The Skorcher is piece of home-exercise equipment designed to develop the gluteal muscles of the butt. This adaptation on the traditional Roman chair -- a stationary piece of equipment that allows for several bodyweight exercises -- allows a wider range of motion for a more-effective hip-thrust motion. Although the Skorcher was designed to primarily work the glutes, creator Bret Contreras discovered that other effective exercises can be performed on the machine.
Background
The Skorcher began when Contreras, a personal trainer from Scottsdale, Arizona, developed a prototype that would meet the concerns of his female clients inquiring about toning their rear ends. Using gym equipment that was already available to him, Contreras rested his back on a preacher curl pad, suspending his feet a few feet away. Using the space between to dip his body, Contreras discovered that this arrangement could provide a deeper hip thrust than other methods. This led to the manufacturing of the Skorcher, which launched in 2008 and was given away to celebrities at that year's Daytime Emmy Awards. However, the future of the product is in question as the Skorcher's official website, Skorcher.com, no longer operates.
Identification
The Skorcher looks similar to a Roman chair, only with more space between the resting pad and foot mounts. While a Roman chair usually has handles that extend outward from the resting pad to facilitate lower-back extensions, the Skorcher's curved handles extend inward so that the user can hold them to assist with the hip thrust. The all-black frame includes an anchor point for resistance bands that can increase the challenge of the hip thrust and other exercises. The Skorcher weighs under 40 lbs. and can be stored under a bed.
Function
The Skorcher's primary function is to tone the glute muscles through the hip thrust. To perform the hip thrust on the Skorcher, the user rests her back and shoulders on the resting pad, grips the handles and places her heels on the foot mount. The user drops her hips as low as she can, and draws them back up beyond their original position to the point that her back is in a comfortable arch. She lowers her body back to the starting position to complete one repetition.
Secondary Exercises
Contreras discovered that dozens of other exercises could be performed on the Skorcher besides hip thrusts. These include nearly any weight-bench-based exercise, where the operator uses the Skorcher as a resting point. Other exercises include leg lifts, step-ups, Bulgarian squats, single-leg hip thrusts, flutter kicks and sit-ups.
Considerations
If you have access to lots of gym equipment, you may find a way to create an arrangement similar to the Skorcher in the same way that Contreras did when creating it. The main components needed are a comfortable and ergonomic pad on which to rest your shoulders and back and an elevated spot to secure your feet. An exercise ball could be a suitable replacement for the resting pad.
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