Original Leg Press Hack Squat

I have the Force USA G20 All in one trainer with the lat machine upgrade and I absolutely love that machine, so I wanted to continue within the Force USA ecosystem. The Original Leg Press Hack Squat machine is exactly what I was hoping it would be.

Assembly:
I'm a novice when it comes to assembly and for my all in one trainer I decided to leave it to the professionals. But for this machine I decided to give it a crack on my own. I was quoted approx $350 for assembly, but having looked at reviews they stated approx 2.5hr build time. There are some handy assembly video's on YouTube (instructions are okay, not great) but it took me around 7hrs to do this alone. It wasn't too difficult, but definitely would help to have another person but realistically if you're a novice like me, with 2 people I would say around 4hrs. There are tools that come with the machine, but you really need your own torque wrench or drill.

Size:
It's a massive machine and takes up a lot of space. It's very long and wide, so make sure you have the correct dimensions mapped out as you need space on the side to get the weights on.

Use:
I've had the machine for over a week and used several times in all the movements except for the reverse lunge hack squat. The movement is very very smooth and the padding is very comfortable. The leg press felt great on the knees and the adjustability in all areas of the machine make it so that most people can find their sweet spot. The calf raise attachment is solid and gives me the ability to have a deep stretch (6 foot, size 9.5US foot) which I love as most equipment I've used found it difficult to have a deep stretch.

Overall:
Honestly, I love this machine. It's exactly what I was hoping it to be and I would say it exceeded my expectations, but I know how great Force USA equipment already is.

Build quality is outstanding. The look is good, the feel is good, the motion is smooth, the transition between hack squat/leg press is extremely simple. The only thing I could possibly think of is the lever to move the plate frome leg press position to hack squat position is a it tight to get to...but again, that is me simply nit-picking the product. It is NOT difficult at all. Super happy with the purchase and my entire gym is turning into a FORCE USA showroom as I have coupled this with a new Monster G20 Pro. I love it, my family loves it...no more excuses!

Well built, easy to assemble. Took me about 2-1/2 hours by myself. I am 5-9 and don’t have the issues other say about being short and not enough depth. I am confused on those reviews. It is a great unit for the price, smooth, and gets the job done at a fair price.

Machine looks and feels good

I purchased this machine due to a recent back injury (herniated disc). In order to resume working out, I've had to totally redesign my exercise routine. Unfortunately, AB crunches, Deadlifts and Barbell Squats are no longer exercises that I can do, so alternatives had to be found.

This Hack Squat Machine has enabled me to resume training my legs effectively. My back is now supported on the pads, which makes this a more comfortable exercise than barbell squats. A word of caution though, more pressure is now placed on the knees! But this can be rectified by adjusting the foot plate. I would also recommend trialing different foot positions and open the hips mores on the way down to reduce the force placed on the knees. Also, don't place too much weight onto the bar while performing the exercise. I find that 2 x 15KG weight plates is currently my limit! For some sets, I place no weight plates are on the bar, the resistance of the exercise still works my leg hard.

The Leg Press exercise on this machine is also excellent. If you suffer from back problems, remember to ensure your back/bottom are not coming up from the pads while performing the exercise.
I love the fact that I can also work calves on this machine. however, I agree with others, the calf raise block is wobbly but I never feel unsafe carrying out the exercise. Overall, this is a great 3 in 1 machine that works/builds my quads/hams/glutes/calves and I no longer dread leg day! I have not experienced any back pain/injuries since using this machine.

This Hack Squat Machine took me approximately 6 hours to assemble over 2 afternoons. I took my time with it, and had my young son to assist holding sections (highly advisable!). The item arrived quickly, was packaged well, with no missing parts. Instructions are always terrible with these items but if you have put together other exercise equipment or furniture in the past, you shouldn't struggle with this. I would recommend using a good socket tool set, rather than the included tools.

The Customer Service from GAF has been excellent, they emailed me to check how I was getting on with my new purchase and offered additional support. Thank you! I Highly recommend this Force USA machine Hack Squat Machine, in my opinion it is commercial gym quality equipment at an affordable price for your home gym.

