Hack Squat
Dallas Personal Trainer - A good exercise for a personal trainer to use to help a client progress from Leg Presses to full Back Squats and Front Squats. Hack Squats are not as functional and useful as those two highly functional strength movements, however, it does help establish a base of good form that can then be transferred over to the those exercises to help make them better, safer, and more effective when they are ready to perform them.
Load the appropriate weight onto the Hack Squat machine (start out light at first…a little can actually feel pretty heavy when you do these correctly). Step onto the machine, place your shoulders under the shoulder pads, and set your feet at about a shoulder width stance. Position your feet at a high point on the platform so that they seem out in front of your body a little, rather than being right in line with the rest of your body right under you.
Press your feet into the platform to lift the weight off of the safety latches and unhook them. Grab hold of the handles and you are ready to go. Squat as low as possible (really push your limit on this one) while keeping your heels firmly planted on the platform. When you have squatted as low as you possibly can, press your heels firmly into the platform, contract your glutes (rear end muscles) and thighs, and brace your abdominal area very tightly. Once you squat all the way back up, go smoothly into the next rep.
Keep the motion very tight and controlled during this exercise and really push the limit of your squatting depth. Learning to squat extra low on this machine based exercise can really help increase you ability to squat lower on all of the freestanding squat movements. Make sure that you take advantage of this potential.
As always, we do not recommend performing any exercise without the supervision of a highly qualified Dallas personal trainer. This exercise description is for informational purposes only. Consult your doctor before attempting any workout program or attempting this exercise or any other exercise on this website.
Load the appropriate weight onto the Hack Squat machine (start out light at first…a little can actually feel pretty heavy when you do these correctly). Step onto the machine, place your shoulders under the shoulder pads, and set your feet at about a shoulder width stance. Position your feet at a high point on the platform so that they seem out in front of your body a little, rather than being right in line with the rest of your body right under you.
Press your feet into the platform to lift the weight off of the safety latches and unhook them. Grab hold of the handles and you are ready to go. Squat as low as possible (really push your limit on this one) while keeping your heels firmly planted on the platform. When you have squatted as low as you possibly can, press your heels firmly into the platform, contract your glutes (rear end muscles) and thighs, and brace your abdominal area very tightly. Once you squat all the way back up, go smoothly into the next rep.
Keep the motion very tight and controlled during this exercise and really push the limit of your squatting depth. Learning to squat extra low on this machine based exercise can really help increase you ability to squat lower on all of the freestanding squat movements. Make sure that you take advantage of this potential.
As always, we do not recommend performing any exercise without the supervision of a highly qualified Dallas personal trainer. This exercise description is for informational purposes only. Consult your doctor before attempting any workout program or attempting this exercise or any other exercise on this website.