one of the most famous leg exercises out there for a reason: They improve strength and stability in your quads and glutes, and they help you practice a movement pattern you perform on the daily, such as when you rise up off the couch or drop down low to pet your dog. And the hack squat — a popular variation you perform on a machine — is no exception.
A. Stand in a hack squat machine with feet shoulder-width apart and positioned in the top half of the platform, shoulders and hips resting against the back rest, and hands holding onto the handle bars.
B. On an inhale, bend knees to lower until thighs are parallel or just below parallel with floor, keeping shoulders and hips pressed against the back rest.
C. On an exhale, press through feet to straighten legs and return to standing.
The Key Hack Squat Benefits
Although the hack squat seems pretty darn basic, the lower-body move offers plenty of perks for your lower body and joints.
Isolates the Quads
One of the biggest perks of performing hack squats: building strong and powerful quad muscles (the muscles at the front of your thighs), says Saint-Louis. “They isolate the quad muscles for optimal growth,” adds McCall. ICYDK, the quad muscles play a role in moving and stabilizing the knee cap, flexing the hip, and regulating your gait,so it’s important to keep them strong and healthy, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Plus, hack squats can help bodybuilders and figure athletes achieve the particularly Herculean-looking quads they need to succeed in their sport.
