my first hack squats

[Q.]

I tried these today. Of course, I started light and it was pretty easy. As I got heavier, I started getting hung up on the back of my thighs. I checked out MR. EXERCISE on ExRx (he still didn't have his shirt on [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]) and didn't pick up much there. Do I just need more practice or is there a technique I'm not aware of?

[Alextown]

I never really felt I did them right either Q. Didn't care much for them, that's for sure

[Lost Dog]

When I do them, I squat down and grab the bar, then extend my legs, which brings the bar to just under my butt cheeks, then I continue to straighten my legs until I'm upright. Then I reverse things.

The bar doesn't really move up and down in relation to your thighs, as that would mean you were shrugging and dipping your shoulders as you go up and down.

Did you elevate your heels on a couple of plates? That's the common recommendation for doing hack squats, too.

[Q.]

No, didn't use the plates. Not sure what the increase in weight did but that caused me to no longer get past my hamstrings.

So, if you are familiar with these, what do you think about them?

[Lost Dog]

I like them, but I'm not as flexible as I like. For instance, I have to sumu deadlift, You can't sumo hacksquat, though. But, the plates help.

With hack squats, it's hard for me to get all the way down there, you know? The irony is that I have to use light weights, but the light weights are smaller in diameter, so the bar is lower to the ground. Damn the laws of physics!

So, the only way I can really do them is at the end of my routine, after I've done front or back squats to loosen up.