For quad growth
For quad growth, hack squat rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more of the work on the quads.
Both are good choices, and they train the quads differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Bulgarian Split Squat. A deep stretch for the front leg’s quad. Balance and fatigue make it hard to load and recover from.
Hack Squat. Deep knee bend under stable, heavy load: the quads are clearly the limiter.
For cycling, Bulgarian split squat and hack squat score the same on every criterion.
For quad growth, hack squat rates well ahead on our research criteria: easier to progress, more of the work on the quads. Both are good choices, and they train the quads differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.
Hack squat is easier: it’s easy to learn, while Bulgarian split squat takes some practice.
Bulgarian split squat needs dumbbells and a bench, so a home gym covers it. Hack squat needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
Hack squat: it rates Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Good for Bulgarian split squat.