Hack Squat | Exercise Guide Bodybuilding.com

Learn how to do a hack squat.

Main Muscle Worked: Quadriceps
Other Muscles: Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings
Equipment: Machine
Mechanics Type: Compound
Level: Beginner

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| Directions |
1. Place the back of your torso against the back pad of the machine and hook your shoulders under the shoulder pads provided.

2. Position your legs in the platform using a shoulder width medium stance with the toes slightly pointed out. Tip: Keep your head up at all times and also maintain the back on the pad at all times.

3. Place your arms on the side handles of the machine and disengage the safety bars (which on most designs is done by moving the side handles from a facing front position to a diagonal position).

4. Now straighten your legs without locking the knees. This will be your starting position. (Note: For the purposes of this discussion we will use the medium stance described above which targets overall development; however you can choose any of the three stances described in the foot positioning section).

5. Begin to slowly lower the unit by bending the knees as you maintain a straight posture with the head up (back on the pad at all times). Continue down until the angle between the upper leg and the calves becomes slightly less than 90-degrees (which is the point in which the upper legs are below parallel to the floor). Inhale as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: If you performed the exercise correctly, the front of the knees should make an imaginary straight line with the toes that is perpendicular to the front. If your knees are past that imaginary line (if they are past your toes) then you are placing undue stress on the knee and the exercise has been performed incorrectly.

6. Begin to raise the unit as you exhale by pushing the floor with mainly with the heel of your foot as you straighten the legs again and go back to the starting position.

7. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

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Best comment

1. teachii: I know how to use the hack squat but my question is should I squeeze my glutes at the top, like I'm air squatting?
2. FZR-02: Call me a wimp or a chicken, but I never go heavy on these because I get total nerves about the chance on my slipping off of the platform. Does anybody else ever have this fear? Or am I just thinking too much about it.
3. Patricia Collazo: the same way here all in the knee except in the legs and bootie I think that machine is not for every type of body Im petite 5 ft only and my legs are more shoter than the rest of the body. Is the only machine that I have problems.
4. FZR-02: Drew Myself yeah,like it just makes me paranoid on the possibility of me breaking my leg or simply getting crushed by the weight.
5. Saxon Blue: John88 - Just try 10 kg to start with. That's still a lot when your beginner. Try not to use knees as they can wear down quickly.
6. Xbot4Life: +Cruxz I'm a little overweight, Id like to get ripped in 2017 though, tbh when you box, workout and walk close to 10k steps per day, it's not hard to lose the excess flab and it affords you the opportunity to enjoy your food but hey, it's Xmas. With regards to being smaller, I'm actually bigger than him, I used to get strangers asking if I do weights BEFORE I started going to the gym. Now, the burning question.. Which of the two are you?
7. uarebeingwatched: Don't bend your knees !!
8. djkcel: Says not to lock knees Guy locks knees at end of video
9. Red Hook MMA: Rumboltz It’s good for those whose have overdeveloped glutes but smaller quads, like me. I have big glutes, because I usually do squats atg.
10. Jerry Mack: Physiques of Greatness with Chris, has a great video about that. He says you should re-adjust your feet so your knees don't hurt, he mentions moving them up on the foot plate.

Hack Squat | Exercise Guide
377,451 views views	3,794,741 followers
1,418 Likes	1,418 Dislikes
Michael Hildebrandt How-to & Style	Upload TimePublished on 25 May 2016