All fitness enthusiast and weightlifter are very well aware of squat exercise. If you’re one of them, you’ve probably heard about this exercise. Reverse hack squat is the exercise that targets many different muscle groups like quads, hamstrings, glutes and lower back. But have you heard of the reverse hack squats? Well, this traditional squat variation is lesser known, but it can provide unique challenges and benefits which can take your lower body exercise to next level.
In this article, we’ll dive deep into the reverse hack squat exercise, discussing its benefits, muscles worked, proper technique, reverse hack without machine, difference between reverse hack and hack squats, and some other more interesting facts related to it, so stay with us till the end to get more information.
What is a Reverse Hack Squat?
A reverse hack squat is a variation of the traditional squat exercise that involves performing the movement in reverse. Instead of standing in front of the weight and lifting it up, the reverse hack squat involves standing behind the weight and pushing it up. You’ll need a hack squat machine to perform this exercise, which typically features a padded backrest and a set of shoulder pads to hold the weight. To perform this exercise correctly and effectively, there is a platform on which you stand and place your feet with your shoulder apart.
Benefits of Reverse Hack Squats
Reverse hack squats offer a wide range of benefits for your lower body muscles. Here are some of the key advantages of including this exercise in your workout routine:
- Increased Quadriceps Activation: Reverse hack squats place a greater emphasis on the quads than traditional squats. This is because the exercise involves a more vertical movement pattern, which shifts the focus to the front of your thighs.
- Reduced Lower Back Strain: Unlike traditional squats, which can place a lot of strain on your lower back, reverse hack squats offer a more comfortable position for your spine. When doing exercise to reduce the load on your lower back, it comes with a padded back rest which provides support when your feet are positioned in front to your body.
- Improved Hamstring Engagement: The reverse hack squat engages your hamstrings more effectively than traditional squats. This is because the exercise involves a greater degree of hip extension, which activates the hamstrings to a greater extent.
- Increased Glute Activation: Like traditional squats, reverse hack squats target your glutes, but with a slightly different emphasis. The exercise involves a more vertical movement pattern, which places a greater emphasis on the upper portion of your glutes.
- Reduced Knee Stress: Reverse hack squats are a knee-friendly alternative to traditional squats. As it put less stress on your knees this exercise is good for those people with knee pain or injuries.
Muscles Worked in Reverse Hack Squats
The reverse hack squat primarily targets your lower body muscles, including your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Let’s take a closer look at how each of these muscles is involved in the exercise:
- Quadriceps: The quadriceps are the primary muscles targeted in reverse hack squats. These muscles are responsible for extending the knees which are located in front of your thighs.
- Hamstrings: It is responsible for hip extension and knee flexion; hamstring are located on the back of your thighs.
- Reverse hack squats involve a greater degree of hip extension, making them an effective exercise for the hamstrings.
- Glutes: These muscles are responsible for abduction, hip extension and external rotation which are located in your buttock. The reverse hack squat targets the upper portion of your glutes.
- Calves: The calves are located on the back of your lower legs and are responsible for plantar flexion of your ankle. While the calves are not the primary muscles worked in reverse hack squats, they do play
Reverse Hack Squat Alternative
There is other several alternative exercise that can be perform to get similar muscle groups, even if you’re not able to use reverse hack squat machine. Here are some of the best reverse hack squat alternatives:
- Barbell Front Squats: Barbell front squats are a great alternative to reverse hack squats. In this squat exercise the performer has to hold a barbell across the front of his shoulder.
- Front squats target your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, just like reverse hack squats.
- Bulgarian Split Squats: Bulgarian split squats are another effective exercise that targets your lower body muscles. This exercise involves standing in a lunge position with one foot elevated behind you and performing a squat. Bulgarian split squats target your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
- Dumbbell Lunges: Dumbbell lunges are a simple yet effective exercise that targets your lower body muscles. While performing this exercise the performer holds a pair of dumbbells at his side, stepping forward to make a lunge position. This exercise mainly targets hamstring, quadriceps, calves and glutes.
- Barbell Deadlifts: It is a compound exercise which mainly targets multiple groups which includes glutes, lower back, hamstring, core and quadriceps. It is not a squat variation, but it is an excellent exercise which should be added in to your lower body workout schedule.
- Leg Press: The leg press is a machine-based exercise that targets your lower body muscles. This exercise involves pushing a weighted platform away from your body with your feet. Leg presses target your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, making them a great alternative to reverse hack squats.
As there are many other different types of exercise to target your lower body muscles like hamstring, glutes, quadriceps and calves, which you can perform and find the one which best works for you to achieve your dream body and fitness goal
You May Also Like : Top 5 Best Treadmills for Home Gym in 2023
Reverse Hack Squat Without Machine
You can perform a reverse hack squat using free weights, even if you don’t have access to a hack squat machine as per below
Stand facing a wall or a sturdy object, such as a squat rack, that you can use for support.
