Hack squats: what are they and is it worth doing on your own?

Hack squats owe their unusual name to the famous wrestler Georgy Gakkenshmidt, who developed them. The task is also called hack squats, hack machine squats, and the Hackenschmidt exercise. It is included in the basic strength complex for pumping the thigh and gluteal muscles. It practically does not load the back, but it puts increased stress on the knee and hip joints.

In this article we will analyze in detail the technique of squats in the Hackenschmidt hack machine, explain why this exercise is not recommended to be performed at home, analyze its variations, and consider the advantages and disadvantages.

What are hack squats?

This is an exercise from the strength group, which is performed in a special hack machine or simply with a barbell held in lowered hands behind the knees. The machine allows you to do forward and reverse squats - the latter are especially popular among girls who want to pump up their butt and legs. The direct version allows you to effectively build muscle mass, so representatives of the stronger half prefer it more.

The main difference between hack squats with a barbell and regular squats is that here the main load falls on the legs, and not on the spine.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

When you do hack squats, the load is placed on the muscles and joints of your legs. The most vulnerable joints of the legs are the knees. Therefore, it is important to avoid mistakes, which we will now talk about:

1. Knees point inward. You can't imagine what your knees feel like at this moment. You can easily tear the ligament and damage the cartilage. Therefore, we turn our knees to the sides. It is desirable that they are oriented in the same direction as the feet.
2. When performing the exercise, the pelvis “walks”. You can get an intervertebral hernia. Press your buttocks into your back.
3. The head is lowered down or raised up. The spine should be straight, with all natural curves. This way it is the strongest and can withstand heavy loads without harm to you. When performing hack squats, the load on the spine is less than with the classic version, but it is still there.
4. We go down as we inhale, we rise as we exhale. The maximum load occurs when your lungs are full. This is fraught with a sharp increase in pressure in them. Of course, it’s unlikely to come to a rupture (you’re not squatting 300 kg in a hack, and whoever squats breathes correctly), but you will cause harm to the body. Remember that we stand up as we exhale. And nothing else.
5. When we sit down under the weight, our heels lift off the platform. If it's because of your stretch, don't squat until you've stretched to the desired extent. If this is a feature of the body, and no matter how you stretch, there is no point - use the leg press.
6. Sneakers. It is unacceptable to squat in sneakers with high and soft soles. It is best to wear weight shoes and sneakers, which must be closed. No flip flops or slippers. Shoes should be rigid and with thin soles so that the foot stands stable even under increased weight.

Types of execution

Let's look at what types of exercise exist:

• Straight hack squats - the athlete lies down on a bench, takes the weight on his shoulders and begins to slowly squat

Please note that this exercise is recommended to be performed only in the gym. Failure to follow proper technique and safety rules can result in serious injury to the knee joint. If you have just begun to get acquainted with the technique, ask an experienced trainer to coordinate your actions.

• Reverse hack squats - the athlete's starting position is facing the machine, it is necessary to stand under the weight, grab the holders with your hands and begin to squat smoothly, tilting the body so that the back always remains straight. This is a squat in a hack machine for the buttocks for girls - with its help you will achieve the seductive contours of your buttocks in the shortest possible time;
• With a barbell - without a hack machine. The athlete holds the barbell behind his knees, with his toes straight or slightly pointed out. Depending on the placement of the feet, the level of load on individual muscle groups changes - we will talk about this below;
• With a kettlebell or dumbbells - by analogy with a barbell, the apparatus is held in clasped hands behind the back.

Useful tips

Typical mistakes when performing squats in a hack machine
Do you want to get the maximum benefit for yourself without harming your own health and musculoskeletal system? In this case, be sure to study as much information as possible on the technique of correctly performing squats and listen to the advice of experts.

