Hold on a Minute, What’s a Hack Squat and Is It Any Different Than a Regular Squat?

Have you ever seen somebody doing squats on a machine on the gymnasium and puzzled, “What the heck is that?” Greater than probably, they’re utilizing a hack squat machine.

Should you’ve by no means heard of this contraption, you are not alone. However chances are you’ll wish to hear up: Hack squats are a unbelievable squat variation that’ll strengthen your decrease physique and hold you from becoming bored of your common previous squat routine.

However you do not have to ditch the body weight squat simply but—it is a basic for a purpose. We chatted with trainers concerning the hack squat versus body weight squat, how one can maximize the advantages of each, and which possibility could also be greatest for you.

Hack squats

With the machine hack squat, you stand on a platform along with your again supported towards the padded body. A weighted pad goes in your shoulders for resistance as you squat.

A hack squat may also be accomplished utilizing a barbell for resistance as an alternative of a machine. For this variation, you maintain the barbell behind your again and pull it up from the ground, explains Tim Landicho, CSCS, a licensed power and conditioning specialist and Tonal power coach. “That is usually what is supposed when folks say ‘barbell hack squat.’”

Tips on how to do it

Landicho demonstrates how use the hack squat machine and do a barbell hack squat, under.

Hack squat machine: 

1. Add weight to the machine, beginning mild after which including extra weight as you get comfy with the machine.
2. Step onto the platform and place your ft shoulder-width aside. Place your ft towards the center of the platform to emphasise your quads extra. Place your ft towards the highest of the platform to emphasise your hamstrings and glutes extra.
3. Relaxation your again towards the again pads and place your shoulders underneath the padded weights. Seize the handles on both facet of your shoulders, palms dealing with in towards your physique.
4. Bend your knees as you squat down. Attempt to squat down till your knees are at a 90-degree angle or so far as you’ll be able to comfortably go, staying inside your pain-free vary.
5. Push via your heels as you prolong your legs again up into the standing place.
6. Repeat 2 to three units of 12 to fifteen repetitions.

Barbell hack squat: 

1. Stand in entrance of a barbell along with your ft shoulder-width aside.
2. Bend your knees to squat down behind you and seize the barbell along with your palms dealing with away out of your physique.
3. Push via your heels as you prolong your legs to come back as much as a standing place, lifting the barbell behind you on the similar time.
4. Repeat 2 to three units of 12 to fifteen repetitions.

Muscular tissues labored

The hack squat primarily targets the quadriceps muscle, but additionally works many muscle tissues of the decrease physique. The muscle tissues labored in a hack squat embody:

• Quadriceps (entrance of thighs)
• Hamstrings (again of thighs)
• Gluteus maximus (largest butt muscle)
• Adductor magnus (largest inside thigh muscle)
• Soleus (decrease calf muscle)
• Gastrocnemius (higher calf muscle)

Since you don’t have the assist of the machine, a barbell hack squat additionally works your core and arms since you’re holding the barbell.

The barbell hack squat “is considerably of a combo between a squat and deadlift, so the most important profit is that it’s a full-body motion,” Landicho says. “It really works the decrease physique, but additionally the higher physique. Particularly, the higher again muscle tissues, [including the] traps, rhomboids, and lats.”

Advantages

In case your aim is to construct muscle mass and power, the hack squat is a superb alternative. “The additional good thing about utilizing the machine is a managed path that permits you to push much more weight than you usually might on a landmine or again squat,” explains Joe Rodonis, CPT, a licensed private coach and Tonal power coach.

Along with the power advantages, Rodonis says the hack squat additionally provides your physique extra assist, permitting you to concentrate on constructing mass and power. “The machine will management the vary of movement, which may be useful for sustaining type and minimizing joint stress. This additionally limits decrease again involvement, which could possibly be nice if you wish to squat however you’re experiencing any discomfort in your low again.”

Should you don’t have entry to the machine, give the barbell hack squat a strive. It provides you the lower-body advantages of a squat, whereas additionally incorporating your higher physique and core. “A good thing about this transfer is that it doesn’t require some other setup past a barbell on the bottom—no squat rack or machine obligatory,” Landicho says. “So if all of the squat racks on the gymnasium are full, or if somebody has a extra naked bones gymnasium arrange, this model nonetheless permits somebody to squat with a barbell.”

Drawbacks

As a result of the hack squat machine helps your trunk, “it received’t problem your steadiness or stability the way in which free weights will,” Rodonis says. “This can be a extra targeted train, predominantly meant to isolate the quads. The disadvantage is much less involvement from different areas of the decrease physique, like your posterior chain and stabilizing muscle tissues.”

A small 2019 research within the Journal of Power and Conditioning Analysis in contrast the again squat to the hack squat in activating the core muscle tissues. Researchers concluded the again squat is simpler than the hack squat in activating the trunk muscle tissues, and is subsequently a greater train for creating trunk power and stability.

So far as the barbell hack squat, it may be troublesome to keep up correct type when you don’t have mobility in your higher physique. “That is essentially the most complicated of the hack squat variations, so if somebody doesn’t have the right mobility, it may be straightforward to do it fallacious and really feel it predominantly within the low again moderately than the quads,” Landicho says.

Who a hack squat is greatest for

“As a result of the machine makes the motion sample so easy, it’s very easy to isolate the quads if that’s what somebody needs to focus on,” Landicho says. “The most important good thing about this variation is that as a result of it’s so secure—the machine makes it extra secure in comparison with balancing a barbell in your again—it’s simpler to essentially load up this motion with weight.”

