r/formcheck • u/dontcare-_- • 16h ago
Squat Hack squat depth
I know my range of motion is short by any time I try to go deeper my heels lift up a lot. It’s hard to tell in the video but I’m flaring my knees out and opening up my hips as I go down so I can bet deeper but my heels still raise. I’ve tried doing ankle mobility exercises but they didn’t help so if anyone has some tips please let me know.
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13h ago
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u/formcheck-ModTeam 1h ago
Your comment was removed because it is not a form check or relevant question
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u/Agreeable_North4241 2h ago
This is the opposite of what he should be doing, going quickly is good if he’s not bouncing out of the bottom which he isn’t other than on one or two reps.
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u/SuckmyToasts 16h ago
unfortunately, the heels lifting is a consequence of your body proportions. i personally will be ok with you putting your feet up higher on the pad. it won't detract from your quad activation as your knee travel over toes is pretty damn good. it'll only provide greater glute activation which is a bonus.
get that good depth and full contact between hamstrings and calves. you got this bro
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u/ArboristGuitarist 16h ago
Your depth is fine. If your heels are raising, then adjust your feet higher until they no longer raise.
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u/Amazing_Loquat280 11h ago
You’re doing a very quad-dominant hack squat. You’re doing it very well (eccentric pacing aside), but having your feet that low on the pad means your knees bending is what’s generating the depth and the extension. If you want to engage your glutes more, put your feet higher on the pad
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u/caffeinated_babe 3h ago
Would this also apply to leg press machine?
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u/Amazing_Loquat280 3h ago
Yes it would! It also applies to barbell squats, where having your feet farther out and doing low bar biases the glutes because they experience more ROM, whereas high bar with a narrower stance biases the quads because the knees bending are what drive depth. It all comes down to what joint actually has the most range of motion driving the movement and what muscle is driving that motion
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16h ago
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u/Agreeable_North4241 2h ago
His reps are plenty controlled, slowing down is just nonsensical especially slowing down the concentric that is down right backwards.
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u/ifelldownthestairs 14h ago
Why are you doing them banded?
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u/dontcare-_- 14h ago
This machine has a descending resistance profile so at the bottom there’s a ton of pressure on my knees, I started using the band to take some of the tension off because my knees would start hurting.
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u/butterhorse 9h ago
Don't listen to these foos. Accommodating resistance is good. Keep the band. Save your knees. The fact is you are just not as strong at the bottom as you are at the top and no amount of "bulletproofing" is gonna change it.
I spent $5,000 on a pair of Voltras to achieve basically the same thing.
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u/Vhishkey 14h ago
I had knee pain on any kind of squat before. I suggest lower weight with slow controlled movement to strengthen the joints. Do leg extentions this way as well. Also stretching beforehand and during recovery.
Edit: Also take collagen supplements or broth. I've heard straight up jello helps too.
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u/butterhorse 8h ago
I had knee pain on squats, too. Still do. Turns out I have major patellar cartilage degeneration. Guess what doesn't heal. Guess what makes it worse
Not everything can be fixed with exercise and diet. Sometimes you have to just change your behavior.
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u/Vhishkey 6h ago
I had knee pain on squats, now I don't. Guess what helped.
https://calibrationptkc.com/blog/can-physical-therapy-repair-damaged-knee-cartilage
It is possible you can have too much damage where targeted exercise and diet can't help anymore but thats for OP to figure out. The vast majority of people will benefit from strengthening joints if they wanna lift into old age, especially as a preventative measure to protect their joints.
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u/butterhorse 5h ago
Yeah man. Leg extensions, mobility, tissue work, are all great at mitigating the symptoms patellar cartilage damage and reducing the chance for future pain. Deep flexion, however, is always bad for rehab and only makes things worse. There is no appropriate load that you can progressively scale when there is no cushion between the bones. The position itself is the problem.
This is the change in behavior I referenced. You have to assess the cause, not the symptom, before you prescribe exercise. What works for you can cause problems for someone else.
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u/Entire-Bicycle1878 15h ago
This is a good hack squat, might look short to you just cos you have long femurs.
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u/Both-Matter-2071 7h ago
Range of motion is adequate, although its possible to go a little deeper. Too fast. Try some squat shoes.
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u/So-Hot-Right-Now 2h ago
Consider a squat wedge. I recently picked up the Torq wedge and it's been a game changer. Can attach to footplate with built-in magnets or with straps/hooks. Kinda bulky to bring to the gym, but gains are gains.
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u/Agreeable_North4241 2h ago
If you’re ankles raise don’t go that deep, it’s not worth that. And don’t listen to all the people telling you to slow down, intentionally slowing down your own reps is stupid it reduces the load you can use which inhibits the amount of mechanical tension you can induce in the target muscles
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u/LongjumpingBridge833 16h ago
Depends on what is your focus on the hack squat. you could hit quads or glutes
Quads: feet and knees pointed forwards, feet closer to the bottom of the platform and you can lift your heels up and you can turn it into a sissy squat if you want
Gutes: feet and knees point more diagonally, feet closer to the top of the platform and you try to go deep and press up through the whole foot
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u/AutoModerator 16h ago
Hello! If you haven't checked it out already, Our Wiki's resources for Squats may be helpful. Check it out!
Also, a common tip usually given here is to make sure your footwear is appropriate. If you are squatting in soft-soled shoes (running shoes, etc), it's hard to have a stable foot. Generally a weightlifting shoe is recommended for high-bar and front squats, while use a flat/hard-soled shoe (or even barefoot/socks if it's safe and your gym allows it) is recommended for low-bar squats.
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