1. Be sure to do a warm-up to stretch the biceps, quadriceps femoris and warm up the joints and ligaments.
2. If hack squats are performed with heavy weights, you must first wear a special belt to protect your back.
3. All movements must be uniform and smooth.
4. The legs bend as you inhale, and extend as you exhale. In the “squat”, the breath is held for a short time.
5. Exercises in simulators are best done after regular squats with a barbell.
6. If you have flat feet, you need to exercise with special insoles and be constantly monitored by an orthopedist.
7. To reduce knee pain, wrap them during exercise with an elastic bandage, under which you can apply a warming ointment.
8. An orthopedic belt will relieve back pain.
9. Squats cause a lack of oxygen in the muscles, which makes their performance a painful procedure. It’s not easy to overcome the pain, so only a few can endure it. But the result is worth the effort. Regular exercises lead to the development of beautiful, sculpted hips.

What muscles are involved?

Let's list which muscles work in hack squats - this will allow you to better understand the technique of execution, which we will begin immediately after:

• Thigh muscles: rectus, medial, lateral;
• Gluteus maximus;
• Biceps femoris;
• Semimembranosus and semitendinosus femoris;
• Spinal extensors;
• Calf.

Performing with a barbell without a machine

Hack squats are performed without a machine as follows:

1. You need to place a barbell with the required working weight and stand with your back to it.
2. Then you need to squat down and take it from above with a straight grip.
3. The barbell should be lifted slowly, which will allow the hip joint and knees to straighten.
4. The back and arms should remain straight.
5. When lowering the barbell, you need to make sure that your thighs are parallel to the floor.
6. The planned number of approaches is performed.

Execution technique

Let's move on to the technique of performing hack squats for women and men, while the algorithm for performing the exercise is the same for everyone, but men prefer to increase the weight, and women prefer to increase the frequency and intensity of squats.

• Straight hack squat:

1. Do a warm-up, warm up your leg muscles, knee joints, and back;
2. Set the desired weight. Beginners can squat with an empty platform, the weight of which is at least 20 kg;
3. Lie down in the device, pressing your back tightly against its moving part. Place your feet parallel to each other at a distance of at least 50 cm;
4. Bend your knees slightly and do not straighten until you complete all repetitions;
5. Shoulders should rest under pillows;
6. Next, remove the stoppers and take the weight on your shoulders;
7. As you inhale, slowly sit down, as you exhale, pushing off with your heels, stand up.

• Reverse squats in the hack machine are more aimed at loading the buttocks and hamstrings:

1. Warm up and set the desired weight;
2. Stand on the platform facing the car;
3. Place your feet parallel, place your shoulders under the pillows, keep your back straight, and slightly tilt your body. Look ahead. Don't round your spine;
4. Remove the stoppers and take the weight on your shoulders;
5. Start to sit down, tilting your body more and more. Attention! Keep your back straight, even at an angle;
6. As you inhale, do a squat, as you exhale, lift up;

• Hackenschmidt squats with a barbell, kettlebell or dumbbells are performed without a machine. And in general they repeat regular squats with dumbbells. The placement of the feet is of great importance here, or to be more precise, the position of the toes:

1. Warm up and prepare the projectile;
2. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and grab a barbell, placing it behind your knees;
3. The kettlebell and dumbbell are also held from behind in straight, outstretched arms;
4. Bend your knees slightly;
5. Keep your back straight, look straight ahead;
6. As you inhale, begin to squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor, while they should not protrude beyond your toes; to do this, bend slightly at the lower back;
7. At the bottom point, as you exhale, transfer your weight to your heels, push off from them and lift up.

Hook squats for girls and men, using the technique described above, are performed the required number of times. It is advisable to do 2-3 approaches. It is much more productive to do 3 approaches with low weight than just one, but with maximum load.

Hack squats without a machine are also not recommended to be done at home - the risk of injury is too high, especially if you take heavy equipment or do not have enough experience.

Anatomy

He praised it as best he could, but most importantly, he said only in passing - what muscles work when doing squats.

The main emphasis here, of course, is on the lower body: the gluteus medius and minimus, hip rotators, hamstrings, quadriceps, calf muscles, ankle stabilizers.

However, given that the exercise still requires flexion/extension of the torso, a certain load, of course, is distributed to the erector spinae muscle and to the abdominal muscle group.

By placing your legs differently, you can emphasize the work of certain muscles. If you place your legs narrowly, with your heels almost together, then the emphasis will be on the lateral head of the quadriceps; if wide, shoulder-width apart and wider, then the emphasis will be on the medial head and adductors.

