Hack Squat vs. Squat: What’s the Difference?

Have you ever seen somebody doing squats on a machine on the health club and puzzled, “What the heck is that?” Greater than seemingly, they’re utilizing a hack squat machine.

In the event you’ve by no means heard of this contraption, you are not alone. However it’s possible you’ll need to hear up: Hack squats are a incredible squat variation that’ll strengthen your decrease physique and preserve you from becoming bored of your common outdated squat routine.

However you do not have to ditch the bodyweight squat simply but—it is a basic for a motive. We chatted with trainers concerning the hack squat versus body weight squat, how one can maximize the advantages of each, and which choice could also be finest for you.

Hack squats

With the machine hack squat, you stand on a platform together with your again supported in opposition to the padded body. A weighted pad goes in your shoulders for resistance as you squat.

A hack squat will also be accomplished utilizing a barbell for resistance as a substitute of a machine. For this variation, you maintain the barbell behind your again and pull it up from the ground, explains Tim Landicho, CSCS, an authorized power and conditioning specialist and Tonal power coach. “That is usually what is supposed when folks say ‘barbell hack squat.’”

Methods to do it

Landicho demonstrates how use the hack squat machine and do a barbell hack squat, beneath.

Hack squat machine: 

1. Add weight to the machine, beginning gentle after which including extra weight as you get comfy with the machine.
2. Step onto the platform and place your toes shoulder-width aside. Place your toes towards the center of the platform to emphasise your quads extra. Place your toes towards the highest of the platform to emphasise your hamstrings and glutes extra.
3. Relaxation your again in opposition to the again pads and place your shoulders underneath the padded weights. Seize the handles on both facet of your shoulders, palms going through in towards your physique.
4. Bend your knees as you squat down. Attempt to squat down till your knees are at a 90-degree angle or so far as you possibly can comfortably go, staying inside your pain-free vary.
5. Push by your heels as you prolong your legs again up into the standing place.
6. Repeat 2 to three units of 12 to fifteen repetitions.

Barbell hack squat: 

1. Stand in entrance of a barbell together with your toes shoulder-width aside.
2. Bend your knees to squat down behind you and seize the barbell together with your palms going through away out of your physique.
3. Push by your heels as you prolong your legs to come back as much as a standing place, lifting the barbell behind you on the similar time.
4. Repeat 2 to three units of 12 to fifteen repetitions.

Muscle groups labored

The hack squat primarily targets the quadriceps muscle, but in addition works many muscle groups of the decrease physique. The muscles worked in a hack squat embody:

• Quadriceps (entrance of thighs)
• Hamstrings (again of thighs)
• Gluteus maximus (largest butt muscle)
• Adductor magnus (largest inside thigh muscle)
• Soleus (decrease calf muscle)
• Gastrocnemius (higher calf muscle)

Since you don’t have the help of the machine, a barbell hack squat additionally works your core and arms since you’re holding the barbell.

The barbell hack squat “is considerably of a combo between a squat and deadlift, so the most important profit is that it’s a full-body motion,” Landicho says. “It really works the decrease physique, but in addition the higher physique. Particularly, the higher again muscle groups, [including the] traps, rhomboids, and lats.”

Advantages

In case your purpose is to construct muscle mass and power, the hack squat is a good selection. “The additional good thing about utilizing the machine is a managed path that means that you can push much more weight than you usually may on a landmine or again squat,” explains Joe Rodonis, CPT, an authorized private coach and Tonal power coach.

Associated Tales

Along with the power advantages, Rodonis says the hack squat additionally offers your physique extra help, permitting you to concentrate on constructing mass and power. “The machine will management the vary of movement, which might be helpful for sustaining kind and minimizing joint stress. This additionally limits decrease again involvement, which might be nice if you wish to squat however you might be experiencing any discomfort in your low again.”

In the event you don’t have entry to the machine, give the barbell hack squat a attempt. It offers you the lower-body advantages of a squat, whereas additionally incorporating your higher physique and core. “A good thing about this transfer is that it doesn’t require some other setup past a barbell on the bottom—no squat rack or machine mandatory,” Landicho says. “So if all of the squat racks on the health club are full, or if somebody has a extra naked bones health club arrange, this model nonetheless permits somebody to squat with a barbell.”

Drawbacks

As a result of the hack squat machine helps your trunk, “it received’t problem your stability or stability the way in which free weights will,” Rodonis says. “This can be a extra centered train, predominantly meant to isolate the quads. The downside is much less involvement from different areas of the decrease physique, like your posterior chain and stabilizing muscle groups.”

A small 2019 research within the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research in contrast the again squat to the hack squat in activating the core muscle groups. Researchers concluded the again squat is simpler than the hack squat in activating the trunk muscle groups, and is subsequently a greater train for growing trunk power and stability.

So far as the barbell hack squat, it may be troublesome to keep up correct kind should you don’t have mobility in your higher physique. “That is essentially the most complicated of the hack squat variations, so if somebody doesn’t have the correct mobility, it may be straightforward to do it mistaken and really feel it predominantly within the low again slightly than the quads,” Landicho says.

Who a hack squat is finest for

“As a result of the machine makes the motion sample so simple, it’s very easy to isolate the quads if that’s what somebody needs to focus on,” Landicho says. “The most important good thing about this variation is that as a result of it’s so steady—the machine makes it extra steady in comparison with balancing a barbell in your again—it’s simpler to actually load up this motion with weight.”

