Exercise guide · Legs & Glutes

Sissy Squat

Sissy squat is a bodyweight quad exercise where you lean back while bending your knees forward and letting your heels rise or stay anchored. It emphasizes knee extension and stretches the front of the thighs under load.

Targets: Quads
Equipment: Bodyweight
Type: Isolation

Step by step

How to do the Sissy Squat

Stand near a rack, Smith machine bar, or bench you can hold for balance at chest height.
Set feet hip-width apart with toes forward or slightly turned out. Hold the support lightly with both hands.
Rise onto the balls of your feet or keep heels down if using a sissy squat bench—choose one style and stay consistent.
Keeping hips relatively extended, bend knees and lean your torso back as knees travel forward over toes.
Lower until you feel a strong stretch in the quads or thighs are at least parallel to the floor, then contract your quads to extend your knees and return to standing.
Keep the movement smooth; use the support only for balance, not to pull yourself up.

Form cues

Think knees forward, body back
Stay tall through the chest
Control depth—don't drop fast
Quads do the work to straighten legs

Common mistakes

Bending at the hips like a regular squat
Pulling hard on the support to finish reps
Dropping too fast into the bottom
Letting knees cave inward

Muscles worked

Primary

Quads

Secondary

None significant

Safety: Start shallow and build depth over time. Use a pad or support and stop if you feel sharp knee pain. Not ideal if you have existing knee issues—consider machine alternatives.

Alternatives

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