Hack Squat Vs Front Squat Muscles

Front squats place the bar on the front of the deltoids. Again, a healthy shoulder can hold this position, but an AC joint separation or shoulder impingement can be irritated by it. The front squat puts the elbows in full flexion and the wrists in full extension. The front squat is a move on the rise, most recently popularized by Crossfit. To do a front squat, you load the bar on the meaty parts of your shoulders, in line with your collarbone.

What is the hack squat? The hack squat is the killer quad exercise missing from your leg day routine. It’s performed on an exercise machine that stabilises your upper body and core muscles, allowing the quads to take on the majority of the stress of the movement.Even if you’re a familiar face in the gym, you still might struggle to build big quads with compound movements like squats and deadlifts alone. To see serious development in the size and strength of your quad muscles, find the hack squat machine in your gym and follow our video guide to executing this movement perfectly.Why should you do hack squats?

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Check out the hack squat benefits below and you’ll be convinced. We’re not suggesting that hack squats are a replacement for regular back squats by any means, keep reading for our hack squats vs squats comparison to see how they both fit into your exercise routine.If you’re looking for an easier or more advanced hack squat alternative, stick with us for all of the best alternatives and variations of this exercise.Interested in turning your passion for fitness into a career? Check out our and courses first! How to Do A Hack SquatTo get the most out of this exercise, its best performed on the hack squat machine. If you want to try this exercise in your home gym or just without having to queue for the machine in the gym, bear with us because we’ll explain how to do some hack squat alternatives and variations, like the barbell hack squat, further on in this post.

But first, here’s how to do a hack squat on the machine. ENQUIRE Set-Up and Equipment:The hack squat machine is a pretty intense exercise for your quads, so make sure that you do some warm-up exercises first.Load weight onto the machine – start reasonably light and increase weight as you become more comfortable with the movement.

Starting Position:. This is the front hack squat, so step onto the machine and stand on the foot platform with your back facing the back pad. Position your shoulders under the shoulder pads and make sure your back is flat against the support. Put your feet flat shoulder-width apart in the middle of the foot plate. Point your toes slightly outwards. Grab the side handles (also known as the safety bars) and disengage them. This usually involves moving the side handles from facing forwards to pointing out at a diagonal.

Extend your legs to stand up so but don’t lock at your knees – this is your starting position.Execution:. Keeping hold of the safety handles, inhale and slowly lower the weight by bending at the knees. Squat down until the angle between your upper and lower leg is just less than 90 °. In this position, your knees should be pointing in the same direction as your toes, and there should be a straight line from your knees to your toes.

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There’s no substitute for the good old squat. The king of movements helps build stronger muscles, which eventually translates to increased speed, power, and agility. Although we usually categorize a squat as a leg exercise, it’s really more of a compound movement. It targets more than one muscle group.

Due to the compound nature of this movement, the body secretes the growth hormone, which helps cut body fat and build lean muscle mass. Moreover, it mimics natural movements and is consequently functional. Take the basic movement of sitting down and standing up. That’s just a squat for you. So whether your aim is gaining muscle mass, cutting body fat or just moving better in general, squats will help be your ally.If you’re familiar with lifting strategies, you’ll know that there are a number of variations of a squat.

There’s overhead squats, back squats, front squats, zercher squats, hack squats, amongst others. All these movements involve a barbell. The main difference sets in with the position of the barbell. The placement changes the mechanics of the squat. They each focus on different muscle groups. You may think it’s just a squat at the end of the day. So why are there so many different variants of one movement?

Which one is the best? So let’s take the two most prominent ones and tackle them; the front squat and the back squat.Truth is one is NOT superior to the other. Picking the one that’s right for you will largely depend on your training goals, joint mobility and flexibility.Both these movements recruit some of the major muscle groups in the lower body:.

Abdominals. Adductors. Gluteals. Quadriceps. Hamstrings.

CalvesMajor Target Area: The High Bar Back Squat & Front Squat are quad dominant, while the Low Bar Back Squat is posterior chain/glute dominant.Weight Lifted: Back squats can be performed with heavier weight as compared to front squats, because the latter also comes with posture and flexibility constraints. The upper back and chest need to be straight and up and the shoulders and wrists should be mobile enough to support the front rack position. However, that doesn’t mean that if you lack this flexibility you can ace a back squat. In general, the better your mobility and flexibility, the better your movement.Goals: If you’re following a powerlifting program, then back squats should be a priority. However, if you’re into Olympic lifting, front squats would aid in improving other movements like Cleans.Safety: As far as form is concerned, one might assume front squats are safer, due to the lesser tendency to lean forward and perform a good-morning like squat.

However, a back squat performed with a tight core and good technique is just as safe and effective.Bar Positioning: Back squats (low bar or high bar) place the bar on the upper back or trapezius.Front squats place the bar on the front of the deltoids, placing the elbows and wrists at full extension.Knee Safety: Contrary to what some of us may have heard, squats don’t damage our knees If done with proper form. Doing any movement with bad form and ego lifting is bad for all your joints.

Our knees were built to squat. Years of bad movement and a sedentary lifestyle may have caused mobility issues, but those can be combatted, with correct positioning and mobility work. Both back and front squats work towards strengthening the knees to reduce the risk of ligament tears.Common Mistakes:. Letting your heels come off the ground/Coming up onto your toes: Your heels need to be firmly fixated, flat on the ground. Not hitting depth: Anything above parallel (hip joint in line with the knee) is a no rep. That’s a cardinal sin, the deeper the squat, the greater the activation in the glutes. It’s harder, but that’s what’ll make you stronger.

Knee Positioning: Don’t let your knees cross the plane of the toes. Focus on pushing them out, rather than forward. Back Positioning: Your shoulders should be pulled back, chest upright, spine neutral and you must maintain this position at all times. Core: Keep your core tight and engaged at all times, that will help with the back positioning. Head Positioning: Your chin should be up and in line with your spine.So start squatting already!