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Exercise library · Quads

Hack squat

Squat pattern for the quads on a machine.

How to do it

1 of 3

Back on the pad, shoulders under the pads

  1. Starting position

    Stand in the machine with your back against the pad, shoulders under the pads and feet shoulder-width on the platform.

  2. The movement

    Bend your knees and hips to lower your body, then press through your whole foot until your legs are straight.

Most common mistake

Don't let your knees cave inward, keep them pointing in the same direction as your toes throughout the movement.

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Muscle group
Quads
Equipment
Machine
Where
Gym
Logged as
Weight × reps

Muscles worked

The hack squat is known for putting much of the work on your quads. Your glutes and inner thighs help, and your hamstrings work less. Because your back rests against the pad and the machine guides the path, your trunk does not have to balance the weight as in a free squat. Foot position changes the emphasis. With your feet lower on the platform, your knees travel further forward and your quads usually do more. Higher up, your glutes usually do more.

Common mistakes

  • Only going halfway down. It is easy to load lots of plates and do short reps. Go as deep as you can with your back still on the pad, at the same depth on every rep.
  • Your hips leave the pad. If you go deeper than your mobility allows, your hips and lower back peel away from the pad at the bottom. Stop just before that happens, or try moving your feet a little higher on the platform.
  • Your heels lift. With your feet low, your heels can come up at the bottom and the pressure moves to the front of your feet. Move your feet up a little until your whole foot stays down for the entire rep.

Variations and alternatives

  • The leg press is a similar machine where you push the platform away from you.
  • The Smith squat also has a guided path, but with the bar on your back and no pad to lean against.
  • The back squat with a free barbell trains the same muscles and demands more from your trunk and balance.
  • The belt squat loads your legs through a belt around your hips, so neither your shoulders nor your back carry the weight.

Sets and reps

The hack squat is best suited to building muscle, and 6 to 12 reps over 3 to 4 sets is a good starting point. Strength sets of 3 to 6 reps work, but are less common in a machine like this. For endurance, 12 to 20 reps works, but those sets are very demanding. The guide to sets and reps explains how to choose.

The sled you move weighs different amounts on different machines. Decide whether you count the sled or only the plates, and log it the same way every time. Add reps first and weight second, and move up once you reach the top of your range on every set with 1 to 3 reps in reserve. That is progressive overload in practice.

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

Want it in a programme?

Tell BIP your goal and your equipment, and BIP builds a week with sets, reps and rest worked out. You log your weights as you train and watch yourself get stronger. The first week is free.

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