Machine Hack Squat

Also known as: Hack Squat and Hack Squat Machine

Anton YefanovUpdated October 10, 2026

Machine Hack Squat demonstration, with the quads highlighted

The hack squat machine puts your shoulders under pads and your back flat on an angled carriage, so the sled travels a fixed path and you only have to produce force. Feet go shoulder width on the platform; you release the safeties, bend the knees to roughly a right angle and press back up without locking out. The quadriceps take the largest share, with glutes, hamstrings and calves supporting and the trunk braced against the pad. Foot position shifts the balance: pressing through the heels pulls in more glute, pressing through the balls of the feet biases the quads.

How to do the Machine Hack Squat

Load the machine and step onto the platform under the shoulder pads.
Set your feet at shoulder width with your back flat against the pad.
Extend your legs, release the safety handles and take the load.
Bend the knees and lower until your thighs reach about 90 degrees.
Drive through the platform and extend the knees just short of lockout.
Finish your reps, then re-engage the safeties before stepping out.

Muscles worked

The machine hack squat works the quads, with the glutes, hamstrings, adductors and calves supporting and the core bracing against the pad. Your back is fixed on an angled sled, so the torso stays upright and the knees travel forward. Knee extension, the quads' job, does most of the work, and it is hardest at the bottom, around 90 degrees of knee bend.

The glutes and adductors extend the hip out of the bottom and help most in that first part of the drive. The hamstrings and calves stabilize the knee and ankle. Foot placement shifts the emphasis: pressing through the balls of the feet with a lower stance keeps the load on the quads, while a higher stance or driving through the heels brings in more glute and hamstring. Stopping just short of lockout keeps tension on the quads between reps.

Primary:: Quads
Secondary:: Glutes, Hamstrings, Calves, Core, and Adductors

Why train it

The fixed path removes balance, so the legs can be trained close to failure safely.
Back support takes spinal loading out of a heavy squat pattern.
Foot position gives a simple way to shift emphasis between quads and glutes.

Common mistakes

Locking the knees at the top, which hands the load to the joint and unloads the quads.
Letting the hips roll off the pad at the bottom, which rounds the lower back.
Setting the feet too high, which cuts the quadriceps range the machine exists to train.
Adding weight before reaching a full 90 degrees, which shortens every repetition.

Frequently asked questions

What equipment do I need for the Machine Hack Squat?

Only a machine. Nothing beyond that is required to run the movement the way it is described above.

Is the Machine Hack Squat suitable for beginners?

Yes. The Machine Hack Squat is rated beginner, and the machine holds the path for you, so there is little to get wrong once the seat and the pin are set.

Can I do the Machine Hack Squat at home?

Only if your home setup runs to a machine. Most do not, so this is usually a gym movement. The alternatives below cover the same muscles with kit you are more likely to have.

How many sets and reps of the Machine Hack Squat should I do?

Three to five sets of 5 to 10 reps. Rest two to three minutes: squats tire the whole body, and a rushed second set is where depth and bracing fall apart.

What are good alternatives to the Machine Hack Squat?

Band Squat, Bodyweight Box Squat, and Dumbbell Front Squat train the same primary muscles as the Machine Hack Squat. Pick whichever one suits the equipment in front of you.