Despite the name, there’s nothing “sissy” about this squat. The Sissy Squat got its name from Sisyphus, the mythological Greek king cursed to push a boulder uphill for eternity. Much like that boulder, this movement will have your quads screaming for mercy. Once a go-to quad finisher for Tom Platz, the Sissy Squat is a blend of strength, balance, and mental toughness.
No machines. No barbells. Just you, gravity, and tears of pain while your quads grow. If you’re serious about leveling up your leg day or want to bring the teardrop back, the sissy squat is your new old-school best friend.
Let’s dig into this quad-scorching classic.
What is the Sissy Squat?
The sissy squat is a bodyweight quad-dominant variation that works by removing your hips and glutes from the equation. Instead of sitting back in a typical squat, you drive your knees forward while leaning your torso back, keeping your toes on the ground the entire time. It’s a movement that stretches and contracts the quadriceps muscle, the Rectus Femoris, through an extended range of motion.
For lifters who can go deep with control, the sissy squat delivers and intense muscle contraction and hypertrophy benefits. Old-school bodybuilders used it as a finisher, or a way to target the quads without weights. You only have to look at Tom Platz’s quads for proof.
How to Do the Sissy Squat Exercise
The sissy squat looks like something out of a Cirque du Soleil warm-up but when done right, it builds size and strength, with zero equipment. Here’s how to do it without falling flat on your back.
1. Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart and perform a calf raise to get on the balls of your feet.
2. Hold a squat rack for balance, extend your arms in front of you or at your sides for counterbalance.
3. Drive your knees forward while leaning back with your upper body, keeping your glutes squeezed.
4. Lower until you feel a deep quad stretch and strong tension throughout your anterior thigh.
5. Drive your toes into the floor and stand up to the starting position, maintaining good posture and tension.
Sissy Squat: Muscles Trained
The sissy squat is laser-focused on the quadriceps especially the rectus femoris, which crosses both the hip and knee joint. By keeping your hips extended and driving your knees forward, you will likely be walking funny tomorrow.
- Glutes: The sissy squat doesn’t directly train the glutes, but they’re engaged isometrically to keep your hips in place.
- Hip flexors (Rectus femoris): The rectus is one of the four quadriceps muscles that cross the hip and knee joints. The stretch on the RF and the extensive ROM here help strengthen and mobilize your hip flexors.
- The Other Three Quads: The quads are the primary movers in this exercise, as the entire movement focuses on knee flexion and extension.
- Core: Maintaining a neutral spine and an upright torso is key to balance throughout this exercise.
Common Sissy Squat Mistakes and Fixes
To reap the full benefits, you must pay attention to the setup, execution, and tempo. Here are the biggest mistakes lifters make so that you can become a master from the start.
Letting the Hips Flex
Dropping the hips like a squat turns the sissy squat into a partial squat, reducing quad tension and shifting load to the glutes.
The Fix: Keep your hips squeezed throughout the exercise. Think about driving your knees forward while leaning your torso back, like doing a standing limbo.
Crashing the Eccentric
Driving the knees over the toes too quickly with no control increases joint stress and reduces quadriceps tension.
The Fix: This is an easy one—slow it down. Use a 3–5 second lowering phase, and don’t bounce out of the bottom.
Heels Drop
Allowing your heels to fall towards the floor during the rep shifts your weight backward and reduces quadriceps activation.
The Fix: Stay on your toes the entire rep and consider the calf gains that result from staying there. This keeps the load in your quads, where it should be.
It’s Not A Game
Leaning the torso back is about counterbalance, so you don’t fall. Don’t treat it like a game of limbo; lean your torso far enough back to balance yourself.
The Fix: Remember, the torso is a counterbalance, not a limbo stick. Lean far enough back to maintain balance; your spine should stay neutral, and your torso should move in sync with your knees.
Benefits of The Sissy Squat
The Sissy Squat is one of the most effective bodyweight exercise for becoming a quad God. Here’s why it deserves a spot in your leg day rotation:
Unmatched Quad Isolation
It’s better to be one of the Gods than to be punished by them, sorry, Sisyphus. The most significant advantage of the sissy squat is that it’s effective at targeting your quads to build muscle for Olympus-level like gains.
Improved Knee Joint Strength
The deep knee over toes and slow descent exercises reinforce joint strength and control, especially in the end ROM, where most injuries occur. It’s an excellent tool for bulletproofing your knees, especially when performed with good form.
Better Balance
Performing the sissy squat can help improve your dynamic balance because it takes a fair amount of body control and awareness.
Gains Without Weights
No squat rack? No problem. The sissy squat requires no equipment, yet delivers a hypertrophic punch, especially when reps are slowed down. There is a gain behind the quad pain.
Programming Suggestions
Start with three sets of 3-5 eccentric contractions. Lower as slowly as possible, then squat back up. Then practice partial range of motion for three sets of 8-10 repetitions. Place a target in front of you to block your ROM. Lower down and raise back up to the target, reducing the target’s height over time.
Read the full article here
