There are a lot of reasons why we might want to avoid barbell back squats. The bar can be hard to balance, it can feel unstable, or we might not be able to use too much weight. However, we know we have to do something to work our leg muscles and other lower body muscles.
Thankfully, the hack squat and leg press exercises are excellent at working these muscle groups. When performed correctly, they can help lifters avoid many of the problems associated with regular squats while also promoting leg strength gains and hypertrophy.
Let's take a look at each movement to better understand the merits of the hack squat and the leg press and how each can serve as a solid alternative to common free weight exercises for leg training.
What is a Leg Press Machine?
There are many different types of leg press machines with the most common being the horizontal leg press machine. Because the leg press is a machine-based exercise, it allows for lifters to more safely use large loads in order to more efficiently build lower body strength and muscle mass.
During the leg press exercise, lifters use their legs to push weighted resistance away from them. The simplicity of the leg press exercise allows for a number of different variations, to include using one leg at a time and adjusting the pressing angle to more directly work the quads or glutes and hamstrings depending on the pad and/or lifter positioning.
Leg Press Pros
- Using the leg press machine is a great leg day alternative for those unable to perform barbell back squat or front squat exercises.
- The ability to load up the weight when leg pressing allows for excellent overall lower body strength development.
- Can easily work on one leg at a time, alternating to a different leg each set. This can be especially beneficial when rehabbing an injured or otherwise weaker leg.
Leg Press Cons
- The leg press machine is great for strength training, but is not overly functional. You aren't likely to find yourself having to push large objects away from you using only your legs.
- Because you're simply lying down in the machine, leg pressing doesn't promote balance and stability in the same manner as any type of barbell squat movement.
What is a Hack Squat Machine?
On first glance, the hack squat machine looks similar to a leg press machine. In some cases, specially designed leg press machines can even be converted into hack squat machines simply by adjusting the padded seat.
The hack squat exercise combines the best elements of the barbell squat and leg press exercises. Like squats, using a hack squat machine requires lifters to maintain a semi-upright position. Like the leg press, hack squats provide lifters with the opportunity to load a lot of weight during the exercise. Using the hack squat machine provides you the best of these worlds and does an outstanding job of working all of the muscles in your lower body.
Hack Squat Pros
- Superior for those who want to specifically target your quads and glutes.
- Excellent for hypertrophy and making more aesthetic gains.
- Safety stops, pins, or other devices ensure that lifters remain safe at all times, even under heavy loads.
Hack Squat Cons
- Almost impossible to work a single leg at a time (the leg press is a better exercise for this).
- While good for overall leg development, lifters cannot usually lift as much when performing machine hack squats as the can leg pressing.
Leg Press and Hack Squat Enthusiasts Both Say "Don't Skip Leg Day!"
Leg presses are beloved by lifters everywhere while hack squats are a great addition to your lower body exercise arsenal. Although there are some significant differences between hack squats and leg presses, it's hard to go wrong with either when you're trying to blast the muscles of the lower body.
And the best part about the machines? They leave you no excuse to skip leg day!
Since the leg press is highly accessible, even for beginners, and the hack squat learning curve is quite low, sometimes getting a complete leg workout is as simple as moving a pin and adjusting the seat of the machine. Maybe leg day will even become your favorite training day of the week!
Frequently Asked Questions
Determining whether you should include the hack squats vs leg presses for your next workout can be difficult if you are not totally familiar with the exercises. Let's answer a few more questions about these exercises.
Are hack squats and leg presses effective squat variations during a dedicated leg workout?
The barbell squat may be "the king of exercise" but both the hack squat and leg press are good alternatives for targeting the lower body muscles in a leg day workout. Like the squat, the hack squat places lifters in a more upright position while the leg press allows for more weight to be lifted than squats do.
Neither hack squats nor leg presses will allow lifters to work on their overall stability like squats do. If this is a major priority for you, be sure that you don't completely remove barbell squats from your workout program.
Does the hack squat or leg press allow the same range of motion as a barbell squat?
It is almost impossible to replicate the range of motion of the barbell back squat and neither the hack squat nor the leg press can quite compete with it. However, the squat is exhausting, especially during very heavy or high-rep sets and when lifters grow fatigued, they may begin to round their lower backs. Meanwhile, it is much more difficult, even under fatigue, for form to be compromised when performing hack squats or leg presses.
Leg press vs hack squat ... which is the better leg exercises for lower body strength development?
Hacks squats might be the best exercises for overall lower body aesthetic development, but the ability to load the most weight of any other machine makes the leg press the champion of lower body strength development.
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