Leg Press Vs Hack Squat Mass Building Benefits

In this QUAH Sal, Adam, & Justin answer the question "I know squats are best for leg development, but if you had to choose between the leg press and the hack squat which one is better?".

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"Leg Press Vs Hack Squat Mass Building Benefits"

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[HTXatLarge]

Hack > Press. After building a fair squat over the last few years & have used the leg press but not the hack squat. I recently started using the hack squat ( 2.5 weeks) and can attest that it's considerably reduced the struggle coming out of the hole on my heaviest squats. So much that I've adjusted my goals for the year.

[RoddyH-osjx]

The hack kills my knee's. Doesn't matter where I place my feet or how much weight I put on. my knees ain't having it. Yet I have zero knee problem on the leg press. The biggest I've ever gotten my quads was doing primarily leg press and weighted lunges. As long as your body feels good doing it leg press can give you great size and strength gains.

[tannerpoulter]

I love the leg press but one nice thing about a hack squat is getting a larger range of motion for the hip

[neganmarie]

This is a great podcast, extremely educational. Thanks guys!

[GrayLEVALE]

I really needed this. I’ve been trying to figure out which to switch barbell squats for on 2nd leg day of the week. The last bit of advice was solid. 4-6 weeks on one and 4-6 weeks on the other.

[filippo]

I’ve been lifting for 20 years and hack squat is undoubtedly superior to leg press. What good is loading a ton of weight on leg press when you can’t feel the legs working? A component of building muscle involves placing yourself in mechanically disadvantaged positions that challenge the muscles to the greatest degree possible — this is the essence of hack squat. Most don’t do it because it can be hard on the knees, BUT if you stay consistent and work on form, range of motion, and most importantly repetition over time, your legs will adjust and then begin to THRIVE.

Tom Platz concurs that hacks are superior and ranks it as one of the best leg exercises; Platz also felt leg press was more “showy” as opposed to effective and regarded it as more or less useless. Phil Heath is also a massive advocate of hacks.

Hacks > leg press

[Reality]

Worked in construction for years, and I had to retire the bar squat. My lower back just can’t take it. I found the hack squat and it’s a godsend. Also as an added bonus, no need to wait for the squat rack to open either. Loading up the leg press doesn’t give me the post workout feeling in my legs tho.

[alexandervalladares]

I like both. I would say leg Press for me. Great Podcast !!!

[Sharkenite]

To sum it up, do what works for you and your body.

[blah]

6:31 got bored of waiting so just decided to cut in then 🤣!

[hawaiianrussian]

As much hate as the leg press gets, I’ve seen many people who don’t squat and do the leg press instead and make great leg gains 🤷🏼‍♂️

[leesc]

Good cardio, loading all the plates on and off

[nerdacademy]

All I do for legs is 5 sets of hack squats, leg curls, and calf raises. Around 12-15 reps each set. My legs are pretty big. Am I mr Olympia? Not even close, but I look good I thinks

[kurthaberle]

The end is the most important part. Do them both along with barball squats.

[preronabasu]

The more videos I see like these, the more I appreciate our old school bread & butter Barbell back squat.. Just do a good set of barbell squat till failure & full stop! You've done more than enough for your lower body & core..

[Ak-du]

4:21 If you leg press single leg the other leg is there for emergency backup safety first 💯🔥😎😎

[adamsc]

Bruh adam 12 plates on single leg leg press is Just 2 to 7 assisted reps with the other leg is what im managing rn

[stevendiaz]

Leg press is bad but top IFBB pros use them all the time...Big miss on this one, just don’t let your back round when doing leg press. Grip the handles hard to help prevent that

[NonprofitWrench]

Idk why people hate on the leg press so much. Depending on your goals and situation it may be the best leg exercise available. You can change focus with foot positioning and you can incorporate a variety of beyond failure techniques that you could never ever accomplish doing squats. All that with a reduced risk of injury and less taxing on the central nervous system, thus keeping you on your routine and in the gym. And like they said, back in the 90's leg presses were the go-to leg exercise for many pros.

[saunch_bodybuilding]

For programming, would you recommend the hack squat or the box squat for an alternate leg day main movement? For bodybuilding focus