Sissy squats: an unusual way to “surprise” leg muscles and make them grow

How many kinds of squats can you think of? Two, three, maybe four? Today we’re definitely going to add to that list with a not-so-popular way of doing this exercise. Grab your notebooks and take notes!

Sissy squats came about as a result of finding a way to “surprise” your muscles and isolate the load. This is necessary at a time when they simply refuse to grow, having adapted to all exercises. That’s when you have to look for non-standard options to achieve results.

trainer with more than 20 years of experience, mentor of the Evotren fitness school

“To introduce this exercise into your training program, it’s important for you to remember that you need to prepare for it thoroughly.”

Benefits

The main benefit is the targeted workout of the quadriceps. There’s less strain on the spine. The glutes, thigh biceps and calves are also put to work. In addition, sissy squats can be a good progression for learning to move in eccentric mode and at the same time improve control in the knee joints.

Eccentric mode is the process of lengthening a muscle under load, often the moment of extension in an exercise.

Contraindications

We recommend doing the exercise only under the control of a trainer, because it has many nuances, and the technique itself is quite traumatic because of the heavy load on the joints of the knees and ankles.

Contraindications will be any diseases of the joints involved in the exercise, as well as their stability or reduced mobility. Limitations will also be problems with ligamentous or tendon apparatus.

How do I prepare for the exercise?

1. You must be able to maintain a neutral body position under load. To do this, you will need to practice exercises such as the square, dead bug and plank. It is important to achieve perfect technique in these exercises, otherwise the risk of injury is high.
2. Your knee, ankle and hip joints should be in good condition. You should undergo several diagnostic tests under the supervision of a competent fitness trainer. Otherwise, you may injure ligaments or tendons.
3. You will need some time to train your muscles to work in the eccentric mode, otherwise, when moving down, you can either fall or switch to an incorrect technique of execution, dangerous for your body. For this purpose, Nordic bends and reverse Nordic bends are suitable at the initial stage.

How to perform the exercise?

There are two options: without equipment and in a special simulator. Let’s consider both variants.

Technique of performing without equipment

• Stand upright next to some support. Place your feet at the width of the pelvic bones. If you use a projectile, press it to the chest with your hand. Keep your free hand on the support.
• Keep your body in neutral alignment by tensing the abdominal and gluteal muscles.
• Start slowly bending your legs at the knees, they come forward. Parallel rising on the toes and tilting the body backwards.
• Hips in the hip joints should be fixed.
• Hold on to the support with your hand.
• Throughout the exercise, control the movement, there are no “relaxation zones”.
• Lower to a 90-degree angle in the knee joint, and then start lifting back to the starting position.

Technique of execution in the simulator

In the second variant, where equipment is used, the stability of the legs will provide you with rollers and elements of the simulator. You will need to fix the position, and then perform a controlled withdrawal of the pelvis back to achieve an angle in the knee joints of the same 90 degrees.

It is important to realize that the movements with and without the machine are still different exercises. With the machine, there is more dynamic movement in the hips and knees, whereas without it, the movement is in the ankles and knees.

How to choose weights?

If we talk about the use of additional weights, the principle of selection is the same as in other exercises, it is based on your goals and the capabilities of the body. But it is worth remembering that active dynamics on the weight of the weights can lead to injury, do not increase it sharply. And, as mentioned above, the exercise with an additional projectile should be used only when all other methods have ceased to bring results.

Typical mistakes

• Deviation of the body from the neutral position will lead to a shift in the load and possible injury. This applies to both control of the body and immobility in the hip joint when performing the exercise outside the machine. To avoid this, use the training advice above.
• Excessive flexion angle can lead to injury. Don’t aim for maximum amplitude. Even if you can’t reach 90 degrees at the knee, work at the amplitude that is available to you for a while. Forcing in this case will most likely result in dropping out of training for a long period of time.
• Transition to the exercise without preparation. If your joints and other parts of the musculoskeletal system are not ready for this movement, you will almost certainly tear, pull or displace something.
• It is a mistake to perform the exercise with sudden movements, everything should be controlled and smooth.

Training is beneficial only with a quality approach and proper technique, so be smart about the selection of exercises and their implementation in life. Consult a trainer if in doubt.