Hack Squat 45

Get a quote on pallet shipping. Call Andy on 0422 046 895 or use Get a Quote and we will price freight to your site.

Plate loaded 45 degree hack squat for quads, hamstrings and glutes. Adjustable shoulder pads and a smooth guided carriage keep the lift controlled and take the load off the lower back. All steel construction, no plastic components. Made to order, built to Phoenix commercial standard.

What is a 45 degree hack squat?

A hack squat is a plate loaded leg machine where you stand on an angled platform with your back against a pad and your shoulders under pads, then squat a sled that runs on a guided track. The 45 degree sled angle is the classic hack squat geometry. You lean back into the pad, the carriage takes the load, and your legs push it up the rails. The back is supported the whole way, so the spine is not the limiting factor. Your quads are.

The Phoenix Hack Squat 45 runs a smooth guided carriage with adjustable shoulder pads, so lifters of different heights get the pads where they need them without stacking mats under the platform.

Why gyms buy a hack squat

Every serious floor needs a heavy leg station that members can use unsupervised. The barbell squat rack does not qualify. It needs technique, a spotter for real loads, and a lower back that can take it. The hack squat does. Back on the pad, shoulders under the pads, load the sled and squat. Members who would never attempt a heavy back squat will happily grind out sets on a hack squat, and they come back for more.

It also pays for itself in queue time. A hack squat turns over fast. Plates go on and off the sled quickly, pad adjustment is simple, and there is no bar to re-rack. On a bodybuilding floor it is the quad builder members ask for by name.

Hack squat vs leg press

Both are plate loaded, both support the back, both let you go heavy without a spotter. The difference is the position. On a leg press you sit or lie and push the sled away from you. On a hack squat you stand under the load and squat it, which keeps the movement closer to a real squat pattern. Hip extension is loaded through a longer range, the torso stays engaged, and the carry over to standing strength is better. A leg press takes higher absolute loads and is easier on beginners. Most premium floors run both. If you are choosing one quad machine for a strength gym, choose the hack squat.

Hack squat vs pendulum squat

A hack squat runs the sled in a straight line on rails. The rep is hardest through the mid range and eases toward lockout, which is why lifters can load it heavy and still finish the set. A pendulum squat swings the load on a pivoting arm, keeps the torso more upright, and is hardest at the bottom of the rep and through the drive out. The pendulum punishes the quads at lower plate loads and allows a deeper squat. The hack squat moves bigger weight and suits a wider range of members. The best floors run both. See the Phoenix Pendulum Squat for the other half of the pair.

45 degree or 40 degree?

Phoenix builds both. The 45 degree sled is the traditional hack squat angle. It shifts a little more load onto the posterior chain, so glutes and hamstrings do more of the work alongside the quads, and it feels most like the hack squat members already know. The Hack Squat 40 runs a slightly shallower 40 degree sled, which gives a deeper range and a more upright torso with a harder quad bias. Bodybuilding floors chasing pure quad development often lean to the 40. General commercial floors and strength gyms usually pick the 45. Not sure which suits your floor? Call Andy and talk it through.

Setting up in seconds

Set the shoulder pads for your height. Back on the pad, feet on the platform, shoulders under the pads. Release the carriage and squat. Feet higher on the platform brings in more glute and hamstring. Feet lower loads the quads harder. Members learn it in one set, which is exactly what a commercial floor needs from its heaviest leg machine.

What you get

• Plate loaded, no stack to service and no cable to stretch
• 45 degree sled angle, the classic hack squat geometry
• Smooth guided carriage for a controlled track from bottom to lockout
• Adjustable shoulder pads to suit lifters of different heights
• Back supported through the whole range, load off the lower back
• All steel construction, no plastic components
• 15 frame colours and 6 upholstery colours through the Build Your Finish picker

Built for

• Commercial gyms that need a heavy leg station members can use unsupervised
• Strength gyms that want a squat pattern without the spinal load of a barbell
• Bodybuilding floors building quads, hamstrings and glutes in one movement
• Athletes and lifters training legs hard around a cranky lower back

Delivery and finish

Every Phoenix machine is made to order and ships Australia wide from Queensland. Delivery and installation are quoted on request, so you pay for the freight your site actually needs and nothing more. Orders of two or more machines are priced as a package with delivery.

Standard finish is a satin black frame with black upholstery. Want it in your gym colours? Use the Build Your Finish picker on this page. There are 15 frame colours and 6 upholstery colours, with standard, contrast or diamond stitch. Pick it, see it, order it.

Made to order means made for you. Tell Andy your floor, your member base and your colours, and the machine arrives built for that. Fitting out a whole leg line? Package pricing applies across the full range of plate loaded machines.

Call Andy on 0422 046 895, email andy@phoenixstrength.com.au, or use the quote form on the commercial gym fit-outs page. See the full range on the strength machines page.