Looking for some ways to mix up your leg day routine? Here are my favorite hack squat alternatives for building strong and muscular legs.
Hack squats are an excellent machine-based exercise to help you pay extra attention to your quads.
Not only are they fully adjustable (thanks to the variable weight of the), but they increase the amount of weight you can lift (compared to the back squat1) and maximize the recruitment of your glutes and quads.
All in all, I highly recommend them for anyone who has a hack squat machine.
But what if you’re working out at home and you just don’t have space for another machine? How can you get a good leg workout without a hack squat machine?
Simple: try one of the hack squat alternatives below!
I’ll share with you some of my favorite leg exercises that make a great alternative to hack squats, allowing you to focus on shredding the same muscles in a similar way to hack squats.
Let’s jump right in.
Hack Squat – Overview
I’ll be the first to admit that I probably spend more time on the leg press machine than I do on the hack squat machine.
As you’ll see in the article I wrote about hack squat vs leg press, leg presses are slightly safer (and thus better for my injury-prone knees).
However, hack squats are definitely a lower body exercise worth incorporating into your workout for the simple reason that they WORK!
Hack squats target critical lower body muscles:
- Quads (the prime movers)
- Glutes (support the quads)
- Hamstrings (work with the glutes)
- Calves (brace/support your lower legs)
- Abdominals (brace support your upper body to carry the weight)
But did you notice one important muscle missing from this particular leg exercise? Can you guess which it was?
That’s right: it’s the lower back!
With front squats, back squats, box squats, sumo squats, and pretty much every other type of free weight squat around, your lower back muscles have to engage to keep your torso upright and stable while you squat.
For people with back issues (like myself), they are a risky proposition because of their potential for injury.
One of the primary benefits of the hack squats is that they totally remove your back muscles from the equation. Because you’re leaning against the hack squat machine, your legs are doing all the heavy lifting.
See also: Hack Squat Foot Positions: 7 Foot Placements and the Benefits of Each
Hack squats are much safer on your lower back than regular squats, which is why they’re an excellent exercise to include in your workout (especially if you’re injured/recovering).
A few quick pros of hack squats include:
- Excellent lower body focus
- Increase knee and hip flexion
- Higher load capacity than free weight squats
- No lower back engagement
- Higher stabilization
Of course, hack squats do have some cons as well:
- Greater strain on the knees
- Requires an expensive/bulky machine (not ideal for home gyms)
Honestly, this last “con” is the main reason that people have to look for a hack squat alternative.
Because they can’t fit another machine into their home gym (or don’t want to drop thousands of dollars on a hack squat machine), they’re left with no choice but to consider another exercise.
But don’t worry!
All the hack squat alternatives I share below will give you an equally effective lower body workout and help you target your quads (along with your glutes and hamstrings) for more powerful, shredded legs!
Key Things to Look for in a Hack Squat Alternative
The key when looking for a hack squat alternative is to find an exercise that moves your body through as similar a range of motion as possible.
Hack squats are, at their core, a squat. They involve the standard squatting motion (hinging at the hips, bending the knees, lowering to the 90-degree angle, and driving through the heels to push back up) only using a machine instead of free weights.
The good news is that most free weight-based squats will be a suitable alternative to hack squats.
However, as you’ll see below, there are a few that are most “alike” to hack squats—making them the best alternatives.
My Favorite Hack Squat Alternatives
Exercise 1: Leg Presses
If you read my hack squat vs leg press article, you’ll see that I compared the two exercises and found them very similar.
They’re both machine-based, isolate your lower body muscles, remove your lower back from the equation, and transition through the full squatting range of motion.
One great thing about leg presses is that they’re gentler on your knees than hack squats, so they’re one of my favorite alternatives to consider.
Related: Leg Press Foot Placement: 6 Foot Positions and the Benefits of Each
Plus, they’re insanely effective for shredding your quads and building more powerful glutes.
To perform this exercise:
- Sit/lie down on the leg press bench, with your feet pressed firmly against the sled and your hands gripping the support handles.
- Press upward to extend your legs fully (without locking your knees!), and turn the handles to remove the “safety” from the weight.
- Under control, let the sled slide down the track until your legs reach a 90-degree angle. Stop before your heels lift off the sled—they should stay firmly grounded at all times.
- Drive through your heels and push upward on the sled to fully extend your legs (NEVER lock your knees!). Pause for a 1-count at the top, then start again.
- Repeat as desired.
Exercise 2: Barbell Hack Squat
This is an interesting variation that uses free weights to mimic the load and movement of a hack squat, a great option if you don’t have a machine.
With a barbell hack squat, the weight is placed behind your legs, so it will pull your body backward as you go through the squatting motions.
