I’ve tried hack squatting both ways, heels high on the platform as well as low. I find I can use more weight with in the low position, however, I have no more and no less knee pain either way. The old school says not to let your knees protrude past your feet, so I’m violating the rule using the low position. Anyone know the “proper” way to do these?
Both Poliquin and King have stated that not allowing the knees to go past the toe is a load of crap. Depending on your foot placement, you’ll target the quads more or the glutes/hamstring. Anyone agree with this?
DON’T. Hack squats are nothing but a good way to hurt yourself… You said yourself they give you knee pain.
Absolutely. The higher your heels on the platform the more work your glutes and hamstrings do. The lower your heels on the platform the more work your quads do and the less work your glutes and hams do. Poliquin did say that when you take the hamstrings out of the movement more shearing forces are placed on the knee. Now whether this is detrimental to the knees or not is debatable and probably depends mostly on how much weight you use. I 've been doing hack squats in the low heel position almost exclusively because it’s effects are similar to front squats(good isolation of the quads)