Dorian Yates Reveals His Secret Tip for Hack Squats: How to Protect Your Knees?

The six-time Mr. Olympia explains why proper foot positioning is key to building massive legs without putting unnecessary strain on the joints.

Dorian Yates made his mark on bodybuilding history not only with his six Mr. Olympia titles, but also with his uncompromising approach to training. His “High-Intensity Training” (HIT) philosophy meant one thing: giving it your all in a single set until complete failure. Despite this extreme intensity, however, “The Shadow” always placed a huge emphasis on safety and joint longevity.

In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Yates broke down his favorite leg exercise— hack squats —and shared a crucial tip that can save you from chronic knee pain.

Rule Number One: Control and Depth—No Bouncing!

According to Yates, the foundation of a safe and effective hack squat is absolute control over the weight. Many exercisers make the mistake of simply “bouncing” the weight during the lowering phase.

“No bouncing. Move smoothly and with control, keep your core tight, go down to maximum depth, and then push the weight back up,” advises Yates.

The golden rule for foot placement: Heels must not rise

Where do most people make a mistake that leads to knee pain? It’s poor foot placement on the platform. If you position your feet too far back (too low on the board), an inevitable problem arises:

“If you lower yourself and your feet are too far back, your heels will lift off the platform. And that shifts a huge amount of pressure and stress directly onto your knees,” explains Yates.

So how do you find the right position? According to Yates, the test is very simple:

“Make sure your heel stays on the mat at all times. If your heel is still on the mat even at the lowest point of the squat, you’re in the right position.”

Why did Yates prefer hack squats to classic barbell squats?

Building massive, dense leg muscles was a key element of Yates’s six-year reign on the Mr. Olympia stage. He found that for his body, the hack squat was a better tool than the traditional barbell squat with a heavy barbell on his back. The reason is the ability to go deeper and use a narrower stance without losing balance.

“When you do hack squats with a narrow stance and go all the way down, you place much greater emphasis on the vastus medialis (the inner head of the quadriceps, also known as the ‘tear’) and overall thigh development. If you choose a wide stance, you engage the adductors (the inner thighs) and glutes much more in the movement,” adds the British legend.

Train hard, but smart

Even at 64, Dorian Yates continues to train and constantly proves that hard work isn’t incompatible with good health—as long as you know what you’re doing. Keeping your heels on the mat and performing a smooth, controlled movement without bouncing are simple adjustments that will protect your knees in the long run while maximizing hypertrophy (muscle growth).

The next time you work out your legs, remember this advice from the six-time champion: Slow down, keep your heels on the mat, and go all the way down!