Home/squat/Hack Squat

Hack Squat

Difficulty: ⭐⭐ Intermediatesquat

Home Setup

Perform barbell hack squats by placing a barbell behind your legs, gripping it with hands behind your body, and squatting while keeping the bar close to your legs

Barbell or heavy dumbbellNon-slip mat

💡 Pro tip: Elevate your heels on small plates or a board to increase quadriceps activation and reduce ankle mobility requirements

Gym Setup

Hack squat machine with adjustable shoulder pads and foot platform, loaded with appropriate weight plates

Safety: Ensure shoulder pads are positioned comfortably and securely before loading weight; always use the safety stops and avoid locking out knees completely at the top

💪 Muscles Worked

QuadricepsGlutesHamstringsCalvesErector spinae

⭐ Why This Exercise?

The hack squat provides exceptional quadriceps isolation with reduced lower back stress due to the back pad support, making it ideal for bodybuilding-focused leg development. The fixed movement path allows for safer training to failure and heavier loading compared to free weight squats, while the adjustable foot placement enables targeted emphasis on different portions of the quadriceps and glutes.

Make It Easier

Regressions for building up strength

1. Goblet Squat

Dumbbell + Kettlebell

Reduces load and complexity while teaching proper squat mechanics with an upright torso

2. Leg Press

Leg press machine

Provides similar quad emphasis with even more back support and stability

3. Box Squat

Box or bench + Barbell

Limits range of motion and provides a depth target for building confidence and strength

Make It Harder

Progressions for advanced athletes

1. Single-Leg Hack Squat

Hack squat machine

Increases unilateral strength demands and addresses muscle imbalances

2. Hack Squat with Pause

Hack squat machine

Eliminates stretch reflex and increases time under tension at the most challenging position

3. Hack Squat with Heels Elevated

Hack squat machine + Weight plates or wedge

Maximizes quadriceps activation by increasing knee flexion angle and forward knee travel

↕️ Similar Movements

Front Squat
Free weight alternative with similar quad emphasis and upright torso position
Sissy Squat
Bodyweight movement with extreme quad isolation and similar backward-leaning mechanics
Bulgarian Split Squat
Unilateral squat variation that also emphasizes quadriceps with reduced spinal loading
Belt Squat
Machine squat that removes upper body loading while maintaining natural squat pattern
Pendulum Squat
Similar machine-based squat with arc movement pattern and quad emphasis

Form Checklist

✓Press through the entire foot, maintaining tripod contact with heel, big toe, and pinky toe
✓Keep your back flat against the pad throughout the entire movement
✓Drive knees forward over toes while descending, allowing natural forward knee travel
✓Control the descent for 2-3 seconds and explode upward without locking out completely
✓Position feet shoulder-width apart in the center of the platform, adjusting based on comfort and target muscles

Common Mistakes

  • •Placing feet too high on the platform, which shifts emphasis away from quads to glutes and hamstrings
  • •Allowing heels to lift off the platform, which reduces stability and quad activation
  • •Locking out knees completely at the top, creating unnecessary joint stress and reducing constant tension
  • •Rounding the lower back by descending too deep without adequate mobility
  • •Using excessive weight that prevents full range of motion or causes shoulder pad to lift off shoulders

📈 When to Progress

Progress when you can complete 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps with controlled tempo and full range of motion while maintaining perfect form, feeling strong muscular fatigue rather than joint discomfort, and recovering adequately between sessions