The hack squat is a much underrated movement when it comes to building overall mass for legs. It often falls by the wayside in most designed workout plans, as bodybuilders opt for the more popular squat and leg press, relegating it to a distant third at best. While the machine may sit empty in your gym, you can rest assured that among elite bodybuilders, the movement is very popular for building mass and delivering shape and cuts. Let’s examine a few ways this movement can be more productive for you in reaching your bodybuilding goals.

Use less weight
When it comes to movements like Bench Press and deadlift, more weight is usually better. However, on movements where depth, contraction and speed of repetition matter as much as with the hack squat, using too much weight can be to your detriment. Reduce your workload by 20% and focus upon the other factors listed below. Once you have all of these factors perfect, return to higher weight.

Go low
If you’ve been using a lot of weight for hack squats, there’s a good chance you’ve probably been stopping before breaking parallel. You don’t want to risk injury by going too low, but you also aren’t going to see very good results by completing 3-inch range of motion. Keep the weight moderate, go low, and break parallel every time.

Move slower
Many bodybuilders make the mistake of rushing through their repetitions. It’s true that you might be able to squeeze out a few more reps of hacks, but you will be failing yourself at the same time. Moving slowly through the reps recruits more muscle fibers. The more you recruit, the more are stimulated to grow. Don’t waste your efforts in the gym by speeding through your reps!

Maintain tension
Since the hack squat machine essentially controls the weight and the range of motion, you have some freedom to ignore balance and just focus on pushing up the weight. This will also allow you to flex the thighs throughout the entire duration of the exercise. Veins will emerge, cuts will peek through, and definition will form. You should always be flexing a muscle at the peak contraction point of the movement, but in the case of this exercise, you should be flexing throughout the entire movement.

Experiment with foot position
Changing up your foot positioning allows you to target different area of the quads. The angles will vary based upon your frame, height, limb length, and other factors. Use a variety of foot settings on different machines, and use your soreness as an indicator of which areas you were able to effectively hit.

Start with it
If you want to mix things up, try beginning your workout with hack squats, instead of leaving them to follow squats and leg presses. Use them while fresh and you’ll discover you are much stronger and energetic when completing the movement. Always start your workout with 5 to 10 minutes of light walking, then two sets of light hack squats.

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