Hack Squatting for the Deadlift

I'm gonna be honest, I had all but forgotten about the barbell hack-squat. You never really see anybody doing them and they're really not a flashy exercise. But you know who I did see doing them? A guy in his early 20's, weighing about 220 lbs that can deadlift over 600 lbs for a set of 2 with no belt, straps, etc. When you seem somebody that can move weight like that, you take notice! I had to try them for myself...

Photo courtesy of T-nation.com

I believe this exercise to be extremely beneficial to the conventional stance deadlifter for a number of reasons. First off, I think it's a great way to train for solid initial leg drive, as it really does put a lot of stress on the quads. Though it does isolate the quads to some extent, the hamstrings and glutes are still working at full-force. If anything, I've found that the hack squat makes it really easy to push through the heels, as you can't roll forward onto your toes since the bar is behind you and it therefore ensures that your hamstrings and glutes are taking on their fair share of the work. Lastly, it makes it easy to maintain the integrity of a neutral spine because you've got to pinch your shoulder blades tight and keep your chest up to be able to pull the bar straight up; if you don't have our shoulder blades tight and your chest up the bar is going to run straight into your ass and you won't be able to complete the full range of motion. And what happens when your shoulder blades are pulled back tight and your chest is up? Well, it makes it a whole lot easier to make sure that your lower back isn't working overtime.

This "forgotten" exercise is one that I think needs to make a comeback in the powerlifting and bodybuilding communities!