As well as, the help of the machine makes it a sensible choice for these with again, knee, or different joint points. “It is an amazing muscle-building variation for somebody who has mobility restrictions that may make conventional barbell squatting just a little tougher,” Landicho says. “This will permit somebody to bypass these challenges within the short-term whereas nonetheless getting a very highly effective muscle-building stimulus.”

Body weight squats

A body weight squat is an train during which you bend your knees to decrease your self right into a sitting place, after which stand again up, utilizing no gear. Landicho demonstrates how do a body weight squat, beneath.

Methods to do it

1. Stand together with your toes barely wider than hip-width, together with your toes turned barely out. Prolong your arms out in entrance of you.
2. Bend your knees as you push your hips again to decrease towards the ground as should you have been reducing your physique to take a seat on a chair.
3. Hold your chest up and core tight as your decrease your self down right into a squat.
4. Attempt to decrease your self down till your knees are at a 90-degree angle. In case you have ache or can’t keep correct kind, cease. Solely squat down so far as your physique permits.
5. Push by your heels to straighten your legs to face again up in a beginning place.
6. Repeat 2 to three units of 10 to fifteen repetitions.

Muscle groups labored

The squat works your decrease physique equally to the hack squat machine. Nevertheless, since you’re free-standing, the body weight squat additionally strengthens your core muscle groups. They work as stabilizers to maintain your physique upright and steady. The precise muscles worked in squats embody:

• Quadriceps (entrance of thighs)
• Hamstrings (again of thighs)
• Glutes (all three butt muscle groups: maximus, minimus, and medius)
• Adductors (inside thighs)
• Calves
• Erector spinae (again muscle groups)
• Stomach muscle groups

Advantages

The body weight squat has many advantages to earn a spot in your train routine. “It’s a really versatile motion to assist enhance mobility, power, and conditioning,” Rodonis says. “Most significantly, [the squat] builds foundational power within the decrease physique, serving to with on a regular basis duties like standing and sitting.”

As a result of there are such a lot of variations of the squat, it may be utilized in many alternative methods. “The body weight squat is extremely versatile,” Rodonis says. For instance, it may be utilized in distinction coaching, which is while you do a power train adopted by an influence motion much like the power motion. Assume: a body weight squat adopted by a bounce squat.

Body weight squats are additionally “low affect and really feel nice on the physique,” Rodonis says. “This can be a motion each human should grasp to enhance high quality of life.”

Landicho agrees: “It’s a good way to securely introduce somebody to the squatting sample and be taught kind, particularly in the event that they’re hesitant to make use of weight.”

You don’t want a health club membership or particular gear to do the squat. “It may be accomplished anytime and anyplace, permitting somebody to remain according to a routine even with out entry to gear,” Landicho says.

Body weight workouts like squats also can assist construct and keep wholesome bones to stop osteoporosis, based on the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Drawbacks

The primary downside of a body weight squat is the dearth of added weight to problem your muscle groups. “As soon as somebody has a reasonably first rate grasp of excellent kind, in the event that they’re seeking to make extra important bodily modifications—whether or not that’s muscle achieve or higher athletic efficiency—the motion should be loaded with weight sooner or later,” Landicho says. “That exterior resistance is what is going to power the physique to adapt.”

In case you have mobility or stability points, the help of the hack squat machine could present higher help than a daily standing squat.

Who a body weight squat is finest for

The body weight squat is right for anybody eager to strengthen their legs and core. In response to Rodonis, the body weight squat is a good train for constructing a powerful basis. “You possibly can follow kind safely, enhancing your vary of movement and mobility, in addition to constructing confidence and power. For the seasoned lifter, it’s a good way to proceed training kind and constructing muscular endurance. There are nice methods to incorporate them in your lifting program,” he says.

Along with squats being nice for body weight exercises when you do not have entry to weights, Landicho says you should utilize body weight squats a number of methods in your exercise routine. Some examples he offers embody timed intervals, supersets with one other body weight transfer, together with them in body weight circuits, and completely different rep scheme codecs like ascending or descending rep schemes.

Hack squat vs. squat: the underside line

Each the hack squat and body weight squat are nice workouts to incorporate in your strengthening routine. The hack squat machine means that you can load up the burden so you possibly can construct muscle mass and power in your legs, particularly your quads. As a result of your physique is supported, nevertheless, it doesn’t work your core muscle groups or problem your stability just like the body weight squat can.

The body weight squat works your decrease physique and core, which will increase your stability and stability. Nevertheless, your physique can plateau with the body weight squat except you add weight, such with a barbell or dumbbells. You can even do different squat variations, such because the again squat, break up squat, and bounce squat to additional problem your self.

“The primary drawbacks of the hack squat machine are that it requires much less general stability—that means, much less demand on the core— in comparison with different hack squat variations or different barbell squats usually,” Landicho says. “This generally is a good thing if somebody is simply seeking to isolate the quads with out loading the backbone an excessive amount of, however there’s additionally utility in studying how one can tolerate a heavy load on the backbone—so long as it’s programmed correctly—and somebody might be lacking out on this if all they do is the hack squat machine.”

However you do not essentially have to decide on one train over the opposite. Incorporating each hack squats and body weight squats into your routine offers you the very best of each worlds.