Cutting depth short
Lower until thighs are at least parallel to the platform each rep.
Squat · Plate-loaded machine
Hammer Strength V-Squat
A plate-loaded squat machine where you stand on an angled platform with pads on your shoulders and squat along a fixed path. It loads the quads heavily without balancing a bar. Good for lifters who want hard leg work with less lower back fatigue.
- Primary
- Quads
- Secondary
- Glutes
- Starting rep range
- 8–12 reps
- Target effort
- 1.5 reps in reserve
- Progression
- 10 kg jumps
Muscles worked
The quads straighten the knees and do most of the work, especially with a deep knee bend. The glutes help extend the hips out of the bottom, more so with feet placed higher.
How to set up
- Step onto the platform and set the shoulder pads snugly on your shoulders.
- Place your feet about hip width, in the middle of the platform.
- Brace your abs and stand tall to release the safety.
- Keep your back against the pad.
How to do each rep
- Bend your knees and hips to lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the platform.
- Let your knees travel forward over your toes.
- Drive through your whole foot to stand back up.
- Stop just short of locking out the knees.
Common hammer strength v-squat mistakes
Heels lifting
Move your feet slightly higher until the heels stay down at the bottom.
Lower back rounding at the bottom
Stop at the depth where your back stays flat against the pad.
Sets, reps, and progression
Surpass starts the hammer strength v-squat at 8–12 reps with about 1.5 reps in reserve. As a compound lift it usually belongs early in the session, when you are fresh.
Add reps before adding plates, then go up 10-20 lb at a time. If heavy loads limit depth, use a lighter weight with a pause at the bottom.
Know what to lift next time
Surpass shows what you lifted last time beside a target for this set, and adjusts it from your reps and RIR. Free on iPhone, no account needed.
Hammer Strength V-Squat alternatives
These train the same main muscles. Swap when the equipment is busy, something hurts, or progress has stalled for several weeks.
Questions
Is the V-squat good for quads?
Yes. The fixed path and support let you push deep knee bends hard, which loads the quads very well.
V-squat vs. hack squat?
Both are machine squats that emphasize the quads. The V-squat often places you more upright with an angled foot plate; the hack squat has you leaning back on a sled. Use whichever fits your body better.