The Sissy Squat is a intermediate-friendly bodyweight strength exercise that targets the quadriceps, with the abdominals and calves working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesQuads
Secondary musclesAbs, Calves
EquipmentBodyweight
LevelIntermediate
TypeStrength
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Sissy Squat
Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and hold a support with one hand.
Rise onto the balls of your feet, or place your heels on a two to four inch block.
Brace your trunk and squeeze your glutes so the hips stay extended.
Lean back from the knees, letting them travel forward while your torso stays in line with your thighs.
Descend as far as you can control, keeping the hips from folding backward.
Press through the balls of your feet to return to standing, then repeat.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Loads the quadriceps hard without a barbell or a machine.
Trains knee flexion and extension through a long range with the hips held extended.
Scales by depth alone, so progression needs no extra load.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Letting the hips fold backward, which turns the rep into a shallow ordinary squat.
Arching the lower back to reach depth, which loads the lumbar spine instead of the quadriceps.
Dropping fast and bouncing at the bottom, which spikes load on the knee with no control.
Pulling hard on the support hand, which removes the resistance the exercise depends on.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Sissy Squat, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
