hack squat

The Hack Squat is a squat variation that places particular emphasis on your quads, so if you want to build your quads, this exercise is for you. There are two variations of the Hack Squat, the most common is using the machine, which many gyms have these days, but some do not. If your gym doesnt have a Hack Squat machine, you can check out this article for an alternative, using a barbell.

Here we will delve into the muscles worked, how to perform Hack Squats, benefits, common mistakes to avoid, reps and sets, how to progress this exercise, how and where to fit it into your workout plan and finally other exercises targeting the same muscle groups.

Muscles Worked When Using the Hack Squat

While your quads are the dominant muscles targeted with Hack Squats, this is still a squat and still a compound exercise which targets multiple muscle groups. Below you will find details of the muscles targeted with this squat variation.

Quads: As has already been mentioned above, the Hack Squat primarily targets the quads, making it an absolute killer for those front thigh muscles.

Glutes: The load on your glutes with this squat variation is not as intense as it would be with other squat variations, but they are still engaged during the exercise.

Hamstrings: Your hamstrings also play a key role in helping you to execute this squat.

You can use the muscle highlighted image at the top of this page for a visual guide of the muscles worked.

Become an exclusive member and get complete workout plans with video demonstrations of all exercises, plus dedicated online support to help you reach your goals faster. Tell me more >>>

How to Perform a Hack Squat

Here is how to perform the Hack Squat on the machine:

1. Machine Setup: Position yourself in the Hack Squat machine. Adjust the height of the machine if needed to ensure your shoulders fit nicely into the pads. Start with little weight as you familarise yourself with this range of motion.

2. Foot Placement: Place your feet shoulder-width apart on the platform. You can play around with a comfortable foot position as you start to perform some reps.

3. Release The Handle: Unlock the machine by releasing the safety handle.

4. Squat Down: Brace yourself and then sit yourself down into the squat, bending your knees. Keep your back firmly against the backrest, your chest up, and head facing forward throughout the exercise.

5. Depth: Aim to squat as low as comfortably possible without compromising your form. Your thighs should be at least parallel to the ground.

6. Power Back Up: Push through your heels and power yourself back up to the start position. Keep your core engaged throughout.

7. Go For Reps: Perform as many reps and sets as needed to complete your workout.

Benefits of Hack Squats

Quad Building: Hack Squats will build your quads like no other squat variation.

Glute & Hamstring Activation: This squat variation also engages the glutes and hamstrings, contributing to their growth, strength and power.

Muscle Building: The Hack Squat is a pretty intense exercise, the more you perform, the more you will build on those target muscle groups.

Assistance: Because it’s also an assisted exercise, it’s perfect for squeezing out those last few reps that make the muscle grow.

Hack Squats: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Partial Reps: Ensure you perform the full range of motion for every single rep, going as low as comfortably possible. Partial reps have their place, but if you don’t know why you’re doing them; don’t do them.

Overloading: It’s tempting on assisted machines in particular to really push your boundaries weight wise, while we do encourage that somewhat, we want you to be cautious when doing so. If you’re not performing full, clean reps, you should decrease the load until you can.

Reps and Sets

The number of reps and sets you perform depends on your current strength with this exercise.

Beginners: Start with simply mastering the move. Keep in mind that if you’re just starting out, 3 reps is a valid set.

To determine how many reps/sets of the Hack Squat you should start with, you first need to figure out how many reps you can comfortably perform. Then add 2, and perform that number of reps for 3 sets.

For example; let’s say you can perform 4 reps comfortably. Add 2 to make 6 reps. Perform those 6 reps 3 times over, allowing yourself sufficient rest inbetween.

Experienced lifters: You know your body and its abilities better than anyone, use your own judgment.

We recommend that you avoid performing more than 12 reps per set. If you’re comfortably performing 12 reps for up to 6 sets, it’s time to make the exercise more challenging.

How to Make the Hack Squat More Challenging

To make this exercise more challenging you can add more weight of course, or you can slow down the range of motion so that you are performing your Hack Squats with more time under tension.

