Dumbbell Hack Squat Guide: How To, Benefits, Muscles Worked, and Variations

The dumbbell hack squat is a squat variation that helps you better target your quadriceps. This exercise is a great fit for people who don’t have access to a hack squat machine at their gym or for folks that train in their barebone garage gym. 

The quadriceps is a group of muscles at the front of your thigh; quads contain more mass than any other muscle group in your body. The quadriceps femoris is a hip flexor and a knee extensor and consists of four individual muscles. The quadriceps are used for various functions, such as walking, running, standing,  kicking, and jumping.

Since your quads are such a large muscle group, you must emphasize them in your training regimen. Although the conventional barbell and air squat are great exercises to work your thighs, they engage your hamstrings and glutes more than the hack squat, removing tension from your quads. 

The dumbbell hack squat allows you to focus on your quads without going too heavy. Furthermore, many lifters report a greater range of motion while performing this exercise than the conventional squat because your heels are placed on an elevated platform, improving your mobility. 

This article covers everything you need to know about the dumbbell hack squat. You’ll learn how to perform this movement with the correct form, its benefits, target muscle groups, common mistakes, and its best variations and alternatives. 

What is Dumbbell Hack Squat?

The dumbbell hack squat is a hack squat machine alternative that helps emphasize your quads. It is an excellent lift for people who lack mobility and fail to achieve depth on the standard barbell back squat. 

Legendary strongman and wrestler George Hackenschmidt invented the barbell hack squat, which involves holding a barbell behind your back while squatting. Using dumbbells for this exercise makes the movement easier on your wrists, pecs, and shoulder joints. It also allows you to stay upright throughout the ROM, which isn’t the case with the barbell hack squat.

The dumbbell hack squat requires you to grab a dumbbell in each hand and place your heels on an elevated platform like a weight plate or squat wedge for better leverage. You must lower into a deep squat while keeping your torso upright. Your knees will extend in front of your toes during the eccentric (lowering) part of the lift, which will help engage your quadriceps better. 

Your goal with the dumbbell hack squat is to follow a full range of motion and contract your quads throughout the ROM. Chasing heavier weights will throw you off balance, leading to greater hamstring and glute stimulation. 

Modify your rep tempo to get the most out of this exercise. Follow a 4:1:1:1 rep tempo, which involves spending four seconds in the eccentric (lowering) motion, a second at the bottom static contraction, a second in the concentric (upward) movement, and a one-second pause at the top static contraction. 

Muscles Worked During Dumbbell Hack Squat

The dumbbell hack squat works the following muscles:

Quadriceps

The dumbbell hack squat primarily targets the quads. The four quad muscles are:

1. Rectus femoris: It originates at your hip bone and pelvis and has two heads. The rectus femoris is located in the middle of the front of your thigh and covers the most area. 
2. Vastus lateralis: It connects your thigh bone to your kneecap and is present on the outside of your thigh. 
3. Vastus medialis: It is located on the medial side of the femur, meaning it runs along the inside of your thigh. The vastus medialis is the smallest quadriceps muscle. 
4. Vastus intermedius: It is present under the rectus femoris and between the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis. 

Glutes

All squat variations will result in gluteal stimulation. You might experience a greater glute engagement in the dumbbell hack squat than the conventional squat as you achieve a greater depth while squatting with your heels on an elevated platform. This movement also results in adductor recruitment. 

Hamstrings

The dumbbell hack squat engages your hamstrings, but only slightly. Hamstrings engage at 120 degrees of knee flexion (the first 10-20% of the eccentric motion). The back of your upper legs primarily helps stabilize your quads and glutes during the squat. 

Calves

An extended range of motion on the squat will lead to total lower body engagement. Expect a nasty calf pump if you perform the dumbbell hack squat for a higher number of reps (15-20). 

Abs

Since the dumbbell hack squat requires you to plant your heels on an elevated platform, you need a solid core to keep your torso upright throughout the exercise. You might also have to work on your mobility to perform this exercise with the correct form. 

