I’m training without a squat rack and I was wondering how useful barbell hack squats are in 5x5 routines and westside templates as substitutes for back squats? Or is it maybe too similar to the deadlift? I’m training for strength primarily, with mass as a secondary goal, if that makes a difference.
Hack Squats were invented just for this purpose. Keeping the bar behind your legs makes it a quad dominant movement.
well i tried power cleaning into front squats today with heavy weight for the first and lost ballence and fell down so you might want to hack squat lol
[quote]elano wrote:
well i tried power cleaning into front squats today with heavy weight for the first and lost ballence and fell down so you might want to hack squat lol[/quote]
That’s why you start with low weight.
I was cleaning the weight then front squatting until recently, but I can squat far more than I can clean so with these low rep routines I need a different solution. Sounds like hack squats are it.
Cheers for your help.
Good luck with doing hack squats. I found them near impossible - scraped the back of my legs up and down. Do you have an adjustable bench? Perhaps extend the supports fully and lift from the back. I’ve been using that method for all of this year. Works great.
[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
Good luck with doing hack squats. I found them near impossible - scraped the back of my legs up and down. Do you have an adjustable bench? Perhaps extend the supports fully and lift from the back. I’ve been using that method for all of this year. Works great.[/quote]
Or if you have a trap bar, you can use that to avoid the leg scraping issue.
[quote]MtbKid wrote:
elano wrote:
well i tried power cleaning into front squats today with heavy weight for the first and lost ballence and fell down so you might want to hack squat lol
That’s why you start with low weight.[/quote]
i did start with low weight a couple weeks before, i was just working with heavier weight that i prob should have and pushing myself too close to the limit without safety in mind