Are sissy squats an effective exercise? They don’t seem to get much mention on this website. If they are effective, could someone please tell me how to do them? I have never seen anyone in the gym doing them, and in magazines they just appear to be a regular squat, holding a weight instead of using a barbell? Thanks in advance.
Do a search at T-mag. Ian King had a question about sissy squats a few issues back in Heavy Metal.
Thanks TEK, I must have missed that article. I tried doing a search on this forum, but I got an error message.
Maybe I’m off base, but “sissy” squats ain’t for sissies, the way I’ve seen them. You need an aparatus to do them right, as I figure, which holds the feet inplace and supports the back of the knee. Think of standing in skis and leaning back as far as you can bending at the knees only. That’s the basic movement. Kills the quads. Don’t know how biomechanically sound it is.
They’re easy to do once you see them but harder to explain. Grab a vertical bar (we used to do them holding on to the squat rack), hold a plate to your chest if you want to add weight. Squat back by going up on the balls of your feet, letting your knees/hips go forward, while leaning back. Picture sitting on your ankles and leaning back to stretch your quads. Thats what the bottom position looks like except you’re up on the ball of your feet.
Those machines that support your calf/ankle don’t allow you to do true sissy squats. This probably isn’t that helpful. If I find a picture somewhere I’ll post it.