Benefits of Dumbbell Hack Squat

Adding the dumbbell hack squat to your training regimen entails the following advantages:

Helps Build Muscle Mass and Strength

You can program dumbbell hack squats into your training regimen based on your objectives. Stay in the 8-12 rep range to build muscle mass, and use the 1-5 range for adding strength to your lower body. [1]

Use a slow and controlled motion to ignite hypertrophy. Conversely, you should follow an explosive movement pattern to train for strength gains. 

Better Quad Engagement

You perform the dumbbell hack squat with your heels planted on an elevated platform, which increases your range of motion. An extended movement range results in optimal quadriceps engagement. Ensure you don’t lock out your knees at the top of the movement to maintain constant tension on your quads throughout the exercise. 

Easy on Your Lower Back

A barbell back squat compresses your spine as it requires you to load a barbell onto your shoulders. On the other hand, you hold the dumbbells at the back of your hamstrings while performing the dumbbell hack squat, which removes tension from your lower back and allows you to focus on your target muscle group. 

Requires Minimal Equipment

Most lifters don’t have a hack squat machine in their home gyms. Furthermore, many commercial gyms lack this specialized training machine. The dumbbell hack squat targets the same muscle group using minimal equipment. You only need a pair of dumbbells and an elevated platform like a squat wedge or a weight plate. 

How To Do a Dumbbell Hack Squat

Below is how to perform the dumbbell hack squat with the correct form:

Steps:

1. Place your heels on a squat wedge or a weight plate and assume a shoulder-wide stance. 
2. Turn your toes slightly outward to a comfortable position. 
3. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and place the back of your hands against your hamstrings. Your palms should be facing the wall behind you. 
4. Keep your torso upright and look straight ahead. This will be your starting position. 
5. Lower toward the floor by bending at your knees and pushing them forward. 
6. Keep your torso perpendicular to the floor throughout the range of motion. 
7. Squat as low as possible. Your hamstring should touch your calves at the bottom. 
8. Return to the starting position by driving through your heels. 
9. Pause and contract your quads at the top. 
10. Repeat for recommended reps. 

Dumbbell Hack Squat Tips:

1. Focus on lowering yourself by pushing your knees forward. Don’t worry about your knees extending beyond your toes. 
2. Lower with a slow and controlled motion and get out of the hole with an explosive movement. 
3. You must lower the weight or adjust the height of the elevated platform if you find yourself leaning forward or backward during the lift. 
4. Although you could perform this exercise with your feet flat on the floor, most people tend to bend forward because of a lack of mobility. 
5. You can also hold the dumbbells at your sides if you have difficulty maintaining your balance while holding them behind your legs. 

Common Mistakes While Performing a Dumbbell Hack Squat

Here are the most common mistakes lifters commit while doing the dumbbell hack squat:

Rounding Your Back

Many lifters tend to round their back during the eccentric (lowering) part of the dumbbell hack squat, which can place unnecessary tension on their lower back. You must keep an upright torso throughout the ROM for optimal quad engagement. Work on your mobility if you have trouble achieving depth without rounding your back. 

Bending Forward and Backward

Perfecting the dumbbell hack squat requires practice. Holding the dumbbells behind your legs might throw you off balance. Beginners should do this exercise with the dumbbells at their sides. Furthermore, going too heavy can lead you to swing your torso back and forth. Minimize your chances of swinging your upper body like a pendulum by using a weight you can handle for the recommended reps. 

Using Too Wide a Stance

You should stick to a shoulder-wide stance while performing this hack squat variation to maintain an upright torso at the bottom of the ROM. Using too wide a foot placement can cause you to bend forward during the eccentric part of the lift. 

