Leg Day

[pumpseeker]

Here's a couple pics from leg day last week. I got 8 reps with this but let me tell you...

[pumpseeker]

THEY WERE DEEP!

[broncojosh]

how many on each side?

[pumpseeker]

5 plates each side

[BigGreen]

I've never had the experience of using a hack squat machine....I'm assuming that, in terms of the number of plates one can stack on each side, one can do significantly more than traditional squatting, but significantly less than the leg press? I love the "action" photos taken midworkout that get posted here. If I didn't feel like such an ass doing so I might do it myself. Hell, maybe i'll have the gf snap some pics when it's pretty well empty before closing.

[TheMudMan]

I like how the smiley face changes at the bottom of the movement.

[HeartDocMD]

The hacksquat is a great machine...the only drawback is that it is one of the main causes of knee injury when doing large amounts of weight, and going way down....if the weight starts to feel too heavy on the knees, try to wrap them up (I am sure you know that, but for others reading this thread.

[platinum]

Impressive! It's SO nice to see someone actually getting some depth on that machine, or squats, etc

[palme]

I love to see workout pics, you can feel the pain and smell the sweat

But deep = ass touches board hehe

[dangit]

I did hack squats last night myself and I'm feeling it today

I've got a small crappy webcam that takes low res pics by itself. I'll half to bring it to the gym sometimes and take some pics of workouts for fun. It even does low res videos so we could see some real action

[Pete235]

Originally posted by dangit
I did hack squats last night myself and I'm feeling it today

Me too...then again I've been feeling every single day after, ever since we hooked up for leg day!

[compwhiz16]

I love doing hack squats to mix it up. Yeah, I sometime wear knee staps too when I go heavy. Not as heavy as pumpseeker there though. My max. was 4.5 on each side.

[Wiggum]

I know that hacks are supposed to allow you to get more weight up than squats but I've always found them harder than squats. I've always been able to get more weight up with squats. Maybe it's because the movement's awkward for me but I'll do squats any day before hacks. Just my $.02.

[MikeW]

Hey pumpseeker, next time try putting your feet on the lower pad. It allows you to go even deeper!

[dangit]

If you put your feet on the lower pads... won't that put an incredible amount of stress on your knees. I was always told to do hacks with our knees always behind your toes. Well if there was an imaginary line going up from your toes at the angle of the hack squat machine (not sure if that makes sense or not).

It would really suck to blow your knees out by doing hacks. Ouch

[pumpseeker]

Originally posted by dangit
If you put your feet on the lower pads... won't that put an incredible amount of stress on your knees. I was always told to do hacks with our knees always behind your toes. Well if there was an imaginary line going up from your toes at the angle of the hack squat machine (not sure if that makes sense or not).

It would really suck to blow your knees out by doing hacks. Ouch

Agreed...besides, my hack doesn't have a lower pad.

[ripsid]

I did a Mike Mentzer special on the hacks...4 sec. down 4 up with no stopping at the top for 4 sets (1 serious f'n working set with 3 plates either side) I couldn't walk! and I can go deep with 5. Give it a try!
Or start with a super set of leg extensions and presses (the mentzer way) and then go to hacks...I've been doing a variation of his workout and then I'd mimmic one every so oftern and GD! It burns and makes it hard to walk! not to mention...when EVERYONE's doing chest on monday and I'm killing my legs....it's kind of funny!

SID!

[stillsmall]

Originally posted by ripsid
I did a Mike Mentzer special on the hacks...4 sec. down 4 up with no stopping at the top for 4 sets (1 serious f'n working set with 3 plates either side) I couldn't walk! and I can go deep with 5. Give it a try!
Or start with a super set of leg extensions and presses (the mentzer way) and then go to hacks...I've been doing a variation of his workout and then I'd mimmic one every so oftern and GD! It burns and makes it hard to walk! not to mention...when EVERYONE's doing chest on monday and I'm killing my legs....it's kind of funny!

SID!

my prayers are with you everytime you those mike mentzer specials..

[Strut99GT]

I *hate* hacks. They are the bane of my existence, I swear. But they do succed in making me massively sore, hehe.

[dangit]

Me and Pete have been doing squats first and hitting them as hard as possible, then we go straight to hack squats. It's a real good way to pre-exhaust them for hacks. Once we're done that, my legs are real shot. Then it's time for leg extensions and hams.

I find that my legs only grow if I hit the hell out of them and do at least two dif kind of squatting movements (be it hacks, squats, leg press, machine press, etc..)

Legs are a huge muscle and it takes a lot to really tax them so that they'll grow. Shame that I didn't know this when I was younger.

Now if I could only manage to squat 5 plates a side on power rack and make that bar bend, then I'd be one happy guy. There is nothing cooler than seeing a guy squat with a bar that is flexing and bending due to the enormous weight he's got on there.

[usualsuspect]

Do you think hack squats burn? If so, then try doing one leg hack squats. I usually do three sets of 12 reps for each leg and let me tell you...I can hardly walk out to my car afterwards. There that painful!
I would say if you could do them w/ weight your first time then your probably not doing them right. And make sure to plant your foot at the top of the foot tray.

~US~

[dangit]

I used to do one legged leg presses before until I ended pulling my inner thigh muscle in both legs. They did work great as a nice alternative, but you either need to be real flexable or warm up very thoroughly first.

One legged hacks would be a real killer though

[pumpseeker]

how the hell do you keep your balance and what do you do with the other leg? Hang it below? Sounds dangerous to me.

[stillsmall]

Originally posted by pumpseeker
how the hell do you keep your balance and what do you do with the other leg? Hang it below? Sounds dangerous to me.

you might catch yourself walking one-legged for life from doing that, hahahaha

[pumpseeker]

Originally posted by dangit
Me and Pete have been doing squats first and hitting them as hard as possible, then we go straight to hack squats. It's a real good way to pre-exhaust them for hacks. Once we're done that, my legs are real shot. Then it's time for leg extensions and hams.

I took your advice tonight and did heavy squats, then hacks right after. I usually combine the leg press with one of them but that worked really well. Ronnie does his quads that way too in his video. I have yet to try his parking lot lunges though!

[shannah]

Originally posted by Wiggum
I know that hacks are supposed to allow you to get more weight up than squats but I've always found them harder than squats. I've always been able to get more weight up with squats. Maybe it's because the movement's awkward for me but I'll do squats any day before hacks. Just my $.02.

I do have to agree. I can put up close to 4.5 plates on each side for squat, but when it comes to hack, i struggle with 3 plates and a dime!

[Warrior]

Originally posted by shannah
I do have to agree. I can put up close to 4.5 plates on each side for squat, but when it comes to hack, i struggle with 3 plates and a dime!

Traditional squats are much more compound then Hack Squats. You use more muscle groups to lift the load with Squats... so you SHOULD be able to lift more weight. Hack Squats take you forward off your verticle plane to isolate the quads more (also, usually with a closer stance)... and when you limit the glute/ham recruitment - you lose some ability to push a heavier load. On the other hand, Leg Press you use a squat-type stance and without the balancing factor in Squats - you can lift a very heavy load.

[dangit]

I took your advice tonight and did heavy squats, then hacks right after. I usually combine the leg press with one of them but that worked really well. Ronnie does his quads that way too in his video. I have yet to try his parking lot lunges though!

[br]


That Ronnie is one freak of nature. I don't think I could muster enough energy hafter having done squats and hacks to do any lunges. Pete mentions it sometimes, but I wimp out. Wonder what the people at the gym would say if they'd see me try and sneak out an olympic bar and some plates outside to do lunges