How to Fix Your Barbell Hack Squat Form For Bigger Quads

The barbell hack squat was a popular exercise during the early days of the iron game.

During this era, modern machines didn’t exist. If you wanted to get strong and muscular, you had no choice but to touch the iron.

This concept of pumping heavy iron is unpopular in today’s fitness world. In the average modern commercial gym, hard, honest work is illegal!

The Game Was Different

Lifters during this era had to be creative when it came to building their physiques.

Back then, information on building strength and muscle was scarce. There was no internet to help. Experience and trial/error were the only ways to learn what was useful and what had no value.

This was also a time in the iron game when even the standard squat rack was uncommon. George Hackenschmidt, a renowned strongman, came up with a new exercise for the quads.

The barbell hack squat has been largely forgotten in today’s training culture. And it’s an unfortunate reality. Because the barbell hack squat is phenomenal for building bigger and stronger quads.

What Is A Barbell Hack Squat?

When most lifters think about hack squats, they think about the hack squat machine.

While the machine hack slide is a solid move, the barbell hack squat is a completely different beast! I’ve only seen a few lifters try this move in my training career. Their versions looked more like a brutal 16th-century execution of the lower back.

Barbell hack squats will absolutely improve your quad development. When you first perform barbell hack squats, they will feel awkward. They are an odd-looking exercise. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to quit because it’s hard.

Building your legs is hard. But if you are hungry for success, you will make it happen. There are three important keys to mastering your barbell hack squat form.

1) The Setup

You will set up a loaded barbell behind your back.

The load will vary based on how strong you are. 45lb plates are the correct height for barbell hack squats. But if you cannot use that much weight yet, the rubber 10lb or 25lb plates work as well.

You’ll need a wooden block or a rubber ramp, which is a better option, to elevate your heels. If you do not have either of them, you can use small plates or wear Olympic weightlifting shoes. This elevation of your heels will keep you upright. This will allow your quads to get hit hard, like a George Foreman uppercut.

At this point, you’ll squat down and grab the bar with either a double overhand or mixed grip. Once you grab the bar, pull the slack out of it and begin to drop your hips.

2) The Execution

With your chest tall, eyes forward, knees out, and upper back tight you are now ready to perform the lift.

Maintaining a flat back is crucial for preventing injuries. A rounded lower back in the barbell hack squat is a one-way ticket to Injury Island.

The best way to see your form is to use the mirror. If you can see your chest in the mirror and see your knees out, you are ready. At this point, many lifters run into the most common issue when they try to perform a rep. They end up driving the barbell into their hamstrings!

When you are performing barbell hack squats, the goal is not to pull the bar into your body like a deadlift. The bar path must remain slightly away from your legs in order for your hamstrings to be out of the way.

3) The Finish

To complete a rep of the barbell hack squat with proper form, you don’t want to bend over as if you are performing an RDL.

I can assure you that bad reps could make your time in the iron game short, like leprechauns. At the top of the rep, it is important to squat down. Squatting down also keeps your quads engaged throughout the lift.

You will squat down until the plates almost touch the floor. At this point, you will stand up. That completes one rep.

Conclusion

The barbell hack squat is an ancient quad builder, but it definitely has a place in the present day of fitness.

I’ll holla at you next time.
The People’s Trainer,
Fitman