As the weight is held close to the body, it really decreases the axial loading on your body and creates very less or no spinal compression. This workout technique also targets your quadriceps with the same excellence as the hack squat. This body workout targets your posterior trap muscles, lower back, hamstrings, abs, and glutes. This makes it an ideal alternative to hack squats, which might be dangerous to people with knee injuries. Stand up with the bar and weight, making sure the bar is in contact with your legs. It's not sexy, but the dumbbell squat is a surprisingly effective quad-crusher. And it also reduces knee problems. Reach down and grab the bar with an overhand grip. Hold the dumbbells at arm’s length next to your sides, your palms facing each other (neutral grip). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It emphasizes your quadriceps, just like the hack squat workout. It also works your quads. Stand with your back facing a solid wall or any surface. Alternative Names: Machine hack squat, hack squats Type: Strength Experience Level: Beginner Equipment: Hack squat machine Muscles Targeted: Thighs, abs, hips, calves, lower back Mechanics: Compound Average Number of Sets: 3 with 8-10 reps each Variations: Barbell, reverse, Smith Machine, dumbbell, narrow stance, one-legged, kettlebell hack squats This is the primary reason people search for hack squat substitutes. Targets your quadriceps, glutes, and calves effectively. This gym showdown will list the benefits of each exercise and then you can determine which one is more appropriate for your exercise routine. In this workout technique, the key is to place your heels in an elevated position, and your feet a few inches apart. You need a hack squat machine to perform it excellently and to get the best results. Squat Hack Dumbbell. It also comes with a few benefits. Position your leg shoulder-width apart with your toes pointing slightly outwards. The Cable Hack Squat is the next best alternative to a machine hack squat that does not have a hack squat machine. The answer is the cyclist back squat! Hold the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart. You can quickly fire up the quads by holding an extra resistance with your hand. In fact, hack squats can help you develop only the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Tips for doing a Squat Press correctly. These alternatives are the best way to target the same muscles without any specialized equipment so far. The upside of this workout is that you can push a significant amount of weight on the leg press as compared to back squat or hack squat. keep your feet not more than 6 inches apart. It is because the lifter should drift their hip and knee forward a little bit to avoid the barbell striking their glutes. Reverse Hack Squat – Benefits, How To Do, Muscles Work and Alternatives, Diamond Push Ups – Benefits, How To Do, and Muscles Worked, 10 Slimming Leg Workouts You Can Do Anywhere. Lower down, pushing your glutes backwards until your hip joint is in line or just below the knees. Position your hands so they are slightly more than the shoulder-width apart. Also, this workout develops your stabilizer muscles, thigh muscles, and the core. Make sure you have not bent your legs and keep your arms straight. This exercise also works out your hamstrings, quads, and glutes, just like the hack squat. Copyright © 2021 | Fitness Apie | All Rights Reserved. But there is always a hack squat alternative for you to use. While it’s definitely not an exercise for a beginner, the front squat is one of the best substitutes for the hack squat. Lower down with moving your feet forward until your hip joint is below your knees. A hack squat is an exercise activity that develops your lower body. 24. The Goblet Squat is the next best hack squat alternative that can be done with dumbbell, kettlebell, or any kind of weight available with you. Step forward underneath the bar and let it rest on your shoulders. The hack squat machine provides the balance, stability as well as secures your lower back from injuries, unlike free weight exercises … Leg presses are the effective lower body workout, which produces the same result very much as hack squats. 7. Your email address will not be published. It is a safe and effective lower body movement that targets your quadriceps, glutes, and calves. Step forward to the bar so your midfoot is under it. If you are choosing the barbell, we highly recommend that you do this inside the cage or the … As such, it gives you a total body workout! Sometimes dumbbells, kettlebells or medicine balls are added for resistance. Higher weight is not necessary, as it can target quads with a lot less weight. Sit down on a seat of leg press machine with your back resting comfortably against the padded support. The position will look somewhat similar to a chair, which will be your starting position. While the skill needed to perform the hack squat is less than a back squat, a similar movement pattern is still observed. The substitutes to hack squat mentioned in this article are relatively easy and effective than a lot of others out there. Even without a squat rack, you can do these reps at home with just your dumbbells! Also, it helps you maintain a neutral spine if you raise the bar off the ground. It emphasizes your quadriceps, just like the hack squat workout. Although the front squat is not precisely a beginner-friendly workout, it is an excellent substitute for the