Most people that go to the gym want to build muscle. There is no better exercise for building muscle for the legs than the squat! But there are so many variations of the squat, like the hack squat, and you don’t know which one you should choose.
In this blog post we dive into the different squat variations and which benefits each one as.
Why is the Squat so useful?
The squat is a compound movement. It means, to complete this movement, there are multiple joints to move. Additionally, squats can create a high degree of systemic failure, because they fatigue your whole body. There are multiple benefits in these movements, but also some downsides you should have before you start doing squats.
The Hack Squat
This movement is performed with a hack squat machine. The primarily trained muscles are the quads, hamstrings and glutes.
Credit: MensHealth
The benefits of the hack squat
On the one hand trains the hack squat the quads very well. If your focus lies on quads training, then the mevement is best, because the adductors and glutes hae limited activation. Additionally, by leaning into the machine, you get more stabilization and therefore, you are able to do more repetitions. On the other hand, you are able by adding more weight, to do low repetition workouts for strength as well. You can also perform the hack squat with a dumbbel, if there are no machines you can use.
The Downsides of the hack squat
Most of the hack squat machines are different many gyms, so if you are switching gyms on a regular basis, you might not get in used to the machine. Furthermore, there are different variations of the hack squat machine. Shorter people might have trouble getting the best stimulus by performing the hack squat. Additionally, the only variation possible are the foot placement and intensity.
The Bulgarian Split Squat
The Bulgarian split squat is a single leg exercise which targets the quads or the hamstrings depending on the placement of the front foot. It is performed by elevating the back foot on an elevation. Now, the body can be lowered into a split squat position.
Credit: MensHealth
The benefits of the Bulgarian split squat
Exercises that are performed with one leg at the time are called unilateral movement. The bulgarian split squat trains glutes, quads, adductors and hamstrings very well. In addition, the obliques and lower back are trained as well. By different foot placement and repetition ranges as well as intensity, a high variety for this movement is possible. Furthermore, the bulgarian split squat allows greater Range of motion than other squat variations and is a really good exercise for athletic performance.
The Downsides of the Bulgarian split squat
For this exercise is stabilization key, otherwise the risk of injuries though imbalances increase by a lot. Consequently, this movement has really high technical demand and also has a higher chance of uneven strength distribution, because you train your legs one at the time. Additionally, there is an increased lower back fatigue, because of stabilization and potential knee injuries by performing with bad technique.
The Sissy Squat
The Sissy squat might be less familiar than the other variations but it is worth mentioning. For safety reasons you should perform the sissy squat on a smith machine press. It involves leaning back while keeping the knees in place. Now, you lower your upper body, creating tension in the quads.
Credit: LegionAthletics
The benefits of the sissy squat
The sissy squat is a really good exercises for the quads, because you only train the quads as well as the muscle around the knee and the core. For that reason, it is the perfect exercise for the stronger knees. The posterior chain is not much involved.
The Downsides of the sissy squat
On the other hand the sissy squat is a really technical movement with a high risk to reward ratio. I would recommend, if you want to do this eercises, that you should focus at first on the technique with you bodyweight. In addition, it requires good mobility and flexibility in ankles, hips and knees. Cardio as well as losing technique over time are limiting factors for high repetition workout.
The Barbell back squat
The barbell back squat is the most common leg exercises with equipment. It is performed by placing a barbell on the traps and placing your feet to shoulder width. After that, you lower yourself in a squat position until the tights are parallel to the ground, but keeping you back straight and your upper body as high as possible. By returning to the starting position by pushing through the heels.
Credit: MensHealth
The benefits of the barbell back squat
The barbell back squat trains the squats very well, as well as the glutes, the adductors and the lower back as well. Most body sizes benefit from this movement, because it is a really good functional movement for real purposes in everyday life. It has many opportunities by switching up stances and enhancing intensity.
The Downsides of the barbell back squat
On the other hand, it can require a lot of technique training to master properly. By doing this movement with bad form a high risk of injury through imbalances can come up. To do a proper back squat, the quads might not be limiting factor. Lack of mobility and flexibility in the joints like hips and ankles mainly hinder a deeper squat. The posterior chain (low back, hamstrings and back) might get beat up as well and are not rested for the next training session.
The Barbell Front squat
Cardio is a limiting factor for high repetition workoutThe barbell front squat is similar to the barbell back squat. Differences are, that the barbell is placed in the front delts and not the traps. The focus lies more on the quads and the core and the most important technique part is to keep your back as straight as possible.
Credit: MensHealth
The benefits of the barbell front squat
The barbell front squat trains the squats very well and the glutes, the adductors and the lower back as well. This movement is a really good functional movement for real purposes in everyday life, a good ballistic movement and has important balance requirements. Just like the back squat are mobility in the joint a really needed feature for a deep and effective squat.
The Downsides of the barbell front squat
It requires a lot of technique training to master this exercise properly. For that reason the risk of injury through imbalances and bad technique are quite high. The quads might not be limiting factor, rather lack of mobility and flexibility in the hips and ankles. Additionally, the posterior chain (low back, hamstrings and back) gets hardly beat up. As well as for the barbell back squat is cardio a limiting factor for high repetition workout.
Conclusion
The squat is one of the most effective and well-known exercise for strength straining and muscle building. With that, comes variety and variations to stimulate the muscle in different positions and intensities, like hack squat or barbell back squat.
You should not focus on one particular squat variation for every lower body session. With switching between different squat variations, the muscle always gets different stimuli and you are not getting bored in training.
So keep grinding and switch up your lower body training and incorporate some of the tips and exercises you learned today.
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