How to Do Hack Squats?

The right approach to the training of the hip can be characterized by a painful and very hard work. It also includes a training program, a proper diet and definitely the use of sports supplements. There is no doubt that genetics play one of the biggest roles in building strong muscles, but it is not final.

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Every group of muscles has its own species. That’s why training for building leg muscles is not the same as that for building chest muscles. Building leg muscles require more work, more power and ability to overcome yourself.

There is no secret quadriceps training cause a very severe pain, and you will need a strong desire to deal with it. But there are no other ways to success in bodybuilding. And the reward would be big and very well developed quadriceps muscles.

There is numerous exercise meant to make the quadriceps muscle grow. But none can compete with classic squat. namely barbell squats activate the majority of muscle fibers hips, not only in the quadriceps. However, an experienced bodybuilder needs more than just impressive volumes: it is unlikely you will see the separation of the leg muscles in a powerlifter, and after all his strength and weight can be astounding!

In the career of any bodybuilder, whether pro or amateur, there comes a time when the mass is not the only purpose of the training. After the first few years of training and should think about the balance of muscular symmetry in the preparation of training programs.

May need to be some new exercises to give the thighs a decent symmetry and proportion. One of the main methods for their achievement is the constant muscular tension during the execution of the set. Continuous tension makes the muscles to rest at some point amplitude.

The best exercise for the implementation of this method regarding hips is hacked squats. It is a variation of the normal squat. It is a compound exercise targeting the training of lower part of the body, namely legs. For  a better understanding of hack squats, action on quadriceps is very important to know what is this muscle about.

The front of the thigh consists of four large muscles, which are called to the quadriceps. Three vastus originate in the relevant parts of the femur: male vastus - on the outside, the inside wide - on the inner, intermediate wide - on the front and middle parts.

Intermedius vastus lies deep between the outer and inner broad muscles. Rectus femoris - this is the fourth of the quadriceps muscle. Unlike the three large muscles, it starts on the pelvic bone, the iliac crest, just above the hip joint.

All four muscles along with the rectus femoris become the quadriceps tendon. It is attached to the patella and continues to move further down the leg in a patellar tendon (patellar ligament), which is attached to the tibial tuberosity - bone spurs on the tibia just below the knee.

With the help of these muscles, we straighten the leg through the knee. Rectus femoris also flexes the leg at the hip, raising the thigh to the chest. It is helped by iliopsoas muscle. When performing leg extensions sitting rectus is in a weak position.

Therefore, when performing seated leg extensions, you stimulate well three broad thighs, but most hardly the rectus muscle. The best cope with this hack squats, because most of the range of motion the legs are straight, and straight thighs muscles have the opportunity to work hard.

Best hack machines are not strictly vertical but have a small, about 15 degrees, tilt back. Leaning back,  you straighten your legs at the hip joints, thus stretching the muscles of the legs straight, allowing them to actively participate in the bending of the knee. In addition, such an angle creates optimal conditions for maintaining a constant tension in the muscles during exercise.

In this case, a very important role play shoes Make sure you wear shoes with good corrugated soles that allow you to not slide on the platform. To stop shoulders in this simulator are special pads. They create a comfortable environment for the shoulders, eliminating the possibility of termination set due to pain in the trapezoid.

Warming Up and Stretching:

Before training have to be very well warmed knee joints. Do not forget about some stretching of the quadriceps and hamstrings. Even if you have just finished barbell squats exercise and going to hack the machine, it is best to start with a lighter set and extra stretching before you start to work seriously.

Hack squats are better to be performed at the end of workout program. It has to follow after barbell squats and be the legs and, of course, after squats and leg presses.

Must Read: The Benefits of Warm Up Exercises Before Workout

Further, Let’s Talk About The Technique of Hack Squats:

Put your feet on the platform at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. Keep in mind their position should be not wider than shoulders. Socks must look forward. Move shoulders under the pillow, while leg has to be a slight bend in the knees. Upper back firmly sticks to moving platform.

Unplug the stopper and straighten your legs at the knees, taking the weight on your shoulders. Slowly lower into a squat. Keep your back all the time firmly stick to the platform, while hip went not too much forward. Go down to the point where the angle of the knees did not reach 90 degrees or less.

Never stop at the bottom, lift the barbell immediately. Continue to rise as long as the legs are almost straight, and then immediately begin the next repetition. All motion resembles uninterrupted piston in the cylinder.

This technique will maintain constant tension in the working muscles throughout the set and improve the separation of the muscles. Prepare to severe fatigue and burning sensation in the muscles due to the accumulation of decay products and oxygen starvation.

Here are some very important moment you have to pay attention to:

- It is necessary to maintain smooth movement in both directions. Do not allow yourself to rest or at the top or at the bottom point of the amplitude, or you will break the regime of continuous muscle tension.

-Never allow bounces at a low point. Such a movement is very risky, especially when working with large weights. However, if you did not have knee injuries and you want to add separation middle part of your hips, a few months later add another 3-4 sets hack squats to existing ones.

-Most people think that there is no need to use a belt in this movement, because of the spin, and so relies on a moving platform. But belt help to stabilize the body, increases intra-abdominal pressure and as a result will increase your power, as you can put more effort on performing the exercise itself, but not to stabilize the body.

-This is a very difficult exercise, especially in maintaining a constant muscle tension throughout the set, and also quite painful. In each set, your quads will experiencing a lack of oxygen. But with the growth of your mental power, you can ignore this pain, continuing to perform repetition after repetition. Do not think that the power of the spirit and the ability to overcome yourselves appear overnight, but sooner or later it will happen.

-Start with a couple of sets, but if you really want strong thighs, try to do 5 sets of 15-20 reps with constant muscle tension.

-Do this exercise after heavy barbell squats and do not aspire to power extreme! Keep in mind that your goal - to deeply striated quads, rather than setting a record in the hack squats. Being different from other type of exercise, hack squats shock your body, and accelerate this way  the results. It is more effective than leg presses, because its focus on legs more leg presses do. Also, it was proven that the risk of back injuries is much more smaller, but this doesn’t mean it’s not at all.

Among disadvantages have to be mentioned that they are quite uncomfortable to be done. The unnatural position make hack squats difficult to perform. Another problem is when using big weights. You have to be totally convinced that your shoulders and legs are able to work with the same weights. Overwise, you risk to damage your shoulders.

There are many people who associate hack squats with the risk of knee injuries. A proper execution of this exercise will never cause you knee injuries. But, if you ever experienced some knee problems it would be great to advice a doctor before performing hack squats. If there is no a serious problem with your knees, you can begin with no weights on hack machine and only after a while add them gradually.

Hack squats are considered a great alternative to traditional barbell squats, and leg presses.  All of these exercise are designed for building lower body, and will be great to alternate no more than two of them during a workout.

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