Legs · Machines
Sled Full Hack Squat
The sled full hack squat is a compound machine exercise that emphasizes deep knee flexion along a fixed guided angle. It is designed to target the quadriceps and glutes with high mechanical tension, making it ideal as a primary or secondary lift in lower-body workouts.
- Equipment
- Machines
- Type
- Strength
- Animation
- Men and women
How to do it
- Position yourself in the hack squat machine, placing your back and shoulders against the pads.
- Stand with your feet at shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward.
- Grip the handles or side bars for stability.
- Disengage the safety bars and start in a standing position.
- Inhale and brace your core. As you exhale, bend your knees and hips to lower your body into a deep squat.
- Go down as far as your flexibility allows, aiming to get your thighs below parallel to the floor.
- Keep your back straight and press through your heels to lift your body back up.
- Extend your legs fully at the top of the movement, returning to the starting position.
Common mistakes
- Lifting your heels off the footplate at the bottom shifts excessive shear stress onto the patellar tendons.
- Allowing your lower back or pelvis to round off the back pad compromises the lumbar spine under load.
- Letting your knees cave inward on the ascent creates poor joint tracking and increases the risk of knee strain.
- Locking your knees out forcefully at the top transfers load away from the quadriceps onto the joint structures.
Tips
- Keep your lower back and sacrum firmly pinned against the padded sled throughout the entire range of motion.
- Control the descent to avoid relying on machine bounce at the deepest point of the squat.
- Adjust foot placement slightly forward on the platform if your ankles lack the mobility to hit full depth without heel lift.
Sets and reps
For muscle growth, aim for 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps, resting 2 to 3 minutes between heavy sets. For muscular endurance, perform 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps with shorter rest intervals of 60 to 90 seconds.
Muscles worked
Your coach guides every set
Turn on the coach in Gloox: it asks how you feel, picks the weight from your history and cues technique and rest. Rate each set and the next one is tuned to you.
On a computer? Point your phone's camera here to get the app.
Questions
Is the sled hack squat easier on the lower back than a barbell back squat?
Yes, the back pad supports your torso and eliminates most axial spinal loading, provided your hips remain firmly against the pad.
How deep should you go in a full hack squat?
Lower the sled until your thighs break parallel with the footplate, but stop just before your pelvis begins to tilt forward off the support pad.
