Are you curious how the hack squat can help you gain leg muscle? The hack squat is a great exercise to add to your leg workout. It targets the quads, glutes, and abductors and can help you gain muscle.
This article will provide the correct steps to complete the hack squat, list the five best benefits of the exercise, and how to best build muscle with the lift.
What Is a Hack Squat?
The hack squat is a compound exercise that works the quads, hamstrings, and glutes. You use a machine for this exercise. To benefit from the hack squat, you must perform it correctly. Here are the steps to perform a perfect hack squat:
- Take a comfortable stance with your feet about shoulder-width apart with your toes pointing outward.
- Push your chest up by pinching your shoulder blades together and arching your lower back.
- Slowly bend your knees as much as possible while maintaining an upright torso, extended back, and keeping your feet flat on the footboard.
- Go as low as you can, then stand up until fully extend your knees.
- Keep your shoulder blades and glutes pressed against the pad.
5 Best Benefits to Doing the Hack Squat
Now that you know how to do the hack squat correctly, it’s time to learn its benefits!
1. Hack Squats Improve Lower Body Strength
The hack squat is a compound exercise that simultaneously works out multiple lower body muscle groups. Also, this makes it an excellent choice for those looking to improve their lower body strength.
2. Hack Squats Help You Build Muscle
Because the hack squat is a compound exercise that works out multiple muscle groups, it is an excellent choice for those looking to build muscle. Adding Hack squats to your leg workout routine can effectively target the quads, hamstrings, and glutes, resulting in increased muscle size and definition.
3. Hack Squats Improve Joint Health
The hack squat is a low-impact exercise which places less stress on the joints than other exercises, such as the squat. Also, this makes it an excellent choice for those with joint problems or those looking to avoid joint pain.
4. Hack Squats Enhance Muscle Endurance
The hack squat is an excellent exercise for enhancing muscle endurance. Because it targets multiple muscle groups, it can help you improve your overall muscular endurance.
5. Hack Squats Increase Core Stability
The hack squat is an excellent exercise for increasing core stability. Correctly performing the hack squat will engage your core muscles, resulting in a more robust and stable core.
How to Build Muscle with Hack Squats
Now that you know all about the benefits of hack squats, it’s time to learn how to use them to build muscle. Here are a few tips:
1. Use Heavy Weights
To effectively build muscle with hack squats, you must use heavyweights. Lightweights will not provide enough resistance to stimulate muscle growth. Volume determines the success of a workout (weight x reps x sets).
2. Use a Low Rep Range
When performing hack squats for muscle growth, it is best to use a low rep range. Thus, this is because hack squats are a compound exercise and require more rest between sets than isolation exercises. For this reason, keeping the rep range low (between 8-12 reps) is best to allow for proper recovery.
3. Increase the Weight Gradually
When performing hack squats for muscle growth, it is vital to use a progressive overload and periodization plan. Also, this will allow your body to build muscle and adapt to the new stimulus while preventing injury.
4. Focus on Quality Over Quantity
When performing hack squats, focusing on quality over quantity is crucial. Hack squats are a compound exercise and require the proper form to be effective. Therefore, performing fewer reps using proper form is more critical than performing more reps using poor form.
5. Take Adequate Rest Between Sets
Hack squats are a compound exercise and require more rest between sets than isolation exercises. For this reason, it is essential to take adequate rest (1-2 minutes) between sets to allow for proper recovery.
The Last Word on the 5 Best Reasons to add the Hack Squat to a Leg Workout
Hack squatting is an excellent way to build muscle and strength in the lower body. Following the tips above, you can effectively use hack squats to build muscle and improve your fitness level. Also, try the goblet squat if you are looking for other options to spice up your squats.
Though we focused on the workout and rest, be sure to combine your workout with a protein-based diet that builds muscle and fuels your workout. What do you think? Please share your responses in the comments so others can benefit from your experience.