Barbell hack squats are extinct in today’s gyms—and that’s a crying shame. I’ve used them for over a decade to build bigger and stronger thighs.
The great George Hackenschmidt gave the iron game a gem of a quad builder. But for decades, the barbell hack squat has been buried in the graveyard of commercial gyms.
What Is Old Still Works
Barbell hack squats are archaic. But just because they are old does not mean that they don’t work. They are brutally effective.
I filmed a video many years ago that outlines the proper way to do barbell hack squats. And I strongly suggest you check that video out and learn how to perform them. In the iron game, you have plenty of time to get stronger. But rushing into a barbell hack squat with too much weight and using lousy form can lead to injury. The inflated egos of many bodybuilders can lead them to a dark and painful road filled with injuries.
Natural bodybuilders will add size and strength to their quads by adding barbell hack squats into their workout. I’ll give you some grace—some of you have probably never seen barbell hack squats done right. It’s entirely possible you have never heard of a barbell hack squat until you read this article.
The hack squat machine? That’s JV. The barbell hack squat is a star varsity player who plays in a different league. To my brothers and sisters in the iron game, you are leaving meat on the bone by not doing this wonderful exercise.
Effort And Intensity Matter
Old-school bodybuilding was all about high effort and high intensity. You’d get clowned in the gym if you gave the fake hustle effort that many influencers and bodybuilders do today.
I see many “training sessions” disguised as hard work. I look at some of these so-called leg workouts online, and I can only shake my head. Today, what many people call hard work often differs from the true meaning of hard work. To build muscle and develop a great physique, you must train with the proper intensity and focus. Some of your workouts, especially the leg days, should create a bit of fear in your heart.
To maximize your physique, you need the proper mix of diet, mindset, recovery, and gym intensity. You won’t build a championship-level physique with easy workouts. You need to face the hard workouts.
Tree Trunk Thighs Workout
The featured workout in the video took place on 10/28/22. After 4 sets of arm work, barbell hack squats were the first leg exercise on the menu. It was a brutal session. We were using my 2 sets method of training. My first set of the barbell hack squat was 415lbs and the second set was 405lbs. My quads were cooked! Here’s how the barbell hack squats workout looked:
Set 1: 415lbs x 8 reps
Set 2: 405lbs x 10 reps
When your training volume is lower, you have to increase the intensity. Both sets were taken to muscle failure. I weighed about 170lbs on this day. The barbell hack squats were hard and heavy!
Conclusion
The iron does not owe you or me anything. Anything we want in this game and in life we must earn.
I’ll holla at you next time.
The People’s Trainer,
Fitman
