The sissy squat is a quad train that’s hit it massive of late.

Its inventory has soared as a result of it trains all of the muscle mass in your quads in a totally lengthened place—one thing most different quad workout routines, together with the front and back squat, don’t. And this implies it’s uniquely efficient for rounding out your quad improvement. 

On this article, you’ll study what the sissy squat is, its advantages, which muscle mass it really works, learn how to do it with correct kind, the very best sissy squat options, and extra.

What Is a Sissy Squat?

The sissy squat is a body weight train that primarily trains the quadriceps.

Sometimes, you carry out the sissy squat by holding onto one thing sturdy, then flexing your glutes and bending your knees, permitting your physique to lean backward, your knees to trace over your toes, and your heels to come back off the bottom. 

You proceed to decrease your self till your knees are totally bent, then straighten your knees to face again up.

It’s also possible to carry out the sissy squat utilizing a sissy squat machine (or “sissy squat bench”). which is a bit of kit that locks your toes and shins in place, permitting you to carry out the train with larger stability.

Whereas performing a sissy squat with a sissy squat machine might be extra snug, it prevents you from totally lengthening the quads whereas performing the train, which implies it most likely isn’t fairly as efficient for constructing muscle because the common sissy squat. Moreover, most industrial gyms don’t have a sissy squat machine.

For these causes, most individuals want the common sissy squat, in order that’s the variation we’ll concentrate on on this article.

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Sissy Squat: Advantages

4 muscle mass make up the quadriceps: the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and rectus femoris.

Right here’s how they appear:


sissy squat quad muscles

The three “vastus” muscle mass connect to the femur (thigh bone) and knee and are accountable for “extending” (straightening) the knee. Conversely, the rectus femoris attaches on the hip and knee, which implies it extends the knee and “flexes” the hips (brings your knees nearer to your chest).

Thus, to completely stretch the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius, you will need to totally bend your knee. Nevertheless, to completely stretch the rectus femoris, you will need to totally bend your knee whereas “extending” your hips (pushing your hips ahead to create a straight line between your torso and thighs).

Most leg workout routines, together with the entrance, again, and Bulgarian cut up squat, contain bending the knees whereas extending the hips, however few contain bending the knees whereas the hips stay prolonged. 

This implies most leg workout routines practice the vastus muscle mass in a totally stretched place however don’t practice the rectus femoris when totally lengthened. That is vital as a result of studies show that coaching your muscle mass in a stretched place is vital for maximizing development.

In different phrases, most leg workout routines successfully practice the vastus muscle mass, however most don’t optimally stimulate the rectus femoris.

The sissy squat is totally different. It includes squatting together with your hips totally prolonged, making it supreme for emphasizing the rectus femoris and rounding out your quad improvement.

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Sissy Squat: Muscle tissues Labored

The sissy squat train trains all 4 muscle mass of the quadriceps:

  • Vastus medialis
  • Vastus lateralis
  • Vastus intermedius
  • Rectus femoris

Right here’s how they appear in your physique:


Sissy squats

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Sissy Squat: Kind

One of the simplest ways to study learn how to do a sissy squat is to separate the train into three elements: arrange, descend, ascend. 

1. Set Up

Stand together with your toes shoulder-width aside and a sturdy object (similar to a squat rack) 1-to-2 toes out of your dominant facet. Seize the article together with your dominant hand between hip and chest peak. 

2. Descend

Flex your glutes as onerous as potential, then bend your knees and permit them to maneuver ahead over your toes. As you descend, let your physique lean backward and your heels come off the ground. 

Proceed descending so far as you comfortably can or till your glutes are 6-to-12 inches out of your heels. 

3. Ascend

Reverse the motion and return to the beginning place by pushing your toes into the ground and straightening your knees. This can be a mirror picture of what you probably did in the course of the “descent.” 

As you ascend, guarantee your hips stay totally prolonged in order that your physique kinds a straight line out of your head to your knees.

Right here’s the way it ought to look whenever you put all of it collectively:

sissy squat

The Greatest Sissy Squat Alternate options

1. Kneeling Sissy Squat


sissy squat demo

The kneeling sissy squat is a wonderful variation if you happen to’re new to sissy squatting as a result of it permits you to strengthen the identical muscle mass because the common sissy squat from a kneeling place, which provides you a extra secure base and minimizes the steadiness required to carry out the train. 

2. Banded Sissy Squat

sissy squat

Within the banded sissy squat, you stand on one finish of a resistance band and wrap the opposite finish behind your neck. This lets you progressively overload the sissy squat when the body weight sissy squat turns into too simple, which is significant for gaining muscle and power.

3. Smith Machine Sissy Squat


sissy squat

The Smith machine sissy squat requires much less steadiness and coordination than the common sissy squat, making it a workable variation for many who discover the common model unstable or awkward.

Utilizing a Smith machine additionally makes including weight to the sissy squat extra easy, which is useful for superior weightlifters who discover the body weight model too simple. 

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4. Weighted Sissy Squat


weighted sissy squat

The principle advantage of the weighted sissy squat over the body weight sissy squat is that it permits you to carry progressively extra weight over time, which is vital for gaining muscle and power. That mentioned, the weighted sissy squat is tough to do accurately, which implies it isn’t supreme for everybody, particularly new weightlifters.