Legs / Advanced / Compound (multi-joint)

Weighted Sissy Squat

A barbell exercise for the quads, with the calves, glutes and hamstrings assisting.

At a glance

Primary

Quads

Secondary

Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings

Equipment

Weight plate

Movement pattern

Knee extension, Squat

Level

Advanced

Type

Legs, Compound (multi-joint)

Loads the knee. Use a load you can control and skip it if it causes pain.

How to do it

1. Standing upright, with feet at shoulder width and toes raised, use one hand to hold onto the beams of a squat rack and the opposite arm to hold a plate on top of your chest. This is your starting position.
2. As you use one arm to hold yourself, bend at the knees and slowly lower your torso toward the ground by bringing your pelvis and knees forward. Inhale as you go down and stop when your upper and lower legs almost create a 90-degree angle. Hold the stretch position for a second.
3. After your one second hold, use your thigh muscles to bring your torso back up to the starting position. Exhale as you move up.
4. Repeat for the recommended amount of times.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Doing it loaded before the knees are ready.

  Why it hurts: The knee bends fully while the body leans back, placing very high load on the patellar tendon.

  ✓ Instead: Start with bodyweight, hold onto a support, and use a short range at first. Skip it if you have knee pain.

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