Resting on the back of your ankles, hold a barbell behind your legs. You can also use dumbbells or a weighted backpack.
As if you’re sitting back on chair, keep your back straight and chest up, bend your knees and lower your hips down toward the ground.
In this lower down position, keeping your body weight on your heels, to engage your glutes and hamstring push your knees out to the sides
Pause for few seconds in this position at the bottom of the squat, and then push back to the original starting position
Repeat the same process until you reached desired number
To make this exercise more challenging, you can increase the weight you’re using or perform the squats on a raised platform. You can also try by holding the weight in front of your body, instead of behind your leg to further engage your core muscles
While this exercise is a great alternative to the hack squat machine, it’s important to use proper form and start with a lighter weight until you’re comfortable with the movement.
Reverse Hack Squat vs Hack Squat
Both the hack squat and reverse hack squat are great exercises that target your lower body muscles, but there are some key differences between the two.
The hack squat is performed using a hack squat machine, which has a sled that you place your back against and hold onto the handles. You then push the sled up and back down, performing a squatting motion. To a smaller extent this exercise also engages your hamstring and glutes, where as it primary targets is your quadriceps
The reverse hack squat is performed in a similar way, but with the sled positioned in front of you instead of behind you. You still place your back against the sled, but this time you’re pushing the sled forward and down, performing a squatting motion.
The reverse hack squat is a better know as lower-body exercise because it mainly targets your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes more than the traditional hack squat.
As due to the increased engagement of the glutes and hamstrings in this exercise, the reverse hack squat is generally regarded as more challenging in terms of difficulty than the hack squat.
However, this also means that the reverse hack squat provides greater overall lower body strength and muscle development.
Ultimately, both exercises have their place in a well-rounded lower body workout routine. If you have access to a hack squat machine, both exercises are worth incorporating into your routine to target different areas of your lower body. Even if you don’t have this machine there are many other different types of exercise which you can perform to get similar result to achieve your fitness goal
5 Best Reverse Hack Squat Machine
If you’re looking to incorporate the reverse hack squat into your lower body workout routine, here are the top 5 best reverse hack squat machines to consider
- Body-Solid ProClubLine Leg Press Machine with 210-Pound Weight Stack (SLP500G2) International Buyer
- IRON COMPANY Body-Solid Leverage Squat/Calf Machine
3. Titan Fitness Plate-Loaded Dedicated Linear Hack Squat Press Machine, 700 LB Sled Carriage, Compact Leg Press
4. Body-Solid GCLP100 Compact Leg Press.
5. Body-Solid Powerline PLPX Leg Press Attachment for P1X Home Gym
Conclusion
In our final remark we can say that the reverse hack squat is an very effective lower body workout which mainly targets and help you to develop your quadriceps, hamstring, and glutes to a next level extent as compared to the traditional squats.
While both exercises have their place in a well-rounded lower body workout routine, the reverse hack squat is generally considered to be more challenging and provides greater overall lower body strength and muscle development. Even if you’re not able to do exercise on this machine, you can still do your reverse hack squats by using barbell, dumbbells and free weights. Just remember to use proper form and start with a lighter weight until you’re comfortable with the movement.
By incorporating this reverse hack squat in your daily exercise schedule will help you to make your glutes and legs more powerful and strong, this will further have a positive impact on your overall athletic performance and fitness. So, if you’re planning to take your fitness and lower body exercise to next level you should try doing reverse hack squat to see the result to yourself.
Frequently Asked Question
Q: What muscles does the reverse hack squat target?
A: The reverse hack squat primarily targets your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
Q: Is the reverse hack squat more challenging than the traditional hack squat?
A: Yes, the reverse hack squat is generally considered to be more challenging due to the increased engagement of the glutes and hamstrings.
Q: Can I perform the reverse hack squat without a machine?
A: Yes, you can perform the reverse hack squat using free weights, such as a barbell or dumbbells.
Q: What are the benefits of incorporating the reverse hack squat into my lower body workout routine?
A: The reverse hack squat can help you develop strong, powerful legs and glutes, which can improve your overall fitness and athletic performance.
Q: How do I properly perform the reverse hack squat?
A: To perform the reverse hack squat, stand facing the sled of the hack squat machine with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your back against the sled and grip the handles. Push the sled forward and down, performing a squatting motion.
By keeping your chest up, back straight and knees in line with your toes.
Return to the starting position by extending your knees and hips.
Read More
- 5 Best Glute Machine for Home Gym
- An Essential Tool for Building Strong Hips
- The 30-Day Secret To Full Splits
- 5 NordicTrack Elliptical Secrets Revealed
- 5 Best Stationary Bike
Disclaimer : The details & information given here in this article is based on information as available on other published site on internet. Do take medical advice before adopting it. Fitness Mantram Does Not Confirm It. This site contains affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase after clicking a link the author/owner/creator may receive a commission at no ADDITIONAL cost to you. Thank you for your support!