Reverse Banded Hack Squats – Why You Should Add to Your Leg Day
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Are you tired of having knee pain or being stuck at a certain weight when hack squatting? If so, reverse banded hack squats could be a great solution for you and complement your workout routine.
What Are Reverse Banded Hack Squats?
Reverse banded hack squats are a variation of the traditional hack squat where resistance bands are used to ease the tension at the bottom of the movement. The bands are simply attached to the top of the hack squat machine and looped around the weight area.
By assisting during the deepest part of the movement, reverse banding allows lifters to train with heavier weights by reducing tension at the bottom while maintaining full resistance at the top. This workout, along with reverse band squats, can serve as an excellent option for those looking to increase muscle hypertrophy, overcome strength plateaus, and reduce the risk of joint injury- while still achieving the full range of motion.
Benefits of Reverse Banded Hack Squat
- Reduced Joint Stress – Assists during the deepest part of the movement, reducing the likelihood of knee or lower back strain.
- Improves Strength Through Full Range of Motion – The band’s assistance at the most challenging part of the movement, gives lifters the upper hand- while still maintaining a full range of motion.
- Overcoming “Sticking” Points – Lifters who struggle to further progress their hack squat weight can use the band to test their strength and maintain proper form, building strength for the real thing.
- Heavier Loads with Less Risk – The bands allow you to lift more while reducing overall joint stress, making it great for athletes and power lifters to increase their strength safely.
- Greater Quad and Glute Activation – Reverse banded hack squats engage your quads and glutes more effectively than a tradition hack squat. This is due to the slight outward shift caused by the movement.
How to Set Up Reverse Banded Squats (Step-By-Step)
- Attach bands to the top of the machine (may have to make a loop if there are no bars/handles).
- Loop the bands around the shoulder supports.
- Make sure the bands are safely secured and prevented from any risks of breaking.
- Test the band tension without any weight in order to match your strength level and desired assistance.
- Load up the desired weight after testing.
- Maintain feet being shoulder-width apart and control your movements.
Never lock your knees at the top of the movement when doing hack squats!
Muscles Worked
The reverse band squat is a solid compound movement targeting many muscle groups, with an emphasis on the quads and glutes.
- Quads
- Glutes
- Hamstring
- Core
- Calves
Common Mistakes and Solutions
If bands are too loose, they won’t provide enough resistance. Conversely, if they are too tight, they make the lift too easy. Solution: If available, test bands with different tensions and experiment with them. The right resistance solely depends on your preference and workout intent.
Not controlling your descent is another common mistake people face when attempting regular or modified hack squats. This is because going down too quickly decreases time under tension and increases the risk of joint and muscle strain. Solution: Lower yourself slowly to keep your muscles engaged. If it is too difficult, decrease the weight load.
A detrimental habit some lifters do is locking their knees out at the top. Although the knees may conform to this natural position, it can lead to more muscle strain, countering the intended effect of eased tension. Solution: Keep a slight hinge at the peak of the movement to prevent any injuries.
Improper foot placement from keeping your stance too wide or narrow can alleviate unwanted stress on the knees and uneven body distribution. Solution: Keep feet shoulder-width apart with a small outward angle to ensure proper knee traction and muscle engagement
Reverse Hack Squats vs. Reverse Banded Hack Squats – Which One is Better?
The choice between doing reverse banded hack squats, regular hack squats, or both, is subjective. The movement is the same, but components such as muscle emphasis, joint strain, and training goals make them stand out. Therefore, the effectiveness each one will have on your routine depends on how you use them. Here’s a breakdown on how regular hack squats and banded hack squats contrast:
Difficulty and Resistance
- Regular – The hardest part of the lift is the bottom.
- Banded – Provides slight assistance at the bottom, but the top of the movement still maintains the same amount of resistance as the standard hack squat.
Joint Stress
- Regular – Can be harder on the knees and lower back, if you struggle with mobility issues.
- Banded – Less discomfort and strain on the knees, making it more appealing to injury prone lifters.
Muscle Activation
- Regular – Puts extra tension on the quads
- Banded – Less tension on the muscles, but can allow you to squeeze and pause for longer leading to improved hypertrophy.
Who Should Do Reverse Banded Hack Squats?
This variation of the hack squats is great for many lifters with different goals and purposes in the gym. If regular hack squats feel too pressured on your joints, reverse banding offers a smooth and joint friendly alternative. Lifters who also struggle with squat depth and progressing strength can use the bands to move through sticking points easier.
In addition to the strain prevention, reverse banded hack squats can also be used to strategize lifts for body builders and certain athletes. The fundamentals of the movement allows you to reach more depth and train closer to failure, which can be key for muscle hypertrophy. The increased depth at the bottom also offers more resistance, allowing you to bring yourself higher in less time, making this a great exercise for explosive-training athletes.
Conclusion
In this guide, we covered the purpose of reverse banded hack squats and how you can incorporate it in your routine for maximum gain. This muscle activating lift is great for lifters who want to achieve more development- without the worry of staggering joint pain in the future.
If you’ve been overlooking this underrated hack squat variation, now’s the time to try! Let us know how it feels in the comments.