hack squat. Lower your knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Press yourself up with your feet by engaging your quads and glutes up to the top standing position. You can use those alternatives to hack squat if you want to achieve the same results. It really helps you engage the quadriceps, especially the inner head or VMO. As such, this workout is ideal for strengthening your lower back, forearms, and grip. You should exhale once you have fully extended your hips and knees. Make sure to engage your quads and core. A hack squat works the entire lower body — including the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves — as well as the core. Front squat. The way how foam roller squat imitates the machine hack squat is by isolating the quads with a lot of knee flexion. You can use them if you find using the hack squat dangerous for one reason or the other. It develops lower body parts such as the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. In this article, we have included incredible alternatives for you. Lower the platform slowly by bending your knees and hips until they make 90° from each other. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases - at no extra cost to you. You can perform it using a Swiss ball, kettlebell, dumbbell, barbell, and your body weight. Although hack squats possess no risks to your knee joints, any previous injuries can make it hard to work on the hack squat machine. Required fields are marked *. Bend your knees so you can lower your body. Required fields are marked *, "This Book Will Show You Exactly What You Need To Do To Get Started Improving Your Health And Fitness!". Because of this advantage, athletes who work with free weights have preferred this workout to the hack squat. Hold dumbbells at shoulders. Versatile with a barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebells. And make sure your back is straight and abs tight. Properly executing the hack squat presents no health risk to your knees. With this alternative, you can work out using less weight but still achieve impressive results. You can follow the simple steps below if you are looking to perform the squat hack dumbbell: Those are the few alternatives to the hack squat workout technique. Barbell Back Squats are also beneficial for the stabilizer muscles. It effectively targets your quadriceps without putting any stress or loading up your spine. Also, bodybuilders who need strong legs prefer this workout method. The Foam Roller Squat is one of the best hack squat alternatives that you can do at home. Your email address will not be published. Assume the normal deadlift starting position. You can push your hips forward and extend your knees during this step. The hack squat is a true compound exercise, as it works several other muscle groups. The cyclist hack squat is an old-school popular workout that is rarely done these days. In a cyclist hack squat, the heel is elevated on a slightly wedged surface, and the feet are positioned narrow. Adds strength, mass, and definition to quads. As such, it is an ideal body workout for bodybuilders, fitness buffs and athletes. Unlike regular barbell squats, hack squats are easy on your lower back, and for a lot of lifters, that’s a very welcome benefit. This workout has the advantage of holding more weight than the hack squat. Unless your gym does not have a hack squat machine, there is no need to substitute a hack squat. But you still have alternatives to the hack squat if you need to achieve the same results. Stand by resting the bar on the top of the deltoids and cross your arms while grabbing the bar for keeping it stable. And first-timers can perform it without hassles. Dumbbell Hack Squat. However, hack Squats are not the only way to build muscles and strength in your lower body. Don’t forget to maintain the proper posture and position to make sure you get the most out of these squats! Lift the bar and repeat doing so as much as you can. This resistance exercise can be used to target lower body muscles to build powerful quads, a strong back, and tight core muscles. The only difference is that it lets your upper body muscles relax thus improving mind-muscle coordination. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart so the barbell is behind your calves. How to do dumbbell hack squats . Don’t go too heavy. You just need to choose the one that you are comfortable with and start pushing your limits higher day by day. Perform this step until your thighs are parallel to the floor. It is a great movement to build lower body strength as it can target your major leg muscles simultaneously. It replicates the idea of machine hack squats to a great extent, and the cable pulley machine allows you the freedom to choose the weight. Hack Squats vs Regular Squats – Which One Should You Do? Bend over to reach for the bar. Repeat this exercise as many times as you can. An average guy cannot afford a trainer to guide you through your workout. This workout method lets you exercise your legs without stressing your injured body parts. They’re great for quad development and the core, and present a slightly different challenge than traditional barbell squats. However, the traditional barbell back squat proves to be a full-body workout that engages the core, back, and significant leg muscles. Go back to where you started. Bend your knees simultaneously and push your hips back. Fix the pulley lowest position of cable pulley machine and