Smith Hack Squat

Setup

1. 01Set the Smith bar at roughly mid-thigh height behind you.
2. 02Stand facing away from the bar with feet shoulder width, slightly forward.
3. 03Squat down and grip the bar behind the legs with a shoulder-width overhand grip.
4. 04Flatten the back, lift the chest, and rotate the bar to unrack.

Execution

1. 01Stand up by driving through the whole foot until hips and knees extend.
2. 02Keep the bar brushing the back of the thighs on the rails.
3. 03Lower under control by bending the knees and sitting down, not folding over.
4. 04Touch down lightly at the start height and repeat.

Checkpoints

• -Chest stays lifted with a neutral spine at the bottom.
• -Knees travel forward together over the toes without caving.
• -Bar path stays snug behind the legs.
• -Heels remain flat through the drive.

Common mistakes

• -Letting the hips shoot up first, turning it into a stiff-leg pull.
• -Rounding the back to reach the bar at setup.
• -Scraping the bar hard into the hamstrings from standing too close.
• -Rushing the descent and losing the bottom position.