Exercise guide · Advanced · Compound

Sissy Squat: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The sissy squat is a challenging bodyweight exercise that targets the quadriceps by requiring a deep knee bend and significant balance, often performed with minimal support. It emphasizes quad strength and control, while also engaging the calves and glutes.

Primary muscles
Quads
Secondary muscles
Glutes , Calves
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Advanced · Compound
Demonstration of the sissy squat
Front view: muscles worked by the sissy squat. Primary: quads. Secondary: glutes and calves.
Back view: muscles worked by the sissy squat. Primary: quads. Secondary: glutes and calves.
Primary Secondary

How to do the sissy squat

  1. Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward.
  2. Step 2: Hold onto a stable object for balance if needed.
  3. Step 3: Slowly lower your body by bending your knees and leaning back, keeping your torso upright.
  4. Step 4: Continue lowering until your thighs are parallel to the ground or as far as you can comfortably go.
  5. Step 5: Pause for a moment, then push through your heels to return to the starting position.
  6. Step 6: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the sissy squat by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Sissy Squat alternatives

More exercises that train the quads as their main target:

More quads exercises

See the best quad exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.