Weighted Sissy Squat
Skip the guesswork: Weighted Sissy Squat leans on added external load for front-thigh strength you can use.
How to do Weighted Sissy Squat
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward.
- Hold a weight in front of your chest with both hands, or place a barbell across your upper back.
- Keeping your chest up and your core engaged, slowly lower your body down by bending at the knees and hips.
- Continue lowering until your thighs are parallel to the ground or as low as you can comfortably go.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push through your heels to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Weighted Sissy Squat Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
4 sets of 4-6 reps with 3 minutes of rest. Secure the load before the set so form does not shift.
Hypertrophy
4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Drop the weight and finish clean if position slips.
Endurance
3 sets of 15-20 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Add the smallest increment that still feels different.
Common Weighted Sissy Squat Mistakes
Holding the weight where it drags you out of position
Keep the load close to your centre so posture does not change.
Cutting depth once the weight gets heavy
Pick a load that lets you reach the same depth on every rep.
Repeating the same load and rep scheme for months
Pick one variable, load, reps, or tempo, and push it every week.
Easier and Harder Than Weighted Sissy Squat
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Weighted Sissy Squat — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Weighted Sissy Squat?
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward. Hold a weight in front of your chest with both hands, or place a barbell across your upper back. Keeping your chest up and your core engaged, slowly lower your body down by bending at the knees and hips. Use added weight and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Weighted Sissy Squat work?
The Weighted Sissy Squat primarily targets the quads. It is classified as a legs exercise and is performed with added weight.
How many sets and reps of the Weighted Sissy Squat should I do?
For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Drop the weight and finish clean if position slips. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Weighted Sissy Squat good for beginners?
It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic legs patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.
What can I do instead of the Weighted Sissy Squat?
Try the Barbell Bench Front Squat, Dumbbell Step-up Lunge or the Forward Jump. Each trains the quads with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
