Hack Squat

Starting position

1. Step into the machine with your back to the pad. Press your back and hips firmly into it, shoulders under the shoulder pads.
2. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, slightly above the middle of the platform, toes turned out a little.
3. Grab the handles, straighten your legs (without locking them) and release the safety stoppers.

Execution

1. Inhale and slowly lower yourself by bending at the knees and hips.
2. Go down to about 90° at the knees or slightly deeper — as long as your hips and lower back stay against the pad.
3. Keep your knees tracking over your toes and your heels flat on the platform.
4. Exhale and push through your whole foot to straighten your legs without locking the knees.
5. When the set is done, engage the safety stoppers.

Common mistakes

• Hips and lower back peeling off the pad at the bottom — the lower back rounds and gets overloaded.
• Knees caving in — risk of knee ligament injury.
• Heels lifting off the platform — the knees take the load; usually the feet are set too low.
• Snapping the knees into lockout — a jolt to the joint under load.

Beginner tips

• Start with just the sled to get a feel for the path.
• Higher foot placement works the glutes more; lower placement hits the quads harder and loads the knees more. Start in the middle.
• Stay in control: 2–3 seconds down, 1–2 seconds up.

Alternatives

• Leg Press — similar leg work with full back support
• Kettlebell Squats — a free-weight option with a light load
• Power Hack Squat Machine — a similar machine with a different path