The SISSY SQUAT is certainly an old-school exercise for training the quadriceps, as it totally cuts the glutes and the hamstrings out of the movement. It is a sort of free body leg extension. The sissy squat can be considered a monoarticular exercise because even if it requires a strong isometry by the whole body, the only action seemed is that of extending the tibia.
SISSY SQUAT – IS IT DANGEROUS FOR THE KNEES?
The sissy squat certainly has the same problems as the leg extension in terms of tension in the anterior cruciate ligament. But, are these tensions really so dangerous?
During the execution of the leg extension, by contracting the quadriceps, the tibia extends. As the weight stack pushes the tibia down, the patellar tendon prevents the knee from rotation. But the patellar tendon also makes the tibia move forward with respect to the femur, generating shearing force: it is the anterior cruciate ligament that, with its traction, compensates for this displacement and stabilizes the joint, holding the femur stable with the tibia. The shearing forces on the knees are part of every movement in everyday life and that is why we have them… The legend that says “leg extension hurts” refers to studies carried out in the medical field, with already damaged anterior cruciates.
Those who train in the gym run the risk of getting hurt if they use this exercise with too high a load, but it is good to emphasize that using an excessive load in an isolation exercise is useless, since most of the work is done with other most important exercises. The progression of the load has to never reach the extreme edge to preserve our knees.
SISSY SQUAT – EXECUTION TECHNIQUE
Position yourself with your feet shoulder-width, with one or both hands on your hips, or with one hand holding a support at your side. Lower the body backward while bending the knees. Always trying to keep a straight line with the back and knees. Get down as far as possible trying to bring your glutes as close to your ankles, without losing balance. Respecting the limits of your mobility and your joints. During the descent phase, your heels will rise from the ground allowing you to get as deep as possible. Then return to the starting position.
EXECUTION TECHNIQUE – HOW TO OVERLOAD THE SISSY SQUAT?
Even if it is an isolation exercise where we must care about the stress given on the single joint, the sissy squat can be well overloaded. You can add weight in several ways: holding a dumbbell with your free hand, or holding a disc on the chest.
SISSY SQUAT – CONCLUSIONS
As written above, the sissy squat is definitely a versatile exercise. It can be used after heavy exercises to exhaust the quadriceps. You can use it after the fundamentals exercises, using a big overload or high repetitions with bodyweight. An excellent variant could be a superset with the free body, in order to complete the exhaustion of the quadriceps.
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