Hey Ben, How would you rate a pivot-style leg press like this (where the movement path is an arc) specifically for quad-biased training? I currently travel 10km to access a hack squat, but a new gym is opening just 3kms away. The catch? They have everything except a hack squat. I’ll be limited to a Smith machine and this specific pivot leg press. Can this machine truly replace the hack squat for quad hypertrophy? In my experience, standard 45-degree leg presses don't allow for the same deep knee flexion as a hack squat. Does the arc-like path of a pivot press offer any advantages for hitting the quads?

Hey Ben, I’ve got a biomechanical question. We often see people labeled as "inflexible" because they can't touch their toes or sit cross-legged comfortably. The blame is almost always placed on "tight" hamstrings, glutes, or hips. But isn't this more about skeletal structure and body ratios than just 'tightness'? As I understand it, these movements are heavily dictated by your limb-to-torso ratios. For someone with a long lower body and a short torso, a toe-touch is an uphill battle regardless of how "loose" their muscles are. Even if they grind out that mobility, doesn't it just regress the moment they stop specific training? It’s like the squat: we accept that some people need heel elevation to squat deep without loading the lower back. So, shouldn't we also accept that some people need hip elevation just to sit on the floor comfortably? Is the "flexibility" narrative just a way for people with a massive biomechanical advantage to claim superiority over those with a different skeletal build? 😅 Would love to hear your thoughts!

Hey Ben, What's your opinion on the V-squat machine? Whenever I try to use it, I can never go as deep as I can on a hack squat. I still get an insane pump because I always have to stop at parallel, kind of like a wall sit. If I go below parallel, I feel like I have a tendency to fall backward, which makes progressive overload pretty uncomfortable. What are your thoughts on this machine, especially for quad hypertrophy? Also, could you do a video on its resistance profile?

Hey Ben, I’ve been looking into the biomechanics of these three: Assisted Sissy Squats, Heel-Elevated Smith Machine Squats, and Hack Squats. Logic suggests that the Sissy Squat should put the most stress on the knee joint, followed by the heel-elevated squat, with the Hack Squat being the most stable/least stressful. However, I’m experiencing the exact opposite. Even with lighter loads, the Hack Squat causes significant irritation right on the bony projection below my kneecap (the tibial tubercle). Is my understanding of the physics wrong, or is there a scientific explanation for why the 'most stable' movement is causing the most localized tendon stress? Could it be the fixed path of the machine or specific shear forces at play?

Hey Ben, Because of my biomechanics, most squat variations have always felt uncomfortable and tend to load my lower back more than my legs. As a result, my lower body has been underdeveloped for a while. I recently switched to a gym that has: - A hack squat (where I can comfortably go deep) - A leg extension machine that allows a deeper stretch than usual Progress took off fast. Not just a rep or two — I was adding significant weight and hitting 10 reps with loads I didn’t expect to handle that soon. I also started using the hack squat for calf raises. Then out of nowhere, I began feeling discomfort mainly below the knee. I tried pre-exhausting quads with leg extensions before hack squats, which helped briefly, but eventually the discomfort got worse. So I completely removed hack squats and switched to: - Heel-elevated goblet squats (lower load, higher reps) - A leg extension variation with zero tension in the bottom half My knees are improving, but they’re not fully healed yet. My questions: 1. Could this be a case of quad strength progressing faster than my joints/tendons could adapt? 2. Should I gradually reintroduce hack squats (which I genuinely enjoy)? 3. Would 5mm neoprene knee sleeves be useful here? 4. How would you personally approach this? I’ve never seen you wear knee sleeves, so I’m curious about your take on them. Would love if you could make a video on this topic 🙌