Sissy Squat

Isolates the quad by taking the knee into deep flexion with the hip extended — the at-home substitute for the leg extension. High load on the knee: only if you are pain-free.

• Isolation
• Bodyweight
• Advanced

How to do it

• Hold a support and rise onto the balls of your feet
• Let your knees travel well forward as your torso leans back
• Hips extended through the whole range: body in a knee-to-shoulder line
• Rise squeezing your quads, short range at first

Sets, reps and tempo

Ranges: 10–15 reps · 1–2 RIR

Tempo: Lower very slowly for 3–4 s leaning your torso back; come up by extending the knee

Common mistakes

• Losing the hip-knee-shoulder line
• Going too fast and stressing your kneecap
• Not holding on to control the range at first

Muscles worked

Primary

• Quads

Alternatives

• Leg Extension