How To Do Sissy Squats: Benefits, Variations and Workouts
Don't let looks – or its name – deceive. The sissy squat is a challenging, yet phenomenal, bodyweight legs exercise that will pump up your quads while grooving superior ankle, knee and hip mobility. Once you've learned to master the standard bodyweight squat, sissy squats will take your legs day gains to new heights. That's whether in the gym, at home or on the road, given there's no need for kit. They might look advanced, but with this sissy squat how-to guide we'll explain all the dos and don'ts, the benefits, variations and progressions and how to get started with a sissy squat-themed bodyweight workout. Time to get down.
Why Should You Learn to Sissy Squat?
Good question. If the bodyweight squat is in your locker, is there any need to overcomplicate things with the, admittedly, complicated-looking sissy squat? In a word: 'yes' says Men's Health Director of Fitness Andrew Tracey.
'Leg training has always been the elephant in the room when it comes to callisthenics, but movements like the sissy squat unlock huge lower limb bodybuilding potential,' he continues. 'Unloaded sissy squats may not build the same sort of raw power as heavy back squats, but learning to fully master them will help to add size, strength and control to those quads.'
Plus, he says, expanding your bodyweight workout repertoire will empower you to overcome excuses and break down barriers standing between you and your best. 'This style of training can be performed almost anywhere – no gym required.'
The sissy squat can also help fortify your ankles, knees and hips, making it a handy accessory exercise to prevent injury – especially for anyone playing sports involving lots of jumps, twists and turns like football, rugby, tennis and basketball.
Muscles Worked by Sissy Squats
Sissy squats are intentionally quad-dominant. They're as close as you can get to an isolation exercise for the front of the thighs without straying onto the leg extension machine – and they work in a similar way.
As you lower into the move, your knee will flex like it does with a leg extension to load up the quads, then driving up to stand will replicate the snapping action of kicking your shins forward.
Because your hips stay locked in position, rather than hinging like they do with regular squats, the bulk of the work is done by the quads, rather than by recruiting the glutes to come to their rescue.
Each rep will target the four muscles that make up the quadriceps:
Rectus Femoris: This muscle runs straight down your thigh and helps with knee and hip flexion.
Vastus Lateralis: The largest of the four quad muscles, it connects your thighbone to your kneecap.
Vastus Medialis: This muscle's function is to extend your knee joint and help stabilise your kneecap.
Vastus Intermedius: Along with other muscles in your knee, the vastus intermedius facilitates knee extension.
The sissy squat will also challenge the deep core muscles supporting your spine to maintain an isometric hold throughout the exercise, and provide ample articulation for the ankle complex of ligaments, tendons and muscles with your weight balanced on the balls of your feet. Be mindful of that if your ankles are playing up, squatting onto a weight plate under each heel if necessary.
How to Do Sissy Squats
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, heels raised on a plate (or simply lift them off the floor) shifting your weight forwards to the balls of your feet.
Place your hands on your hips, straight out in front zombie style, or use a squat rack or wall to support you. You can also try using a doorframe if trying this at home.
Bend at the knees and lean backwards, creating a strong and rigid straight line from your knees to your head.
Continue bending at the knees, maintaining your backwards lean, lowering your knees as close to the ground as you can handle before standing back up forcefully.
Repeat.
3 Form Tips to Master Your Sissy Squats
Tip #1 Pace Yourself
Use your arms to control your tempo. Think about raising your arms from beside you until out in front as you sink into the bottom of each rep, then lowering them as you drive back up.
Tip #2 Play Fair
Use a Smith machine or barbell loaded in the squat rack for support, but don't cheat. Keep your grip light touch to ensure your legs are putting in the bulk of the work.
Tip #3 Keep It Strict
Once in the dipped position, concentrate on contracting your quads hard to initiate your ascent. Avoid using your arms to generate momentum. Keep them strict.
Why is it Called A Sissy Squat?