Variations and Alternatives of Dumbbell Hack Squat

Spice up your training regimen with the following dumbbell hack squat variations and alternatives:

Foam Roller Dumbbell Hack Squat

This is an advanced version of the dumbbell hack squat and requires a foam roller. Placing the foam roller between your back and wall forces you to keep an upright torso, which can be great for people dealing with back issues. 

Steps:

1. Stand a few inches away from a wall with your back toward it. Position your heels shoulder-width apart on a squat wedge. 
2. Place a foam roller horizontally between your mid back and the wall. 
3. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and place it at your sides. 
4. Lower toward the floor by bending at your knees and pushing them forward. 
5. Go as deep as possible. Your hams should touch your calves at the bottom. 
6. Explode to the start position. 
7. Pause and contract your quads at the top. 

Barbell Hack Squat

The hack squat is named after its inventor, George Hackenschmidt. He debuted this exercise at a strongman competition. Hackenschmidt is also credited as the inventor of the bench press. 

Steps:

1. Stand upright with a shoulder-wide stance. 
2. Place a barbell against your calves. 
3. Grab the bar with a slightly wider-than-shoulder-width grip. Your palms should be facing the wall behind you. 
4. Your quads should be parallel to the floor at the starting position. 
5. Lift the bar off the floor by driving through your heels, extending your knees, pushing your hips forward, and raising your chest. 
6. Pause and contract your quads at the top. 
7. Slowly return to the start position. 
8. Repeat for recommended reps. 

Check out our complete barbell hack squat guide!

Machine Hack Squat

The machine hack squat is popular for its quad-engaging capabilities. It is why we’re talking about the dumbbell hack squat in the first place. You should make the most of this equipment if you can access it. 

Steps:

1. Load the machine with a suitable weight. 
2. Position your shoulders and back against the pads.
3. Place your feet shoulder-width apart.
4. Extend your legs and release the safety handles.
5. Slowly lower the weight by bending your knees.
6. Go as low as possible.
7. Pause at the bottom for optimal quad activation.
8. Explode back to the start position. 
9. Repeat for recommended repetitions.

Check out our complete machine hack squat guide!

Zercher Squat

The Zercher squat is an advanced squat variation. It doesn’t compress your spine and helps you maintain an upright torso because you hold the barbell before your midsection while performing this lift. 

Steps:

1. Set up a barbell at navel level in a squat rack.
2. Pin your elbows to your sides and extend your lower arms forward. Your palms should face the ceiling. 
3. Place the bar in your elbow crooks between the biceps and forearms. Interlace your fingers and raise your lower arms toward the ceiling, so your arms form a “V.”
4. Unrack the bar and step back. 
5. Lower toward the floor by bending at your knees and pushing your hips back. Maintain an upright torso throughout the ROM. 
6. Return to the start position. 

Check out our complete Zercher squat guide!

Bulgarian Split Squat

The Bulgarian split squat is a unilateral exercise that can help fix muscle and strength imbalances by allowing you to focus on one side of your body at a time. 

Steps:

1. Stand upright with your back toward a flat bench. 
2. Grab a dumbbell in each hand.
3. Place your left foot on the bench and assume a shoulder-wide stagger stance. 
4. While keeping your torso perpendicular to the floor, lower your body until your right thigh is at least parallel to the floor. 
5. Return to the start position. 
6. Repeat for recommended reps before switching sides. 

Check out our complete Bulgarian split squat guide!

Wrapping Up

The dumbbell hack squat is an incredibly effective exercise that can help build bigger and stronger quads. It is a game changer for folks who don’t have access to a hack squat machine at their gym or those who train at their humble home gym. 

Following a full range of motion while keeping an upright torso is key to getting the most out of this exercise. Add variety to your training regimen by programming the dumbbell hack squat variations and alternatives into your workouts. Best of luck!

References

1. Krzysztofik M, Wilk M, Wojdała G, Gołaś A. Maximizing Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Dec 4;16(24):4897. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16244897. PMID: 31817252; PMCID: PMC6950543.

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