Barbell Hack Squat
Starting position:
Choose an appropriate weight matching your fitness level and technical skills. Grab the barbell from the floor behind your back, at your ankle level, with a shoulder-width overhand grip andrise up to an upright stance with your arms extended. Your feet are a little more than shoulder-width apart with your toes rotated outwards up to 30 degrees. Fix your body core and maintain your pelvis in a neutral position.
Exercise:
From the starting position,bend your knees until the barbell almost reaches the floor with no change in the bend of your spine and inhale. Align your knees with your toe rotation during the movement. Keep your body core firm and avoid bending forward too much. In the lowest position, the barbell is below your knees, almost touching the floor. Use the same technique to move upwards and exhale until you return to the starting position. Do the required number of repetitions using the same technique.
Note:
Make sure you have the correct body posture, fixing your body core and keeping your pelvis in a neutral position. Keep your knees in the direction of your toes throughout the entire movement and make sure your knees do not swing inwards when you are overcoming the resistance. Also, watch for forward motion of your knees and do not let your knees, body core or head go beyond the vertical plane of your toes. Keep your heels on the ground throughout.
Recommendation:
Begin with a lighter weight to master the technique well.
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The Hack squat (named after a 19th century German-Russian strongman Georg Hackenschmidt) can describe several types of leg exercise with the weight (either barbell or machine mounted) behind the back.
Unrack the barbell with shoulder-width grip, palms facing behind you. Slowly squat until your upper legs are parallel to the floor or until the weighted plates touch the floor. Then return to the starting position. Your back should be held straight at all times. Do not lower your head during the exercise – you could get dizzy.
Hack squats work the quadriceps muscles from different angle than barbell squats and can be used as an alternative to other leg exercises.