Bench Squats: Placing a box behind you allows you to squat to exactly the same depth every rep. This overcomes the tendency to cheat by only squatting partially as the reps get harder. As long as you don’t bounce off of the bench you won’t be risking vertebral damage. Just go down low enough to kiss the bench with your butt and you’ll be that much closer to the perfect set.
Front Squats: This movement is more upright and so places a more direct workload on your quads. You won’t be able to lift as much weight as in the back version, though. Approach the squat rack and grab the bar with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Bring your elbows forward so your palms face up and bring the weight back to rest on your front delts. Initiating from the hips squat down to parallel and drive back up. The beauty of this movement is that it forces you to keep your back arched – if you don’t, the weight will spill off your shoulders.
Hack Squat: This little used squat variation will bring that awesome teardrop effect to the thigh (as well as add outer sweep to the vastus medialis). Set the lower pins of your squat rack 8 – 12 inches from the floor. Rest the loaded bar on the pins. Place a couple of 10 pound plates on the floor to rest your heels on and then get into position in front of the bar and facing away from it, your feet shoulder width apart and resting on the plates. Squat down and grab the bar with a shoulder width under-hand grip. With back arched, rise to a stand. The bar will be resting against your hamstrings. Now lower until the bar touches the pins. That’s one rep.