attach a straight bar to the cable. Keep your weight on your heels, not on your toes, for the entire movement. Thus, goblet squats reduce the chances of injury. But set up with your torso in a more vertical position. The aforementioned hack squat substitutes are equally as effective as the machine hack squat is. This movement targets the inner quads primarily, which is the most beneficial thing about it as the robust Vastus Medialis or inner quads signifies how healthy and robust your knee is. Dumbbell Squat Proper Technique (Exercise Instructions) STARTING (INITIAL) POSITION: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart (or just little wider than shoulder-width) a grab a pair of dumbbells. You can follow the simple steps below if you’re looking to perform this workout: The leg press is a suitable substitute to the hack squats for people with weak knees, back, and hip. Your shins will touch the bar, but make sure the bar doesn’t move from above the midfoot position. Title: Dumbbell Hack Squat; Date: March 21, 2020; Size: 97kB; Resolution: 800px x 800px; Download Image. Simply follow the steps below: This workout exercise is similar to the deadlift, but the difference is that the barbell is behind your legs. Hack squats and regular squats: you know that squats are great for increasing lean mass in your legs, but out of these two contenders, which will be better at helping you build a great set of wheels? With the appropriate weight and proper form, you will have excellent stability and can easily target the quadriceps. Stabilizes the core and works out back too. 2. Added to that is the importance of doing exercises with correct form and the chances of injuries if you don’t. If you have serious knee issues, the hack squat workout might not be ideal for you. First, your glutes activate to drive your hips upwards. However, have in mind that hack squat routines are not for everyone since they could be dangerous. Dumbbell leg exercises are inherently safe since you can easily release the weights without being trapped under a bar. Here is a breakdown of how to do dumbbell squats: Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, grasp one dumbbell in each hand. Press the plate, maintaining this alignment, and feeling the engagement of your quads. The FF-PLHSLP is a compact machine that can quickly and easily convert from one machine to the other in seconds and would fit in at any commercial gym or small training studio. Straighten your lower back then lift your chest. The cyclist hack squat is similar to the traditional barbell back squat, except that the heels are slightly elevated while doing cyclist hack squat. To perform this workout, simply follow the steps below: Stand on a wedge board. Take 3 steps back and keep your feet within the shoulder-width. Make sure your shins are not touching the bar. It also adds more mass and definition to the legs. Here are the most effective hack squat alternatives that you can add to your workout: Often the trainees who do not have access to a hack squat machine perform the standing variety of hack squat called barbell hack squat. The hack squat is a popular lower body workout performed on the hack squat machine. This exercise builds the quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Position the bar on your pack just like you would normally do with a conventional squat. The squat hack dumbbell is yet another classic lower-body exercise. Make sure you are grabbing the knurled part. You only need to choose one that works great for you or puts you through less stress. In addition, your traps and erector spinae muscles contract to support your back. You only need to follow the steps below: This is a variation of the squat, and it is for developing the leg muscles. Moreover, you can change your foot placement to target different heads of quadriceps. You need to have a strong VMO for overall knee health. As such, it is yet another suitable alternative to the hack squat workout technique. Position yourself on the machine. How Much Does The Sled Of A Leg Press Machine Weigh? 23. The hack squat machine is one of the most popular leg exercises around. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You will need: A pair of dumbbells, one for each hand. Grab the barbell with an overhand grip behind your back with your hands wholly extended. It is a great carryover to the hack squat and deadlift. It allows you to target your hamstrings, quads, and glutes without providing stress on your spine, hips, or knee joints. Begin this exercise by squatting on one leg as though you are going to sit down in a chair. Both of the varieties are more or less equally effective to target your quads. Drive your heels while lifting yourself to the starting position. Which is best for your workout routine? Not every gym in the world has all the equipment required for bodybuilding. Hack squats make you have strong and huge legs. Performing it is very simple. If you are looking to develop your lower body but you find the hack squat dangerous, you can use the alternatives below: The hack squat only develops your glutes, thighs and front legs. The hack squat is performed on a machine that virtually locks your body into place at an angle. But it could be a cruel and dangerous workout technique for some people. The benefits include strong leg muscles, reduced body calories, and no stress on your spin. However, one variation that isn't often considered is performing lower body