Barbell Hack Squat Exercise Guide
Reviewed by
Valerie Zeller
Printable version
Barbell Hack Squat is a strength exercise that works your quadriceps.
Barbell Hack Squat is a great basic move. When done correctly, it can effectively target your hips, legs, lower body and upper legs.
It requires barbell to do.
How to do Barbell Hack Squat
Setup
Place barbell just behind head. Keep foot down on board, bend down and grab barbell from behind with overhand grip.
Exercise
Lift bar by extending hips and knees to full extension. Squat down by bending hips back while allowing knees to bend forward, keeping back straight and knees pointed same direction as feet. Descend until thighs are close to parallel to floor and bar is behind lower leg. Repeat.
Tips
Throughout lift, keep hips low, shoulders high, arms and back straight. Knees should point same direction as feet throughout movement. Individuals with short arm to torso ratio or protracted shoulder posture, may find this exercise very difficult to perform.
Illustrated Guide
Learn how to do barbell hack squat from this step-by-step illustrations:
Muscles Worked
The muscles used for barbell hack squat may change slightly based on the your trained range of motion and technique, but in the most general case, the muscles used for barbell hack squat are:
Primary Muscles
- Quadriceps
Synergyst Muscles
- Glutes
- Soleus
- Hip Adductors
Frequently Asked Questions
Training, Progressions and Regressions
Interested in how to improve your Barbell Hack Squat faster?
Barbell Hack Squat Training and Progressions
Standards and Averages
Wonder how do others perform in Barbell Hack Squat and how should you?
Barbell Hack Squat Standards and Averages
Alternatives
Wonder how to work the same muscles with other exercises?
Barbell Hack Squat Alternatives
Variations
Wonder how to make Barbell Hack Squat either easier or more challenging?
Discover more
Classification
| Type(s) | Strength, Compound |
| Muscles Worked | Quadriceps, Gluteus, Soleus, Hip Abductors |
| Difficulty Level(s) | Basic, Easy, Simple |
| Equipment | Barbell, Weight Machine |
| Location | At Gym |
| Major Exercise | Bodyweight Squat |
Muscles Worked
| Target muscle(s) | Quadriceps |
| Synergyst muscle(s) | Glutes, Soleus, Hip Adductors |
