertical went back to what it had been before because I wasn’t targeting my glutes with that kind of direct high intensity work.
The Gluteator ‘s strength is combining abduction and hip extension.
There is a belt designed to inhibit excessive arching of the low back. There is debate even between the designers as to whether you should have a tighter belt to strap in tighter or no belt at all so subject doesn’t push against it bringing uninvolved muscles. I’ve replaced original belt with tighter heavier padded belt and I like to be fastened in tight.
The strength curve in my opinion is not well suited to slow controlled movements in my opinion. Most YouTube videos show it being used ballistically.
I and my clients have settled on a protocol where they abduction between 1/3 and 1/2 way through the range, hold for 20 seconds and then continue to as close to full abduction as they can without arching low back, pause and return slowly to starting point. Repeat. I’ve found, so far this is the most effective manner. It also is great to use in combination with either low back or leg press or both, varying the order for different pre exhaust effect.
I wonder if anyone with Duo Hip and Back experience has ever had a chance to use the Rogers Reverse Glute Ham machine? It has a fused movement arm, but the demo videos show people using it both bilaterally and unilaterally. The movement looks somewhat similar to what I remember from my own experience (long ago) using the Duo Hip and Back.
Rogers machines would typically not be described as compact, but this one doesn’t look bigger than many of their other machines.
MIke Petrella whose opinion is pretty astute considers Rodgers equipment as the best out there at the moment… if anyone googles STG strength you can likely find tour of his facility, which includes possibly the best collection of vintage Nautilus, MedX and Rodgers etc… for geeks like us (I mean that in the best possible way) it is like the greatest candy store ever)
Thanks
average_al, I’ll chime in here. I do have experience with the Rogers Pendulum Reverse Glute Ham, as well as the Nautilus Duo Hip, Nautilus 2ST Hip Extension, and the Hammer Strength Hip and Back/Glute. The Pendulum is a great machine. I like the strength curve and you can enter and exit the machine in mid-range, making it easier to get in and out. I have always preferred the fused bilateral movement arm over the Duo Hip’s independent arms. But, as in the videos, you can still use it one leg at a time if you wish. You can target the glutes by keeping the legs bent throughout the reps, or keep the legs straight the entire time and put the emphasis on the hamstrings, or do the reps in a leg press motion and work both.
The Nautilus 2ST Hip Extension is also a great machine. It has a 400lb weight stack and a release mechanism to allow easy entry and exit. It was also a fused movement arm unit. And has a much more compact footprint than the Duo-Hip.
Some on here will probably disagree, but the Hammer Strength Hip and Glute is a good machine. It has the smallest, most compact footprint of all. It is a very functional piece to have. Good strength curve, not great, but it works the glutes, hams, and lower back very effectively. The only thing I have an issue with is, you can’t get the waist belt tight enough if you’re training alone. You really need a partner to pull on the belt to get it tight enough to hold your hips down on the pad when doing it. But, i have also found that to be the case with the Rogers and the 2ST when I used those. Maybe to a little lesser degree. Have had the Hammer in our high school weight room for a long time.
The Duo-Hip is good. But personally, I prefer the other 3 I mentioned over it. I also think any of the 3 would work well using the 30-10-30 protocol. Don’t think the Duo-Hip lends itself to that.
And, the Rogers Pendulum machines are great IMO. I have 4 of them in my basement.