Theories abound but delve deep enough into the cobwebbed corners of the internet and you'll find the sissy squat was once known as the 'Monty Wolford Squat', named after the eponymous mid-century bodybuilding icon whose leg development was unparalleled.
Searching for ways to further shape and define his physique, the Silver Era icon discovered that titling his weight onto the balls of his feet while sinking into a backward-leaning squat would isolate – and inflate – the lower quad muscles.
But why did Wolford's signature move become known the world over as the sissy squat? Supposedly thanks to Wolford's protege Vince Gironda. He's said to have muttered that the move would 'make a sissy out of lifters that only performed the back squat'.
The name stuck, and the rest is history.
Are Sissy Squats Good or Bad For Your Knees?
The jury is somewhat out on this hot-potato topic. Ask someone like Jeff Cavaliere, who has trained elite pros in MLB, NFL and MMA and he'll argue it places undue force through the knee cap and patellar tendon, while inhibiting the glutes and hamstrings from doing what they're supposed to do: support the quads as you sink into a squat.
Ask someone like Ben Patrick – who's made a living off promoting the art of shifting your knees over your toes – and you'll get a very different story. He'd likely say the risk to the knees has been overblown and that, in fact, allowing your knees to travel beyond your toes as the sissy squat demands helps strengthen the muscles, tendons and ligaments and 'bulletproof the knees against the intense forces that they are subjected to in sport and life'.
Either way, it's always best to consult a medical professional to screen your particular ability and range of motion if you have any concerns or before undergoing a new training plan.
How Many Reps and Sets?
Given the intention is to isolate the quads, you needn't get too creative when it comes to the target reps and sets to shoot for. Instead, you can play around with the tempo to make these harder, and your quads fuller.
For beginners: We recommend keeping things simple. Aim for 2-3 sets of 5 reps, taking it slow and steady for a count of two seconds down, two seconds up.
For hypertrophy: Crank up the volume; slow down the tempo. Try 3-4 sets until near failure, leaving a couple of reps in the tank. Rest a couple of minutes, then go again.
For injury-prevention: Dial back the volume to keep your legs fresh. Perform up to 5 sets of 3-5 reps, using the same two seconds down, two seconds up tempo.
4 Sissy Squat Variations
Easier: Kneeling Sissy Squat
You can dial down the technicality of this exercise and save your ankles by performing it in a kneeling position. Also known as reverse Nordics, the aim is to maintain the same rigid line from your knees to head throughout the exercise to target your quads. Keep the tempo slow and steady and play around with the depth you can manage with each rep.
Similar: Cyclist Squat
Same same but different. Cyclist squats challenge the ankles and knees in a similar way, but by maintaining a more upright torso posture allow you to more safely add load with a barbell. That said, they provide a healthy challenge when performed with just your bodyweight too, so start light and build up gradually.
Harder: Toes-Elevated Sissy Squat
Like the regular variety, but performed on a low step or block. Using the block creates a deficit so you can lower your knees further towards the floor. Exercise extreme caution – this version requires formidable ankle flexion, balance and control.
For Maximum Muscle: Leg extension
If your gym set-up allows, you can't beat the classic leg extension exercise for unadulterated quad development. Locked in position, this version strips away the need to maintain stability through your ankle or knee joint so you can focus on going all out. Still, it's worth keeping the tempo slow and steady to avoid overly straining your joints. Embrace the burn.
Want More Leg Workouts?
Now you know everything there is to know about the move, here's a roundup of quad building workouts and moves that'll turn your pins into pillars of strength.
The 12 Best Quad Exercises and Workouts for Building Muscle
The Best Move You're Not Doing: Sissy Squat to Nordic Curl
This 20 Minute Kettlebell Only Leg Workout Builds Explosive Lower Body Power'
Quad-Killing' 15 Minute Dumbbell Leg Workout
Build Huge Quads (and The Hamstrings To Match) With Our Dumbbell Leg Day
Jason Momoa’s ‘Hybrid’ Leg Day Promises a Superhuman Quad Pump
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