Bodyweight Kneeling Sissy Squat

A quad-dominant isolation exercise. It places high tension on the quadriceps by using a leaning-back motion while kneeling.

Exercise Details

Level: Beginner
Body Area: lower
Type: squat
Mechanics: Compound

Required Equipment

Bodyweight-only

Target Muscle Groups

Primary

Quads

Secondary

Glutes

Setup

Kneel on a soft pad with an upright torso. Place your hands on your hips or across your chest. Engage your core and glutes.

Instructions

1. Lean your torso backward from the knees while maintaining a straight line from knees to head.
2. Feel the intense stretch in your quads.
3. Use your quads to pull yourself back to the start.
4. Avoid hinging at the hips.
5. Maintain control.

Common Mistakes

1. Hinging at the hips.
2. Arching the back.
3. Leaning back too far and losing control.

Alternative Exercises

Walking Lunge

Beginner / Bodyweight-only / Quads / lunge

A dynamic lower-body compound exercise. It builds functional strength, balance, and coordination while targeting the quads and glutes.

Sumo Squat

Beginner / Bodyweight-only / Glutes / squat

A wide-stance squat variation. It shifts the emphasis to the adductors and glutes while improving hip mobility.

Static Lunge Kick

Beginner / Bodyweight-only / Glutes / lunge

Combines lower-body strength with explosive power and balance. It targets the quads and glutes while challenging the core.

Squat On Bosu Ball

Intermediate / BOSU Balance Trainer / Quads / squat

An advanced lower-body exercise that combines a standard squat with extreme instability to recruit deep stabilizer muscles and improve balance.

Squat Mobility Complex

Beginner / Bodyweight-only / Quads / squat

A series of movements within a squat position to open the hips, ankles, and thoracic spine. It improves overall movement quality and warm-up readiness.

Squat

Beginner / Bodyweight-only / Quads / squat

The fundamental lower-body compound exercise. It targets the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings while building core stability and overall functional strength.