As well as, the assist of the machine makes it a good selection for these with again, knee, or different joint points. “It is a terrific muscle-building variation for somebody who has mobility restrictions that may make conventional barbell squatting a little bit more difficult,” Landicho says. “This may permit somebody to bypass these challenges within the short-term whereas nonetheless getting a very highly effective muscle-building stimulus.”

Body weight squats

A body weight squat is an train during which you bend your knees to decrease your self right into a sitting place, after which stand again up, utilizing no gear. Landicho demonstrates how do a body weight squat, under.

Tips on how to do it

1. Stand along with your ft barely wider than hip-width, along with your toes turned barely out. Prolong your arms out in entrance of you.
2. Bend your knees as you push your hips again to decrease towards the ground as when you have been decreasing your physique to sit down on a chair.
3. Maintain your chest up and core tight as your decrease your self down right into a squat.
4. Attempt to decrease your self down till your knees are at a 90-degree angle. In case you have ache or can’t keep correct type, cease. Solely squat down so far as your physique permits.
5. Push via your heels to straighten your legs to face again up in a beginning place.
6. Repeat 2 to three units of 10 to fifteen repetitions.

Muscular tissues labored

The squat works your decrease physique equally to the hack squat machine. Nevertheless, since you’re free-standing, the body weight squat additionally strengthens your core muscle tissues. They work as stabilizers to maintain your physique upright and secure. The particular muscle tissues labored in squats embody:

• Quadriceps (entrance of thighs)
• Hamstrings (again of thighs)
• Glutes (all three butt muscle tissues: maximus, minimus, and medius)
• Adductors (inside thighs)
• Calves
• Erector spinae (again muscle tissues)
• Belly muscle tissues

Advantages

The body weight squat has many advantages to earn a spot in your train routine. “It’s a really versatile motion to assist enhance mobility, power, and conditioning,” Rodonis says. “Most significantly, [the squat] builds foundational power within the decrease physique, serving to with on a regular basis duties like standing and sitting.”

As a result of there are such a lot of variations of the squat, it may be utilized in many alternative methods. “The body weight squat is extremely versatile,” Rodonis says. For instance, it may be utilized in distinction coaching, which is once you do a power train adopted by an influence motion much like the power motion. Suppose: a body weight squat adopted by a bounce squat.

Body weight squats are additionally “low impression and really feel nice on the physique,” Rodonis says. “This can be a motion each human should grasp to enhance high quality of life.”

Landicho agrees: “It’s an effective way to securely introduce somebody to the squatting sample and be taught type, particularly in the event that they’re hesitant to make use of weight.”

You don’t want a gymnasium membership or particular gear to do the squat. “It may be accomplished anytime and anyplace, permitting somebody to remain according to a routine even with out entry to gear,” Landicho says.

Body weight workouts like squats can even assist construct and keep wholesome bones to forestall osteoporosis, based on the Nationwide Institutes of Well being (NIH).

Drawbacks

The primary disadvantage of a body weight squat is the shortage of added weight to problem your muscle tissues. “As soon as somebody has a reasonably first rate grasp of fine type, in the event that they’re trying to make extra vital bodily adjustments—whether or not that’s muscle acquire or higher athletic efficiency—the motion must be loaded with weight sooner or later,” Landicho says. “That exterior resistance is what is going to pressure the physique to adapt.”

In case you have mobility or steadiness points, the assist of the hack squat machine could present higher assist than an everyday standing squat.

Who a body weight squat is greatest for

The body weight squat is good for anybody eager to strengthen their legs and core. In accordance with Rodonis, the body weight squat is a superb train for constructing a powerful basis. “You possibly can apply type safely, bettering your vary of movement and mobility, in addition to constructing confidence and power. For the seasoned lifter, it’s an effective way to proceed practising type and constructing muscular endurance. There are nice methods to incorporate them in your lifting program,” he says.

Along with squats being nice for body weight exercises when you do not have entry to weights, Landicho says you should utilize body weight squats a number of methods in your exercise routine. Some examples he provides embody timed intervals, supersets with one other body weight transfer, together with them in body weight circuits, and totally different rep scheme codecs like ascending or descending rep schemes.

Hack squat vs. squat: the underside line

Each the hack squat and body weight squat are nice workouts to incorporate in your strengthening routine. The hack squat machine permits you to load up the burden so you’ll be able to construct muscle mass and power in your legs, particularly your quads. As a result of your physique is supported, nonetheless, it doesn’t work your core muscle tissues or problem your steadiness just like the body weight squat can.

The body weight squat works your decrease physique and core, which will increase your stability and steadiness. Nevertheless, your physique can plateau with the body weight squat except you add weight, such with a barbell or dumbbells. You can too do different squat variations, such because the again squat, break up squat, and bounce squat to additional problem your self.

“The primary drawbacks of the hack squat machine are that it requires much less total stability—which means, much less demand on the core— in comparison with different hack squat variations or different barbell squats typically,” Landicho says. “This is usually a great point if somebody is simply trying to isolate the quads with out loading the backbone an excessive amount of, however there’s additionally utility in studying the way to tolerate a heavy load on the backbone—so long as it’s programmed correctly—and somebody could possibly be lacking out on this if all they do is the hack squat machine.”

However you do not essentially have to decide on one train over the opposite. Incorporating each hack squats and body weight squats into your routine provides you the most effective of each worlds.