training with dumbbells. The hack squat workout is a very good technique for developing your lower body parts. Grab the bar with your elbows high in front of your body. Drive-up by pushing your feet against the floor. Keep your bottom flat against the seat and position your feet in such a way that your legs form 90 degrees angle at your knees. If you have chosen to perform this workout using a barbell, you should do so in a cage or rack. Hack Squat Exercise Information. Download Image. Be sure to keep your torso in an upright posture so you can fire up those VMOs for the results you want. Stand such that your heels are hip-width apart, and your toes slightly pointing outwards. Dumbbell squat. Exercise Advice: Position yourself in a hack squat machine with your back pressed firmly against the pad. Press back up with your quads and glute muscles engaged. Place the barbell just underneath your shoulders’ height on the rack. Stop lowering when the hip joint is slightly lower than your knees. With your legs shoulder width apart, bend at the knees to pick up a pair of dumbbells. It is usually the go-to body workout technique for people looking to have more mass on their legs. 6 Hack Squat Alternatives | Best Way To Do, Upright Row Alternative (Safe And Effective), 5 Best Leg Extension Alternatives That You Must Try, 10 Best Leg Workouts for Mass and Definition, Alternative to Dips That Will Scale Up Your Triceps Level | ACE’s Ranked Exercises, Puts tension on the entire lower body including quads, glutes, and hamstrings, Works on both squats and deadlift pattern at the same time. It is a compound exercise that works your quads, calves, glutes, hamstrings, core, and arms. Despite that fact, this compound exercise is, in fact, beneficial and very easy to perform. Extend your knees and hips completely during this step to bring the bar to lockout. Reverse the movement while bracing your abs and driving your feet on the floor. These movements can be used as a substitute for the machine hack squat, or only as a lower-body strength and size workout. Place your feet on a footplate about hip-width apart with your heels flat on the plate. Position the safety stops on the rack at waist height. If you are looking for impressive results within a realistic time frame, you should perform this exercise on a hack squat machine. Slowly grab the barbell and lift it from the rack. If so, choose out these hack squat alternatives. Dumbbell Hack Squat. Are dumbbell exercises better than barbell exercises? Not only is it the most commonly utilized form of squatting—except for the half-squat, maybe—the full barbell back squat is one of the most effective exercises in the history of civilization for strengthening the lower body.W… The higher the heels are from the floor, the more you fire the VMO muscles. Your calves and hamstrings work to stabilize your lower body. Unless your gym does not have a hack squat machine, there is no need to substitute a hack squat. Always use correct form and a lighter weight. Hold the barbell from behind, making sure your hands are shoulder-width apart. Move your shoulders back and your … It also comes with a few benefits. Lastly, your core muscles engage to stabilize your mid-section throughout the barbell hack squat. But the traditional squats develop the back, core and leg muscles as well. Front squats can be done with a barbell or dumbbells, kettlebells too. Moreover, if you don’t have access to barbell and plates, the barbell back squat is so versatile that you can carry out this movement with dumbbells, kettlebells, and even with your bodyweight only. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Subscribe to receive latest fitness guides. Also, it’s the best workout for people looking to isolate their lower and inner quadriceps. This variation of the standard hack squat is not just easy but you also do not need any expensive equipment.It is good for the beginners and helps you improve lower-body strength, specifically in your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. And it develops more muscles than the hack squat workout technique. Stand up straight holding the dumbbells at the arm’s length. Squat to a point to where your thigh becomes parallel to the floor and then return to the start position. The dumbbells should be at your sides with your arms fully extended downwards. Fitnessapie.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The hack squat machine provides the balance, stability as well as secures your lower back from injuries, unlike free weight exercises that do not. Can be done at home with everyday objects. Split squats are another great option since you can load more weight on just one leg at a time. More Galleries of Everfit 6 Piece Dumbbell Weights Set 12kg With Stand. Performing it is also very simple. It is ideal for people who have injuries in general. Another advantage of this body workout over the hack squat is that it also strengthens your stabilizer muscles. Very much the same as a Machine Hack Squat. You can follow the simple steps below if you are looking to perform the squat hack dumbbell: For the lower body there are the typical barbell lower body exercises (squats, deadlifts, and straight leg deadlifts) that can be performed along with various exercise machines (leg press, hack squat, leg extensions, etc.). Unlike back squats, the goblet squats are a lot easier on the back while providing so much the same benefits to the quadriceps and glutes.