Sissy Squat
An advanced bodyweight quad isolation exercise performed by leaning back with elevated heels while bending only at the knees.
Equipment: bodyweight
How to do it
- 1Stand with your heels elevated slightly on a plate, holding onto something sturdy for balance if needed.
- 2Keeping your hips extended and your body in a straight line from knees to head, bend your knees and lean your torso back as you lower toward the floor.
- 3Lower only as far as you can control while keeping a neutral spine, without letting your hips fold or your lower back round.
- 4Reverse the movement by driving through the front of your thighs, stopping just short of locking out your knees at the top.
Common mistakes
- Bending at the hips instead of leaning back from a straight body line, which turns the movement into a squat rather than a quad isolation exercise.
- Progressing to a full range of motion before the quads are strong enough to control it, putting excess stress on the knees.
Sets & reps by goal
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 2-3 | 8-12 | 60-90 sec |
| Build muscle | 2-3 | 10-15 | 45-60 sec |
| General fitness | 2-3 | 12-15 | 45-60 sec |
Ranges reflect the same goal-based logic used by the workout plan tool. Actual set count in a generated plan also depends on how often this muscle group appears elsewhere in your week.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Sissy Squat safe for beginners?
The Sissy Squat is tagged advanced, meaning it generally works best once you already have some legs training experience. If you're new to training, building a base with the Barbell Back Squat first is a reasonable place to start.
See the Barbell Back SquatWhat muscles does the Sissy Squat work?
The primary mover is your quads. As a legs movement, it also involves your glutes and hamstrings.
How do I make the Sissy Squat harder as I get stronger?
Since this is a bodyweight movement, progress by adding reps or sets before anything else, slowing the tempo down (especially the lowering portion), or shortening rest between sets. Once bodyweight reps stop feeling challenging, that's usually the sign to add external load or move to a more advanced variation.
Related exercises
Learn more
Want a full plan built around exercises like this one? Try the workout plan tool.