This will not only encourage you to lean forward slightly to compensate, but also bend your knees and engage the quads more in order to maintain your balance.
It’s not the easiest exercise to perform—not ideal for beginners—but if you’ve got no hack squat machine, it’s a viable alternative to add into your repertoire.
To perform this exercise:
- Start with your feet spread shoulder width apart, toes facing forward, spine and neck straight. Grip the barbell in an overhand grip behind your back, letting it hang down to your butt.
- Make a conscious effort to keep your upper body as straight as possible, and avoid rounding in the back as you hinge at the hips and bend your knees into the squat.
- Let the weight slide down the backs of your legs, and stop squatting when you reach a 90-degree angle.
- Drive through the heels and push the floor away from you to stand up.
- Pause for a 1-count at the top, then repeat as desired.
Exercise 3: Goblet Squat
The goblet squat is an excellent exercise for anyone who wants to reduce the load/strain on their lower back (like hack squats) while still shredding their quads.
Because it uses a kettlebell or dumbbell placed directly in front of your chest, it hits your joints and muscles from nearly the same angles as the hack squat.
As a bonus, you also get a shoulder/arm workout by holding the weight throughout the squat set. Now that’s a “pro” you can definitely love!
To perform this exercise:
- Stand with your feet slightly broader than shoulder-width apart, your back straight, and head up.
- Grip a dumbbell or kettlebell in front of your chest (typically about chin height).
- Hinge at the hips and bend at the knees, but keep your back as straight as possible as you lower into the squat. Make sure to keep your knees tracking over your toes.
- Stop once you crack the 90-degree angle (or go lower still if you want a deeper squat and greater stretch) and pause for a 1-count at the bottom of the movement.
- Drive through the heels as you push back up to standing. Finish the movement with a little forward thrust of the hips to engage the glutes.
- Repeat as desired.
Exercise 4: Belt Squat
Belt squats are one of my absolute favorite exercises!
They totally eliminate any load on your lower back because the belt supporting the weight is resting directly on your hips.
There are some solid benefits to belt squats. I recommend them for anyone recovering from lower back pain/injury, or who want to focus more on the lower body engagement without worrying about their upper body form.
Belt squats enable you to mimic the knees-forward position of the hack squat, making it an excellent alternative to perform even if you have no leg press or hack squat machine.
Really, all you’ll need is a dip belt, a weight disc (or three), and two elevated platforms (like box jump boxes) to stand on, and you’re good to go!
Most gyms also have dedicated belt squat machines that make loading this exercise and proper range of motion a breeze.
To perform this exercise:
- Place the two elevated platforms side by side, with a suitable gap in the middle. Climb onto the platforms and stand with your feet spread slightly beyond shoulder width apart.
- Strap on the dip belt, and suspend a weight disc of the correct weight from the chain.
- Bend your knees and hinge at the hips to lower into the squat. Focus on keeping your torso upright, your back straight, and your knees tracking over your toes.
- Stop once you reach the 90-degree angle (thighs parallel to the ground) and pause for 1-count.
- Drive your heels into the platforms and push the ground away from you as you stand up. Finish with a small thrust of your hips to engage your glutes. Make sure not to lock your knees!
- Repeat as desired.
Hack Squat Alternatives – FAQs
What hack squat alternatives can I do at home?
Goblet squats, belt squats, and barbell hack squats are all suitable at-home alternatives.
Each requires a different type of weight/gym equipment, so you can choose the alternative for which you have the proper equipment.
What is the difference between a hack squat and a V-squat?
The two are very similar, with the primary difference being the angle of your knees. With hack squats, your toes are pointed directly forward, which means your knee track forward over your toes.
With V squats, however, your toes are pointed outward, so your legs form a V-shape when you squat. This changes the way your hips, knees, and ankles move throughout the exercise.
V squats also require more forward lean than hack squats, so there is a bit more engagement of your lower back along with your abs.
The Bottom Line
Hack squats are an excellent choice for anyone looking to step up their quad-building game.
However, if you don’t have a hack squat machine in your home gym, these alternatives I shared above will help you shred your leg muscles and still get an incredibly effective workout with just the equipment you have.
That’s the beauty of effective resistance training: there’s always another exercise you can try, another movement you can incorporate into your routine, and the result will still be the same muscle growth you’re working for!
More Hack Squat Guides Like This
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7 Benefits of Hack Squats (Plus Disadvantages, Muscles Worked, Form Tips). The hack squat is a killer squat variation for lifters who want to take leg day to the next level. Here’s your complete guide to the benefits, muscles worked, and form tips for the hack squat.
How to Do Split Squats Like a Pro (Plus Benefits, Muscles Worked, and More). The Split Squat is an excellent addition to your lower body workouts. Here’s how to do it like a champion, muscles worked, benefits, and more.
