Exercise of the Week: The Real Hack Squat
by John Davies

I'm not talking about that machine in your gym that you may call the "hack squat." While the machine is a standard piece of equipment in many gyms and can have a positive influence on your training, you'll never get the total benefits of this lift until you try it the old fashioned way with an Olympic bar.

The hack squat received its name from its inventor, George Hackenschmidt, known as the "Russian Lion."

Mr. Hackenschmidt was a man of epic size, a champion strongman and wrestler known for his voracious appetite in life as well as his unique approach to diet. He's well known for taking a walk with an average size horse on his shoulders! (Note to self — get rid of wheelbarrow, buy Clydesdale for next year's linemen).

Hackenschmidt developed a simple exercise that, while not commonly performed today, isolates the quadriceps tremendously without the need of expensive equipment. In performing his trademark lift in 1902, he completed 550 reps with 110 pounds!

Performing this lift with a barbell will enhance the hypertrophy of a bodybuilder or an athlete; plus it'll assist with strength development for a powerlifter and improve his numbers in both the squat and the deadlift. From an anatomical perspective, this exercise will encourage powerful growth in the vastus medialis of the quadriceps, which is the teardrop shaped muscle above the knee.

Some lifters find it easier to initiate the movement by starting with the barbell supported in a rack or blocks, rather than starting with the barbell on the ground. This is purely a personal decision, so find what works for you. I think you'll find the hack squat has a small learning curve and you'll be very comfortable almost immediately. This is a simple movement, with a visual look best described as a behind-the-back deadlift.

Stand in front of a loaded barbell. Address the bar with your feet about shoulder width apart. Reach behind you and firmly grasp the barbell. With your back straight and shoulders pinched back, drive from the heels. Maintain an angle of ascent with the bar near the calves and as the weight nears your hamstrings, punch the hips forward. Return the weight to the floor by reversing the motion.