Linear Hack Squat: Hack Press for Bigger Legs

For a unique way to train legs, linear hack squats should be your go-to move.

Also called the hack press, linear hack squats are created to train a movement pattern that is different from other machines.

Linear hack squat machines have specialized bearings on guide rods to help you glide seamlessly.

These make their motion extra smooth. To rack your weights, the linear hack squat comes equipped with inner and outer racking handles to let you set start and stop positions.

The linear hack squat also has a built-in range limiter for extra security. This makes it easier to work within your natural range of motion to avoid injuries.

What makes the linear hack squat machine different from other types of hack squats? Typically, this comes from the brand name.

The linear hack squat or linear hack press is a specially designed machine from Hammer Strength. This popular retailer’s machines are the go-to choice in many commercial gyms.

Market prices for this machine start at approximately $,4000+. That being said, you can shop around for used linear hack press or hack squat machines starting at around $1,200 on Facebook Marketplace or Kijji.

Linear Hack Squats— Benefits

Quad Isolation

Any kind of hack squat that you do will help to target and isolate your quadriceps.

If you plan on doing aesthetic workouts to get a better-looking body, specifically, or have stubborn quads that won’t grow, it can help to isolate the quads.

The hack squat is also a useful tool to add to your arsenal if you have leg injuries or weakness in your glutes or hamstring muscles. Here, you may want to reduce the load on those muscles, so it can help to isolate your quads.

Less Stress on Hip Joints

Having hips that hurt during squats is not a pleasant experience for anyone. The hack squat variation could benefit you over a barbell squat or V-squat if you tend to get achy hips after a heavy lift on the squat rack.

Chronic hip pain in adults is often hard to diagnose since it frequently mispresents as knee pain or back pain. It’s even possible to have all three! Joints don’t operate in a vacuum.

The joints of your lower body like the knees, ankles, hips, and lower back are all interconnected. If one of these joints feels off, it can easily force the others to overcompensate to try and solve the problem.

If your other joints are picking up the slack, your body can create problems that don’t even exist. Good joint health is important when we think about how our bodies are operating in older age, so it’s important to think about how you treat your joints before problems arise.

During hack squats, you plant your torso against a back pad to keep your form. This lets you keep your trunk upright.

In this position, you don’t hinge as much at the hips, so they don’t need to flex as deeply as they would in a barbell squat.

In a study on improving function in people with hip-related pain, researchers found that hip-related pain is a leading cause of disability and is especially common in active individuals.

Hip-related pain can be caused by conditions like femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome, and acetabular dysplasia. However, it can also simply develop from being too sedentary or sports-related injuries.

Linear Hack Squats— Disadvantages

Less Functional

Hack squat machines don’t prepare you for real-world movements or athletics as well as back squats do.

Think about it. This machine follows a strict path of motion. Although it’s a great way to work your quads to the limit, there’s no outside scenario where you’d be performing the same path of motion as you do in hack squats.

Because barbell squats don’t follow a guided path, they’re more natural for weightlifters and help replicate situations and positions you may find yourself in while playing sports.

Are Barbell Squats Better Than Linear Hack Squats?

If you’re exploring hack squat alternatives, you’ve probably also asked yourself this question: Is a hack squat or squat better for strong legs?

Well, they don’t call the barbell squat the “king of exercises” for nothing. Let’s take a look at a few advantages of traditional barbell squats and see why some find them preferable to hack squats.

Stability

Compared to a hack squat machine the barbell back squat requires extra stability. Because your body is unsupported, most people will require stronger stabilizer muscles to perform this squat variation.

Strength

The barbell back squat is one of the most well-rounded squat progression exercises.

And if you’re looking to train for overall strength gains, we recommend the barbell back squat over the hack squat machine.

Why? Hack squats are a more specialized form of training. They serve a specific purpose that some people with targeted goals in the gym are looking for: attaining quad hypertrophy.

This can be useful if you suffer from slow-growing quads. People with muscular imbalances in the legs may benefit from a more quad-dominant approach to hack squat training like the Smith machine hack squat, barbell hack squat or machine hack squat.

But if you want all-around strong and balanced legs, the barbell back squat lets you pay equal attention to all your leg muscles to help get them toned and feeling stronger.

Balance

Barbell squats require you to hold yourself up using your balance. The stabilizer muscles of your core and legs help you stay upright so you don’t fall over.

Barbell Squats— Disadvantages

On the other hand, hack squat machines often have improved safety features and a few other advantages over squatting with a barbell.

The downsides to barbells include:

Injury Risk

Barbell squats put you at a higher risk of injury than squatting with a machine.

This apparatus requires you to squat unsupported unless you are squatting with a spotter.

So for safety reasons, it may be more advantageous to try out a linear hack squat machine. Get to know the safety features of the linear hack squat machine at your local gym.

Before using any piece of equipment, it’s a good idea to understand the ins and outs of its performance.