If you do squats in a machine, which is also worth mentioning a few words about, and I will do it, then you can also place your legs higher or lower. In the first case, the emphasis will be on the thigh biceps and buttocks, in the second - on the anterior thigh muscles. It seems to me that without a simulator you can do it just fine in a frame. However, when performing such squats in the classic version - feet shoulder-width apart, all these muscles are involved and are perfectly worked out.

Considering that squats pump up the buttocks, soleus muscles, and hamstrings almost in isolation, I wholeheartedly recommend this exercise for girls. After all, you will agree that it is precisely these zones that very often bring you to the gym, and you are quite capable of mastering this exercise without spending a long time and nerves on mastering the technique of basic training.

Foot placement options

In hack squats, leg positioning can be different - narrow, wide, high or low - let's look at them all:

• With a narrow position, the feet are placed next to each other, while the lateral muscles and quadriceps take the main load;
• If you place your feet wider than your shoulders, you will load the hip adductors;
• With a high stance, when the feet are placed close to the upper edge of the platform, the gluteal and ischial-popliteal muscles are most tense;
• If your legs stand near the lower edge of the platform, the anterior thigh muscles are loaded;
• If you turn around to face the machine (reverse hack squat), engage your glutes.

History of the training

I promised to tell you about the simulator - please. Both it and the squats themselves were invented by a Russian citizen of Estonian origin, Georg Gakkenschmidt, by the way, hence the name of the squats - Hack or Gakk, and the simulator - Hak (Gakk) -machine.

You can see his photo above

Pay attention to his legs! By the way, it was precisely them, pumped and strong to the limit, that he was famous for during his heyday as a champion wrestler and circus stunt performer

The design of the simulator is extremely simple: frame, sled, shoulder pads and weight - that’s it. It’s even strange why this exercise has not received such wide publicity and distribution as the same leg press.

Advantages and disadvantages of the exercise

We looked at different techniques for performing hack squats in the simulator for girls and guys, and now let's look at their pros and cons. Why is this exercise so loved by many athletes?

1. Hack squats help to form spectacular muscle relief in a short time;
2. They are suitable for athletes recovering from back injuries. The inclined position of the platform ensures that the spine is practically not involved;
3. The exercise has a high load-bearing capacity - hence its effectiveness;
4. Simple execution technique;
5. Many variations and varieties.

As promised, we will consider not only the advantages of hack squats, but also the disadvantages, fortunately, there are not so many of them:

• It is not advisable to perform them at home;
• There are many contraindications, for example, poor physical fitness, sore knees, bone injuries, muscle inflammation;
• Squats put a lot of stress on the knee joints, so they wear out a lot.

To keep the negatives to a minimum, never exercise if you don't feel well, use an adequate weight and don't push yourself too hard. It's better to do more sets and feel great than to be in pain 10 minutes after starting your workout.

Contraindications and possible harm

• Diseases of the female genital organs.
• Knee injuries.
• Back injuries.

Harm is possible if the technique is not followed. During execution, strong pressure is generated in the abdominal cavity. If you do not use a weightlifting belt, you may develop an umbilical hernia.

Wide waist problem

Some experts write that there is a danger of expanding your waistline with heavy squats. I won't argue with this.

Still, don’t forget that the lion’s share of the width of your waist is your genetics. It determines, for example, the volume of your stomach and the degree of hypertrophy of the oblique abdominal muscles, and this affects your waist circumference.

Here you need to be guided solely by your observations. If you see that your waist is bulging from sets with heavy weights, drop the weight of the apparatus. The load on the abdominal muscles is really large, so expansion may well occur in some people. The same goes for deadlifts.

But, I must admit, I have never seen or heard of squats being abandoned only because of this factor.

What mistakes do newbies most often make?