We purchased this machine after doing a lot of research and comparisons and I have been very pleased with it so far. It is very well-made and sturdy. It glides smoothly and quietly. The range is motion is good. My husband is 5’8 and can get pretty deep in the hack squat. I am 5’4 and I don’t get as deep but I do get below parallel. Only negative is that the instructions for assembling it were not very good but with that said I have a very smart husband and it only took us about four hours to put it together. Also, Force USA has great customer service. One shoulder pad had a cut in the fabric. I emailed customer support about it and they responded very quickly and immediately sent me a new one. This machine is definitely worth the money.!

Great machine. Easy to assemble

I had this recently installed in my garage. Access was tight but the team had no issues working around the restrictions to install it piece by piece. Unit works great and looks awesome.

The leg press is fantastic, highly adjustable to fit biomechanic requirements and very deep. The hack squat seems slightly heavier than conventional commercial pieces, and is not quite deep enough for me without removing the stopper and leg press seat but once doing that compares favourably to almost any commercial hack squat. Very sturdy even though I have not bolted it down and becomes more stable with more weight. Takes up a fairly small footprint too

Cannot fault the leg press. Extremely deep, foot plate and back rest are fully adjustable for mobility requirements. The nylon rollers seem to get smoother as the weight goes up on both the leg press and hack. The hack squat will be deep enough for most users. For me personally (5’9) it isn’t. There are a few options to rectify this. I chose to remove the leg press seat which created the perfect amount of depth. The foot plate for the hack squat may not suit everyone on account of its size so may be a consideration for those with poor mobility. All in all 4.5/5 stars really looking forward to using it more

Both Platforms need to be a little bigger in my opinion.

Overall seems to be well made. The plate pegs are cheaply made and time will tell how well they will hold up. Can we talk about those instructions though? Holy hell, that was painful. This was my first experience with Force USA & will probably be my last just based on the instructions alone.

Awesome addition to my personal training studio. Clients love the combo & versatility of this machine. Smooth , well built & definitely adds value to my studio!

Great investment. Solid piece of equipment.

Excellent

I absolutely love this machine. It is extremely quiet and smooth. The build quality is great. I put it together by myself in a bit over a couple of hours. So it is possible to put together without help. I’ve been using this machine for a few months now and no complaints at all. I have a bad back and traditional squats bother it a lot. With this machine it minimizes that pain on leg days tremendously. I utilize for leg press, calf raises, and reverse hack squat. I highly recommend this machine. I’m 6’2” and there is no issue with range of motion on this machine plenty of room.

I’m really happy with this purchase. Overall great build quality. The chrome on the weight racks chips easily but that’s not a big deal for me. I’m glad I paid for assembly as it is a 4 hour job.

Excellent affordable machine. Not that easy to assembly but very satified with the finished product.

I’ve tried a lot of “home gym” leg presses. This one in the real deal. Solid machine, extremely happy i purchased.

This is a great machine. Assembly took about 6 hours. If you are looking for a heavy duty machine this is it. Operates smoothly and feels just as good as a commercial machine at the gym! 100% happy with this investment.

Happy with this machine so far. I am 6’3 and have full range of motion during all movements. The padding material is very cheap, and seems like it will tear in a matter of months. The foot plates are nice and adjustable, bit scratch extremely easy. And the weight horns are very cheaply made, day 1 the material is flaking off. Shocked by that.

As far as the unit’s performance, its quiet, smooth, and seems to be able to handle heavy amounts of weight. Great in performance.

I paid for the installation service which I would NOT do again. The machine got dropped off on my driveway and I had to wait 6 days to have them come install it.

The equipment is great and has met our expectations. It was easy to assemble and sold as iron. We truly enjoy working out with it.

A very solidly built machine, well designed. Awkward but do-able getting into the leg press position, but I knew that going in. Like virtually all these home machines, it’s built for men: this not-quite-5’5” 68 year old woman can’t even do a decent squat yet against the heavy weight of the sled until I get stronger. But my thighs and glutes are burning nicely from the leg press. Easy to switch between functions once you do it a couple of times. I’ve read a couple of complaints about the foot plate size, this is no issue for me, at all. Absolutely the best decision to pay for assembly with my purchase!