Hack Squat 45
Plate loaded 45 degree hack squat for quads, hamstrings and glutes.
Made to order in Vietnam. Factory direct, USD pricing, shipped worldwide at container scale. Any RAL colour, your upholstery, your logo.
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
- Any RAL frame colour and 6 upholstery colours
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
Built for the floor
Heavy legs, unsupervised
Back on the pad, shoulders under the pads, squat the sled. Members who would never attempt a heavy barbell squat will train legs to failure on a hack squat without a spotter.
Quads, hamstrings and glutes
The 45 degree sled brings the posterior chain into the lift alongside the quads. One machine, the whole leg, and foot position on the platform shifts the emphasis where you want it.
Smooth under load
A smooth guided carriage tracks the same line every rep. Adjustable shoulder pads put the load where a tall member and a short member each need it. No stacking mats, no guessing.
All steel, no plastic
Commercial steel construction with no plastic components. Nothing to crack, nothing to replace, nothing to service. Load it and run it all day.
Hack Squat 45 specs
| Type | Plate loaded 45 degree hack squat |
|---|---|
| Sled angle | 45 degrees |
| Target muscles | Quads, hamstrings, glutes |
| Carriage | Smooth guided carriage |
| Shoulder pads | Adjustable |
| Loading | Plate loaded, no stack to service |
| Construction | All steel, no plastic components |
| Finish | Satin black frame and black upholstery standard. Any RAL frame colour, 6 upholstery colours, standard, contrast or diamond stitch |
| Build | Made to order in Vietnam, shipped worldwide FOB or delivered |
| Origin | Designed and built in Vietnam by Phoenix Strength Co. Vietnam origin documents supplied with every shipment |
| Pricing | USD, factory direct. Quoted per unit, per package or per container |
| Shipping | FOB Vietnam or delivered, consolidated with the rest of your fit out |
Hack Squat 45 questions
What is a 45 degree hack squat machine?
A plate loaded leg machine where you stand on an angled platform with your back on a pad and your shoulders under pads, and squat a sled that runs on a guided track set at 45 degrees. The back is supported the whole way, so you can load the legs heavy without loading the spine. The 45 degree angle is the classic hack squat geometry.
What is the difference between a 40 and 45 degree hack squat?
The sled angle. A 45 degree hack squat shifts a little more load onto the posterior chain, so glutes and hamstrings share more of the work with the quads. A 40 degree hack squat gives a slightly deeper range and a more upright torso with a stronger quad bias. Phoenix builds both. Strength gyms and general commercial floors usually choose the 45. Bodybuilding floors chasing quads often choose the 40.
Is a hack squat or a leg press better for quads?
A hack squat. You stand under the load and squat it, which keeps the movement closer to a real squat and loads the quads through a longer range. A leg press lets you push more absolute weight and is easier for beginners, but it is a pushing pattern, not a squat pattern. Most premium gyms run both.
Hack squat vs pendulum squat, which should I buy?
A hack squat runs the sled straight on rails and is hardest in the mid range, so it moves bigger loads and suits more members. A pendulum squat swings the load on an arc, keeps the torso upright, and is hardest at the bottom, so it hits the quads hard at lower loads and allows a deeper squat. If you are buying one machine for a general commercial floor, buy the hack squat. If you want the hardest quad builder for experienced lifters, buy the pendulum. The best floors run both.
What muscles does a hack squat work?
Quads first, then glutes and hamstrings. On a 45 degree sled the posterior chain does a little more of the work than on a 40 degree sled. Foot position on the platform changes the emphasis: feet higher brings in more glute and hamstring, feet lower loads the quads harder.
Is the Phoenix Hack Squat 45 plate loaded?
Yes. It is plate loaded with no weight stack to service and no cable to stretch. Plates go on the sled and come off fast between sets.
Is a hack squat easier on the lower back than a barbell squat?
Yes. A barbell squat loads the spine to load the legs. On a hack squat your back is supported by the pad through the whole range and the guided carriage carries the load, so the quads, glutes and hamstrings do the work while the lower back is taken out of the equation. That is why gyms buy it for members who should not be loading a bar on their back.
Is it built for commercial use?
Yes. All steel construction with no plastic components, a smooth guided carriage, adjustable shoulder pads, and a plate loaded design with nothing to service. It is built for commercial gyms, strength gyms and bodybuilding floors that run the machine all day.
What colours can I get it in?
Standard finish is a satin black frame with black upholstery. Use the Build Your Finish picker on the product page to choose from Any RAL frame colour and 6 upholstery colours, with standard, contrast or diamond stitch.
Is the Phoenix Hack Squat 45 made in Vietnam?
Yes. The Phoenix Hack Squat 45 is designed and built in Vietnam by Phoenix Strength Co, the original Vietnamese strength equipment supplier, in production since 2016. Vietnam origin documents are supplied with every shipment, so it is not caught in the China specific tariffs applied by the United States and some other markets.
How do I buy the Hack Squat 45 outside Australia?
Factory direct from Phoenix Strength Co in US dollars. Request the USD price list and catalog on this page, then WhatsApp Andy on +61 422 046 895 with your quantity and destination port. Single machines, packages and full container fit outs are all quoted, FOB Vietnam or delivered.
I have seen a machine in Vietnam that looks like the Phoenix Hack Squat 45. Is it yours?
If it is not sold by Phoenix Strength Co it is a copy. Phoenix designed this machine; lookalikes do not carry Phoenix engineering, materials or warranty. Send us a photo or a link and we will tell you straight whether it is ours.
Vietnam’s original strength equipment supplier. Since 2016.
Phoenix has been in operation in Australia since 2009 and manufacturing in Vietnam since 2016, with more than 1,000 gyms fitted. Everyone else in Vietnam came after us. Since we proved the model, copycats have set up and gone to market with equipment that looks like ours. Same shapes, same ideas, none of the engineering, materials or warranty behind them.
If you see equipment in Vietnam that looks like Phoenix, it is a copy, and a bad one. Ask us first and tell us immediately. We will tell you straight whether it is ours.
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