When performing hack squats with dumbbells, a barbell, or in a machine, many athletes often make common mistakes. To avoid them, familiarize yourself with the important nuances of technology:

1. Don't forget about warming up and stretching;
2. In the reverse version of the exercise, do not arch your back;
3. Don't bring your knees together;
4. Do not lift your heels off the surface;
5. Take adequate weight;
6. Move smoothly, without jerking, especially on the rise;
7. Breathe correctly: inhale down, exhale up;
8. Push off with your heels;
9. Always look forward.

The nuances of working in different types of hack machines

To perform the exercises correctly, you need to take into account some important nuances. They depend on the type of hack trainer:

1. Lever design. Many experts consider this type of machine to be the most unsuccessful. Squats are performed in a vertical plane, the main emphasis is on the shoulders, which leads to an increase in the load on the spinal column. Among the shortcomings of the simulator are the inconvenient location of the load stabilization and the inability to work with large weights. Such features do not allow professional athletes to use the model.
2. Back rest design. This hack simulator combines modern advances in technology and science. The machines are functional, practical, and help reduce the load on the spinal column. The main feature of the model is the presence of special protrusions on the platform for the feet. As a result, each leg will be thoroughly pumped.

Lever hack machine

With emphasis on the back

What can be replaced?

To conclude the material, let's look at how to replace hack squats if you have contraindications to them. You can do any weighted squats, leg presses, Smith machine exercises. No less effective are lunges on one leg - Bulgarian and pistol. If you want to further pump up your inner thighs, pay attention to plie and sumo squats. Please note that the goal of hack squats is to pump up your legs without putting stress on your back; this is their main difference from the classic version of squats.

The hack trainer is a solution for athletes who are recovering from spinal injuries. They allow you to create a spectacular relief, making the figure ideal for both women and men. This is also a great way to work on your endurance - exercises in it will seem very difficult to an unprepared athlete. Be careful and follow safety precautions!

Features of the exercise

It is important not to confuse the leg press with the hack squat. Both exercises are done in the same machine. As a rule, it can be transformed, and can easily be converted into a squat, and such squats have many advantages. Let's highlight the following:

• For those who have not squatted with a barbell before, the hack squat can be a convenient, easy and convenient option. The fact is that the back of beginners is not ready to hold the barbell, but it can handle it if the load is placed on the legs. At the same time, your back leans against the back of the exercise machine.
• Many exercises are contraindicated for those who have lower back problems. At the same time, squats in a hack machine help to remove the load from a vulnerable spot.
• Since the machine will provide you with stability, you can change the position of your legs in a way that suits you, thereby working different parts of the leg muscles.

Also, squats in a hack machine have certain advantages compared to classic squats:

• You don't need a partner to insure you. If you cannot stand up after lowering yourself to the lowest point, there are always plugs at hand that can reduce the weight movement in the simulator. Because of this, you can get out from under the bar without any risks.
• The load is placed entirely on the legs. In view of this, squats in the Hackenschmidt machine are good as an isolated exercise, and are not very suitable as a basic one. With a classic squat, the whole body works.
• Using this simulator, it is impossible to fall. You will hold the shoulder pads with your hands, and your pelvis will be pressed against the back of the machine.
• While performing the exercise, you will not have to hold it on your shoulders. The machine requires you to stand under padded shoulder pads. Therefore, squats in a hack machine are often recommended for girls who are afraid of bruising.

Leg workouts including hack squats

Attention!

It has been proven that working to failure leads to a significant drop in results and working weights. The reason is that a clogged muscle is not able to be saturated with oxygen in the required amount, blood circulation is disrupted, and therefore the supply of nutrients is limited. This causes a slowdown in the development of muscle fibers and a significant setback in the training process. To get back in shape, an athlete must work limitedly on small weights for several weeks to a month. Maintaining a high tempo and loads with clogged muscles often leads to serious injuries - ruptures and stretching of tissues.

Inclusion in the program

This is a basic multi-joint exercise, but due to the inconvenient position of the barbell, it cannot be performed with significant weight. The movement is intended for those who have sufficient flexibility and mobility of the ankles and hip joints. The exercise is performed either as a second exercise, after the classic squat, or instead of it.

The mode can be either strength for 4-5 repetitions, or multi-repetition for 10-12 repetitions. The plan exercise can be periodically replaced by other types of squats.