The 5 Most Common Squat Machine Types and How to Use Them

One way to ramp up a traditional squat is by adding weight with the help of a squat machine. But with so many different types of squat machines at the gym, it can be hard to know which ones to use — or how to use them.

So here’s a helpful guide to some popular squat machines and which fitness goals they may work best for. Read on for an in-depth look at five common squat machine types, including how to use them and their benefits.

Best Overall: Power Rack

The power rack isn't a machine‌ as much as it is a ‌stand‌ that holds a barbell.

"The beauty of squatting in a power rack or squat stand is that both you and the barbell have absolute freedom," says physical therapist Grayson Wickham, DPT, CSCS, founder of and primary instructor for the digital platform Movement Vault, who’s based in New York City. "There are no external influences on the range of motion that you perform the squat in.”

You get to choose exactly how you position the barbell, and the path the barbell takes throughout each rep is dependent on your body's movement patterns.

"Your core has to lock in order to keep you standing and stable while you sit down and stand up," Dr. Wickham says.

The power rack also offers you the greatest carryover to strength sports, Wickham says, because it's what athletes use during strength competitions.

Best for Lower-Body Strength: Hack Squat Machine

The hack squat machine looks like a leg press machine flipped on its head.

"You can usually load the hack squat machine to a greater degree, which makes it a good option for helping your body acclimate to larger loads," Wickham says.

The angle of your body while you use a hack squat machine puts the majority of the load along the front of your body (the anterior chain) — specifically your quads, Wickham says. This makes the hack squat machine good for people who are posterior-chain dominant (back side of your body).

Best for Muscle Mass: Smith Machine

To the naked eye, the Smith machine looks like a souped-up power rack. In actuality, the Smith machine is a blend of a power rack and hack squat machine.

In a Smith machine, the weight moves up and down along a track, just as it does in a hack squat machine. However, the Smith machine forces you to plant your feet on the flat ground as you would during a power rack back or front squat, rather than positioning them on an angled foot plate, Wickham says.

"By putting the barbell on a fixed rail, the Smith machine removes some of the internal stability required of the lifter," says certified strength and conditioning coach Jake Harcoff, CSCS, head coach and owner of AIM Athletic in Langley, British Columbia, Canada.

Because you don't have to prevent the bar from falling forward or backward, you can stack more weight plates to your Smith machine barbell than you might in a freestanding bar, Harcoff says.

"It's also a great option for people who don't have the core strength a freestanding squat requires," Harcoff says. This might include people navigating back issues or getting back into exercise after pregnancy.

And the Smith machine can be used for a wide variety of exercises, Wickham says, including the deadlift, bench press, and push press.

Best for Glute Strength: Leverage Squat Machine

If you haven't heard of the leverage squat machine, you're not alone.

"The leverage squat machine doesn't get a lot of airplay, but it should, because it might be one of the squat machine variations that is best for targeting the glutes," Harcoff says.

A tall, slim machine in construction, the leverage squat machine looks like a calf raise machine, but it works more than just your calves. To use it, you'll grab the handles and position your shoulders against the shoulder and back pad, facing the machine. You'll press your feet into the angled foot plate beneath before sitting your butt back into a squat, then standing back up.

The angled foot pad allows you to get really deep, or low, into your squat, Harcoff says. When you sit more deeply, a greater portion of your glutes are worked, which means greater glute gains following recovery, he says.

All squat variations will work your glute muscles, Harcoff says, but because the leverage squat machine puts greater emphasis on your glutes, it's the definite go-to for anyone looking to strengthen this muscle group.

Best for Beginners: V-Squat Machine

"The V-squat machine is designed to allow you to squat up and right down," Harcoff says. This motion mimics the movement pattern you'd use during a free weight squat much more closely than other squat machines do, he says.

The squat pattern used in the V-squat machine doesn't isolate one particular muscle in your lower body, he says, but instead strengthens your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves equally.

If you're looking to improve overall lower-body strength or increase the weight you can use during free-weight squats — like the dumbbell front squat or goblet squat — the V-squat machine is an excellent starting point, Harcoff says.

The Benefits of Squats

The squat is to any exercise routine what communication is to any relationship: foundational.

It’s a functional movement pattern that involves flexing and extending at your hips, knees, and ankles. It mimics the shapes your body shifts into each time you sit down or stand up, says Harcoff.

"Squatting can also directly strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves, as well as your abdominals and lower back indirectly," he says.

The Takeaway

• Squats are a foundational exercise that can lead to increased strength, greater stability, and better posture.
• When you’re ready, you can ramp up the bodyweight squat by adding weight to the movement with a squat machine.
• Different squat machines may work better for different fitness goals, so it’s helpful to learn how they work, from the well-known power rack to the lesser-known leverage squat machine.