You drive the sled upward by extending the knees and hips while your back stays against the machine pad, primarily loading the quadriceps.
How to do the Hack Squat (Machine)#
- Set your upper back and shoulders flat against the pad and place your feet about shoulder-width on the platform.
- Release the safety catch and brace your core with a slight bend in the knees.
- Lower the sled by bending at the knees and hips in a controlled manner until your thighs are near parallel with the platform.
- Push through your heels to extend the knees and hips and return to the starting position without aggressively locking the knees.
- Re-engage the safety once your set is complete.
Muscles worked#
Common mistakes#
- Placing the feet too high or too low on the platform.
- Allowing the knees to collapse inward.
- Shifting weight onto the toes or forward on the platform.
- Locking the knees forcefully at the top of the movement.
