Hack squats are a basic bodybuilding exercise that affects quadriceps, thigh biceps, and gluteal muscles.
Hack squats – named after a fighter of the beginning of the XX century, George Hackenschmidt, who is the inventor of this exercise. These squats are performed on a special machine, which is an inclined movable platform with a platform for the legs and stops for the shoulders. You rest your shoulders in special pillows and slowly squat. The platform goes down with you. You straighten your legs and the platform rises. Due to the inclined position of the body, in this exercise, there is no strong axial load on the spine.
Hack Squats Correct Technique
Take a starting position on the machine, placing your shoulders under special pillows. Legs stand in the middle of the platform. The back is pressed to the back of the machine. In the lower back deflection. Hold the grip firmly. Put your head on the headrest. Slowly, as you inhale, begin to sink down. Squat down to about the right angle at the knees or slightly lower. As you exhale, return to the starting position.
During the execution of Hack squats, pay attention to the following features: the back should remain pressed to the back throughout the movement – resting on the sacrum and shoulder blades. The loin is bent. Maintain correct posture and neutral spine. Chest straightened, do not round your shoulders. The knees, throughout the entire movement, should be the width of the foot. Keep your knees out of the line of socks. Transfer body weight to the heels and midfoot. Do not tear your heels off the machine platform. Inhale while moving down, exhale when moving up.
Reverse Hack Squat And Other Variations
The Gackenschmidt machine makes it possible to shift the load on various leg muscles, depending on the location of the feet on the platform. With a narrow leg stance, the emphasis shifts slightly in favor of the lateral heads of the quadriceps. The wide leg stance allows more involvement of the medial heads of the quadriceps and the adductors of the inner thigh. If you want to find legal anabolic steroids for sale in USA based shop – try maxlabs.co official website. They are the best on the US market. With a high position of the feet on the platform, the biceps of the hips and gluteal muscles begin to turn on more strongly. With the feet at the bottom of the platform, the load is shifted to the front of the thigh.
Common Mistakes In The Exercises In Hack Squat Machine
- Do not tear your heels off the platform.
- Do not lower your knees.
- Do not tear your pelvis from the back of the machine.
