Hack squat: the forgotten exercise for healing and strengthening your knees

The true hack squat , far from the incline machine exercise seen in gyms, is a great exercise for knee rehabilitation and strengthening.

Created by George Hackenschmidt at the beginning of the 20th century, this exercise is a valuable asset for acquiring strong and functional knees!

Who is George Hackenschmidt?

George Hackenschmidt, nicknamed “The Russian Lion,” is one of the pioneers of professional wrestling and bodybuilding.

Of German-Baltic origin, Hackenschmidt has been involved in sports and fitness since a young age.

Among other things, he was a high-level gymnast, athletics and weightlifter.

He quickly excelled in various sports.

At the age of 20, he won first place in the Russian weightlifting championship and the European Greco-Roman wrestling championship, all in the same year.

A Greco-Roman wrestling champion

Hackenschmidt began his wrestling career in the late 19th century and became one of the first world champions in professional wrestling.

In 1901 he won the World Greco-Roman Wrestling Championship.

His impressive physique (1m75 for 100kg), his technique and his brute strength have allowed him to become an emblematic figure of wrestling, but also of physical preparation.

During his career, he won around 3000 wrestling matches without a single defeat, before conceding two, finishing the majority of his fights in less than 2 minutes!

A very high level strength and bodybuilding practitioner

Outside of wrestling, Hackenschmidt is also known for his contributions to bodybuilding and powerlifting.

He has won several titles in weightlifting.

He popularized several exercises including the hack squat, which bears his name, as well as the bench press, which he created!

His training principles have influenced many athletes and bodybuilders, and Hackenschmidt is considered a pioneer of bodybuilding and powerlifting.

• He was able to jump over a chair until he was 87 years old!

A model of healthy longevity!

A writer and philosopher

George Hackenschmidt was also a man of letters and a thinker.

He wrote several books on health, physical strength and philosophical treatises, among which “The Way to Live” is the most famous.

In his writings, he advocated not only the importance of physical strength, but also of mental discipline and perseverance.

Hackenschmidt spoke seven languages!

He perfectly embodies the definition of the Mouvers!

What is the hack squat?

The hack squat, also known as the “hack lift,” is a strength training exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps with an emphasis on the vastus medialis (the part of the quadriceps near the knee and connected to the kneecap).

This is a complete lower body exercise that also works your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back muscles.

Unlike the modern hack squat performed on a machine, the traditional hack squat is performed with a free bar and its execution differs in many ways.

This is the exercise that Hackenschmidt favored to achieve diamond knees and which allowed him to maintain impressive athletic qualities until a very old age!

Benefits of the hack squat for self-rehabilitation or how to heal and strengthen your knees.

The Hack squat allows for very targeted work of the quadriceps and particularly the vastus medialis.

The pressure placed on the knee and the “VMO” is unlike any other exercise

This is the main benefit of the exercise, to be not only a relevant exercise to work the lower body, but above all to allow a strengthening of the muscles and tendons around the knee!

How to do the hack squat?

To perform this exercise correctly, stand with your feet hip-width apart and a barbell in your hands placed behind your legs.

Holding the bar with an overhand grip (palms facing back), lower yourself by bending your knees and hips.

Keep your back straight and the bar close to the rear chain in parallel.

We descend, accompanying the load without letting ourselves fall, until the thighs are parallel to the ground or slightly below.

If the exercise is performed correctly, the knees should be well in front of the feet, and the feet should be raised onto the toes in the squat flexion phase.

The bar should be close to the heels.

Once in a squat, push off the front of your foot to return to the starting position.

This exercise is particularly effective for strengthening the quadriceps and improving knee stability.

It improves coordination and mobility of the lower limbs.

Hack Squat Alternatives for Beginners

The hack squat is a demanding exercise for the knee joint and should be performed with a high degree of awareness.

It is not suitable for beginners unless you are already an experienced practitioner.

You will then need to move towards the “slant squat”, put forward by Ben Patrick aka “knee over toes guy” which is a squat performed with the foot placed on a surface inclined forward, or towards a Hindu squat.

Hindu Squat

Once your knees are well trained on these two exercises, you can try the Hack squat with a light load!

Hack Squat Progression

To progress, you simply need to gradually load your bar.

The quality of execution is paramount in this exercise and must be the top priority.

The load should be increased in small increments.

At Mouvers, the focus is and always will be the quality of the movement!

You can find the Hack squat and many other exercises in the NEVER HURT YOUR KNEES™ V2 training

Nomad Slim
Founder of MOUVERS