How to Incorporate Hack Squats into Your Workouts

Hack Squats will fit nicely into your lower body, leg or full-body strength workouts. This exercise is a compound movement, meaning it will target multiple muscle groups in a single movement. It’s a pretty powerful move, even though it is an assisted exercise. We recommend that you perform this exercise towards the “middle end” of your workout.

Always start with the biggest moves that move the most weight, and work your way down from there. If your plan includes a Squat or a Deadlift, do that first, but always perform your Hack Squats before any other cable, machine or bodyweight exercises, including any isolation exercises. You can learn more about exercise order here.

Exercises That Work Similar Muscles to Hack Squats

Exercises like Squats, Lunges and Bulgarian Split Squats are great compound moves to help further strengthen your quads for your Hack Squats. Compound exercises are crucial for muscle growth since they allow you to move more overall weight than isolation exercises, helping you build the muscle faster.

You can also pair this exercise with other squat variations, such as the Goblet Squat, or Sumo Squat; if you’re looking for more quad isolation exercises, you can perform Leg Extensions. A combination of compound and isolation exercises is recommended for well rounded results.

There are more Leg Exercises at the bottom of this page. Or you can check out our entire exercise database broken down by muscle group here.

Get Complete Workouts

Our exercise database is here to teach you the fundamentals of some key exercises in weightlifting. It is by no means an exhaustive list of exercises and each category is certainly not a workout plan in itself. In order to turn these exercises into a workout plan, you need to know how to combine the right exercises to achieve the best possible results.

Knowing how to put together an efficient and effective workout plan is the cornerstone of achieving your fitness goals. It's the difference between merely working out and truly transforming your body.

That’s why Lipstick Lifters' Members Zone exists. Our goal is to teach you how to build your own workout plans so that you can be gym independent. All of this is possible with our Members Zone portal.

Members Zone annual subscribers have a unique advantage. They don’t need to puzzle over piecing together a workout plan, because we've done the hard work for them. Inside our Members Zone Portal, you'll find full workout plans tailored for women, complete with video demonstrations of each exercise.

Why Choose Members Zone

Members Zone is your one stop shop for weightlifting workout plans, delivered conveniently through our mobile friendly web app.

Here's what you're about to unlock...

Variety: Over 130 individual workout plans to suit a wide range of goals, available for your grab and go convenience.

Targeted muscle building: All plans come with a muscle highlighted image so you know exactly which muscles you’re building. - Simply choose the plan that suits your needs.

Video demonstrations: Form matters, that’s why each exercise in our portal is accompanied by a video demonstration of 3-5 full clean reps. You can watch this through as many times as you need to master the move.

Get started and progress: Plans offer beginner & advanced execution options so you can start with the basics and progress using the same plan.

Learn on the go: Our mobile friendly web portal means you can access plans, and video demonstrations of each exercise, to help you master the correct form, right from the gym floor.

Puts you in control: Our goal is to teach you gym independence, that's why the bulk of our portal is broken down into warm ups, workouts, and finisher plans.

Mix and match these to build a complete workout that fits your own personal preferences and goals.

Pre-built plans: These pre-built plans were put together by our team to demonstrate how the portal works. They are made up of warm ups, workouts, and finishers directly from the portal. Use them to get results, but also notice how the plan comes together. So that next time you can build your own plan from the wide range of options in the main portal!

Workout packs: Do you just want something that tells you exactly what to do and when to do it? These workout packs are ready to go when you are.

Evergreen: For the most part in weightlifting the exercises are the same, it is the execution of the exercises that turns amateurs into pros.

That means that all of our workout plans, featuring 200 different exercises, can be revamped, no end, simply by switching up the exercises and changing the rep/set execution.

All you need to do is get started, everything else comes with experience.

Dedicated online support: We want you to succeed in the world of weightlifting on your own merit. Without the need for an expensive trainer or coach, because few people these days can afford this luxury.

Lipstick Lifters Members Zone is your DIY solution and we are here to support you, for as long as you need, as part of your annual subscription.

Sample our plans for free: Sign up to access a selection of free workout plans to get you started.

Your journey to strength and confidence begins here.

Get in touch: If you have any questions or need guidance, our team at Members@lipsticklifters.com is here to guide you. So don’t hesitate to get in touch.