Back in the early days of the strength and physique game, there were no commercial gyms that banned deadlifting. And before the advent of training machines there was only iron. During this era the great George Hackenschmidt gave the iron game a very underrated jewel; an exercise for building strong, stallion-like quads.

Hackenschimdt, who was a great wrestler, strongman and athlete, did not have the luxury of using a leg press or a hack slide to promote growth in his quads. Instead, being a very smart and barbell-minded man, came up with the ultimate move for building powerful quads,. What is this old move you are telling us about?

Can I go back to my elliptical and read my magazine? A look at the hack squat The hack squat is the most underutilized of all time. To prove my point, I want you to think back. When was the last time you witnessed someone perform this exercise? Well you would have to think back to the last time you saw that is was snowingin Philadelphia and in June.

Hack Squats - Muscles Targeted. The barbell hack squat is a multi-joint exercise that targets the muscles in your quadriceps. Hack Squats vs Regular Squats. What Muscles Do Hack Squats Target? Hack squats target the quadriceps muscles. Hack squats also work the gluteus maximus. Watch the Reverse Hack Squat video to see this exercise in motion. Get step by step instructions to properly execute the movement and get the most of your workout.

My point is that you rarely ever see the hack squat being performed. I have seen maybe one or two other trainees outside of my team perform it over the last 6 years, and their versions absolutely did the move no justice. It is a shame because in my opinion the hack squat is a without doubt the go to move for the quads. It has been a part of my programming for the last 6 years, and part of the reason that I was able to develop powerful and aesthetic quads. Aged Care Manual Handling Hazards.

So why is this supreme movement ignored? For one, it is a very old movement. In today's get fit quick society, the majority of trainees are looking for shortcuts to reach a desired goal.

Old school barbell exercises have a sexiness ranking of ZERO. Patty and Selma from the Simpsons seem sexier than having to go perform a hack squat. New school machines and gimmickry have a sexiness ranking of 100.

They look like Halle Berry in Swordfish. When you look at fitness infomercials and you see a vibrating dumbbell being promoted as the answer to all fitness questions then you will see where I am coming from. The average person thinks to themselves. “Why should I do a hack squat when instead I can text and post pictures to Instagram while just sitting on the leg extension machine doing nothing?” Perpetrators. The bottom line is that if you are NOT performing the hack squat, you are missing out on maximizing your quad strength and growth. Is the hack squat just a reverse deadlift? Ok you have my attention, but the hack squat looks like a reverse deadlift.

What are the differences? As its base level, the hack squat looks like a reverse deadlift.

But if you dig a little deeper into the move, you will see that muscles involved and the mechanics are different. First, the most obvious difference is that the bar is behind your body. When you initially perform the hack squat it can feel a little weird, but just like with any move, once you get into a groove it will feel normal just like any other move. Secondly, whereas the deadlift places most of the stress on your posterior muscles (glutes, hamstrings, back, traps), the hack squat places most of the stress on your quads. The way the hack squat stresses your quads helps you to develop that sweep/flare/roundness look that you cannot obtain with inferior movements.

When you get close to muscle failure in a hack squat, it literally feels like someone poured gas on your quads, lit a match and drove off to let you incinerate. Lastly, when deadlifting you are trying to shift your weight onto our heels. In the hack squat your heels are elevated. This is done to put stress on the quads by keeping your body more upright. You can accomplish this by wearing Olympic lifting shoes or by standing on 5lb plates.

I will say that the hack squat has helped me with my deadlift. By pulling the bar from behind you, you are stressing the quads big time. When you then return to deadlifting, you will find that the quads and grip are both stronger, and you will really have gained a boost in the lift. And due to the more upright body position, the hack squat is not as hard on one’s mid/lower back as the deadlift.

When you begin to hack squat, you should be able to build great strength in this movement. At a bodyweight of 165-170lbs, I have danced with over 400lbs on this move many times. Please check out my video below for the instruction on how to perform the hack squat. Workout Programming To build top-level quads, you need top-level programming. Timeless programs are always a good choice. Training all year with no progression or accountability is going to leave you with those pipe cleaner legs. And if are known as Peter Pipes, you will be the laughing stock of the gym.