That way you set yourself up for successful squatting even before you touch the machine. By preventing injuries, you’ll allow yourself to get more days in the gym.

More injury-free reps and energy to work out will usually mean faster progress and improved ability to see results, whether you are looking to build lean muscle, bulk up, or lose weight during your workouts.

Muscles Worked

Linear hack squats and barbell squats work the same muscles but in different proportions.

Hack squats target your quadriceps muscles. Although they do work the other muscles in your legs, the hack squat is a great way to train if you’re hoping to isolate your quads.

During hack squats, the working muscles include:

Quadriceps

Your quadriceps femoris muscles (aka, the “quads”) flex your knees. When you get to the bottom of your squats, you’ll need a deep bend in the knees to help your body descend into the squat.

The quads are really a muscle group that is made up of four separate muscles: the rectus femoris, the vastus lateralis, the vastus intermedius, and the vastus medialis. Engaging your quadriceps will help you get down into a deep barbell squat or linear hack squat, so it’s important to make sure to strengthen them.

Hamstrings

These are the muscles at the backs of your thighs. Your hamstrings extend your hips at the top of a squat. They also help with knee flexion when you descend.

Although they’re a key component to your squat, hamstrings are very easy to injure. Because the hamstrings serve a double purpose of hip extension and knee flexion, they’re extra susceptible to injuries. Especially in athletes, any movement where you run or lengthen your hamstrings can cause an injury.

But oftentimes, hamstring issues simply crop up from chronic overuse. You can learn more here: Hamstring Injuries in the Athlete: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Return to Play.

Always stretch your hamstrings after you squat. It’s a good idea to warm them up too.

Active workouts like high knees or leg swings will help prepare these leg muscles for healthy hack squats. Many of us have tight hamstrings from sitting down all day.

Lifestyles where we’re desk-bound working from home and constantly driving the car to work aren’t so great for healthy hamstrings. The effect of hamstring tightness includes inhibiting your stability and agility, so make sure to keep them limber.

Always stretch and make sure your muscles are ready to go before you get your hamstrings into deep squat positions.

Glutes

The gluteal muscles or glutes (your butt!) help keep the pace of your squats as you drive and come back up in your squats. Strong glutes give a new meaning to “ass to grass” and really let you drop it low when you squat.

This muscle group is made up of three muscles: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus.

These are some of your strongest lower body muscles. When we think of activities like running and jumping, much of your driving force comes from the glutes. Make sure to engage your glutes at the top of a squat. This helps you squat with proper form and is one of the best exercises for a round butt.

Calves

The calf, made up of the soleus muscle and the gastrocnemius, helps you to plantarflex your foot (point your toes downward).

After you come to the bottom of your squat, your calves will engage to help you drive up through the heels and feet to bring yourself back up to a standing position. These can be considered a secondary muscle worked in a squat.

The Takeaway

Working on a specialized linear hack squat machine is a great way to get stronger legs.

If your main goal with leg training is to achieve hypertrophy in your quadriceps, the hack squat may be an ideal option for you.

On the other hand, if you’re a total newbie to squats or want a more well-rounded workout for all-over leg growth, we recommend traditional barbell squats. You can also try out a barbell vs. a dumbbell if you’re not quite sure about heavy weights. This lets you see which option feels right for you at a beginner level.

If you feel comfortable squatting with a barbell or free weights, traditional squats are the best way to ensure even muscle gains to your legs. You’ll train the stabilizer muscles in your legs and core for better balance and increased athletic performance.

However, if big quads are what you’re after, try the hack squat. It will isolate your muscles and hopefully help those quads grow.

It’s entirely possible to use both moves as well! If you train a push-pull-legs split, for example, use a hack squat the first leg day or your week and try a barbell squat the second, or vice versa.

By alternating, you can stay laser-focused on growing your quads, while also improving the total strength of your legs for progressive overload.

References

Ahuja, V., Thapa, D., Patial, S., Chander, A., & Ahuja, A. (2020). Chronic hip pain in adults: Current knowledge and future prospective. Journal of anaesthesiology, clinical pharmacology, 36(4), 450–457. https://doi.org/10.4103/joacp.JOACP_170_19Chu, S. K., & Rho, M. E. (2016). Hamstring Injuries in the Athlete: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Return to Play. Current sports medicine reports, 15(3), 184–190. https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0000000000000264Encarnación-Martínez, A., García-Gallart, A., Pérez-Soriano, P., Catalá-Vilaplana, I., Rizo-Albero, J., & Sanchis-Sanchis, R. (2023). Effect of Hamstring Tightness and Fatigue on Dynamic Stability and Agility in Physically Active Young Men. Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 23(3), 1633. https://doi.org/10.3390/s23031633https://www.lifefitness.com/en-eu/catalog/strength-training/plate-loaded/plate-loaded-linear-hack-squat