Pendulum Squat Machine

Lean firmly into the shoulder pads and backrest, and place your feet on the platform. Set your foot position first, then brace your abs so your hips and knees are ready to move together.

Bend your hips and knees together as you slowly lower. Keep pressing into the platform, let your knees track toward your toes, and keep your pelvis against the pad.

Drive through your whole foot to press the platform back up. Don't fully lock out your knees; finish by staying strong through your thighs and glutes.

Make sure your thighs and glutes are working together. Even with the machine guiding the movement, brace your torso and press through your whole foot to keep the target muscles loaded.

If the load makes your pelvis tuck or your knees cave inward at the bottom, stress on your lower back and knees increases. Reduce the depth if needed, but prioritize alignment and controlled lowering speed.

Inhale as you lower and exhale as you rise. Maintaining your breathing makes it easier to keep your abs braced at the bottom.

Hack squats, pendulum squats, and V squats move differently from machine to machine, but the principle is the same. Set your foot position in the first set, then match the same depth and tempo on every rep.