Hack Squat Back Pad Angle

[Akram Ramadan]

The hack squat in my gym has an adjustable back pad angle, meaning I can make the back pad more horizontal or more vertical (picture attached). The platform that you place your feet on, on the other hand, doesn’t change angles.
I have 2 questions for this:

1. How do I determine the ideal angle for the back pad (i.e between 15 ish degrees to 65 ish degrees)?

2. Why does it get harder the more vertical I make the back pad? (I watched the hack squat mechanics video so I know the basics of the forces, the action-reaction, and the resultant force).

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[Rei Koka]

If I am not mistaken thats a watson hack squat with hydraulic press to change the angle. The more vertical you get the hack the more you will have the grabity pulling the weight down. Like if a hack squat was completely horizontal you would have the plates moving because the gravity if pulling down while the direction of the machine would be horizontal.

[Akram Ramadan]

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[Joe]

[Joe]

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