3n1 Hack Squat or Linear Hack Squat: which one does your floor need?
Two hack squats come out of the same workshop, on the same 35 degree frame and the same wheels. One fits three movements into a single footprint. The other does one of them and is always ready to do it. Which one a floor needs depends on how busy it is, not on which is better.
The two machines share far more than they differ. Both run at 35 degrees, both roll on wheels rather than linear bearings, and both are built from 4mm steel with bearings and indexing pins rated beyond 2 tonnes. So the question is not which is the better hack squat. It is how many movements you need from one patch of floor, and how many people want them at the same time.
What the 3n1 Hack Squat does
It is three machines on one frame: a hack squat, a linear hack and a calf press. A centre mechanism switches it between them, and the calf press plate drops into place in seconds when it is needed and swings out of the way when it is not.
That makes it the most work per square metre in the range. A floor that wants all three movements and has room for one machine gets all three, and four storage pegs keep the plates on the machine rather than on the floor around it. The handles are long, to suit a wider range of shoulder mobility.
What the Linear Hack Squat does
One movement, always set up. The Linear Hack Squat was built because customers running the 3n1 asked for a standalone linear hack to go beside it. Nobody has to convert it, and nobody has to wait for someone to finish a calf press before they can squat.
It runs at the same 35 degree angle as the 3n1, so a gym running both feels consistent from one machine to the next. It has dual handles, four loading pegs, two storage pegs and the same auto unrack on the first press.
Side by side
| 3n1 Hack Squat | Linear Hack Squat | |
|---|---|---|
| Movements | Hack squat, linear hack, calf press | Linear hack |
| Changeover | Centre mechanism and fold-down calf plate | None, always set up |
| Handles | Long, for shoulder mobility | Dual |
| Loading pegs | Four | Four |
| Storage pegs | Four | Two |
| Frame angle | 35 degrees | 35 degrees |
If you only have room for one
Start with the 3n1. Three movements in one footprint is the better buy for almost any floor choosing a single machine, and it covers every movement the Linear Hack Squat does.
Add the Linear Hack Squat when the 3n1 is busy enough that its changeovers start to cost people time. That is the floor it was designed for: one where the linear hack is in demand all day, and the 3n1 is better left free for the hack squat and the calf press.
What the two have in common
Both fit lifters from 142cm to 203cm. Both have a super grip footplate that adjusts for ankle dorsiflexion, an adjustable safety stopper that can be set so even a shorter lifter cannot bottom the machine out, multiple reracking points and reverse band rollers. Both are plate loaded, with no motor, no electronics and no power supply.
Both frames are Australian RHS box section, cut, welded and coated in Queensland. Both carry twenty years structural on the welded frame and seven years on moving parts, and both are finished in any powder coat and any upholstery you specify.
Common questions
What is the difference between the Citadel 3n1 Hack Squat and the Linear Hack Squat?
The number of movements. The 3n1 runs a hack squat, a linear hack and a calf press on one frame, switched with a centre mechanism and a fold-down calf plate. The Linear Hack Squat does the linear hack only and is always set up for it. Both run at 35 degrees on wheels rather than linear bearings, and both fit lifters from 142cm to 203cm.
Do I need both hack squats on one floor?
No, and most floors start with one. If you are buying a single machine, start with the 3n1, which puts three movements in one footprint. Add the Linear Hack Squat when the 3n1 is busy enough that converting it between movements starts to cost people time.
Why do the Citadel hack squats run at 35 degrees?
It is the angle of the original Nebula hack. It loads the quads hard while avoiding the knee shearing that can happen on a 45 degree angle, and it gives a smooth, natural feeling rep.
Why do the hack squats run on wheels instead of linear bearings?
Because a heavy set produces off-axis load, and off-axis load is what makes a linear bearing bind. Wheels keep rolling smoothly whether the force is perfectly aligned or not, and they stay smooth as the machine ages.
What warranty comes with a Citadel hack squat?
Twenty years structural on the welded frame and seven years on moving parts, which covers bearings, bushes, pins and pivots. The structural warranty assumes the machine is bolted to the floor as specified.
