Sissy Squat Bodyweight

The Sissy Squat Bodyweight is a quad-dominant, quad isolation movement that places all the tension on the four quad muscles for juicy muscle building gains. Unlike many squat exercises or leg extensions, this variation keeps the torso upright, hips locked, and knees forward, creating a phenomenal exercise for knee flexion, knee extension, and deep range of motion. It’s a fantastic leg exercise for lifters wanting both strength and dynamic balance without a sissy squat machine, weights, or extra equipment. The movement isolates the rectus femoris, vastus medialis, and other quad muscle groups more than most leg workouts or lower body exercises, making it an excellent addition to any exercise routine.

• Stand in your starting position with feet hip width, maintaining a secure torso and upright posture.

• Rise onto your toes and begin the sissy squat bodyweight pattern while keeping your upper body straight.

• Lean back into a controlled kneeling sissy squat–style angle, letting your knees forward to maximise quad activation.

• Lower until you feel strong tension in your quad muscles, keeping hips locked and avoiding unnecessary hip flexion.

• Push through your toes to return upright and repeat for smooth reps, focusing on maintaining balance and proper form.

GymNation Tip: Think knees forward, hips locked—if your hips start bending, you’ve turned a sissy squat into a regular squat and robbed your quads of the burn.

• Keep your body straight from knees to shoulders to maintain trunk stability.

• Use assistance if needed — a rack, wall, or pole helps with maintaining balance during this quad dominant exercise.

• Slow tempo increases muscle activation, protects the knee joint, and strengthens the patellar tendon.

• Avoid sudden movements to protect the ankle joint and reduce knee pain risks.

• Ideal before or after other leg exercises such as bulgarian split squats, leg presses, goblet squat, or hamstring exercises.