

If you're a beginner, I recommend starting with a bodyweight sissy squat (video here). Below, I walk you through three different ways to approach a sissy squat. To perform a sissy squat (see a video here), you will keep your feet in a fixed position while leaning backward, putting increased strain on your thigh muscles. In addition, sissy squats are considered an extreme leg exercise because it pushes your joints to their end range of motion - particularly your knee joints and hip flexors. Sissy squats test the strength of your quads, back muscles, hip flexors, and abdominals. Sissy squats are a complex exercise, meaning it challenges multiple muscle groups in a single movement. Plus, it's a grueling workout (but luckily, your squats workout will come to an end, unlike Sisyphus 's punishment). So, what does Greek mythology, rolling a boulder, and ultimate punishments have to do with squats? Pushing a giant boulder is like pushing a sled - it takes a toll on your quads, just like sissy squats. After being banished to Hades for good, his ultimate punishment was to roll a boulder up a hill forever, only to have it roll back down before he reached the top. Described in “The Iliad” as the "most cunning of men," Sisyphus twice escaped Hades before being punished by Zeus. Sisyphus, the king of Corinth, is famous in Greek mythology for twice cheating death. Ironically enough, sissy squats are named after a Greek legend named King Sisyphus. With that being said, the term " sissy squats ," has nothing to do with poor form. If you have ideas for wordsmithing a better name, leave me a note in the comments. Sometimes, an inappropriate name can turn athletes off from an otherwise effective exercise (which is why I prefer to call back-and-forth sprints "gassers" rather than suicides). Why Are They Called Sissy Squats ?ĭisclaimer: I fully support sissy squats undergoing a name change.
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īelow, I explain the various benefits of sissy squats, how to do them, and why this unique movement should hold a place in your regular workout routine.įeatured download: Need some more ideas around squats or exercises in general? Get access to my free 15 week training program tool so you can monitor your training progress more effectively. Therefore, you can mix sissy squats into your workout at your gym or as part of an at-home workout routine. Sissy squats can be performed with weights or as a bodyweight exercise. In one movement, sissy squats strengthen your core, quadriceps, and hip flexors, while helping you improve balance and mobility. And while I'm not a fan of the name - I'll get to that in a bit - sissy squats are one of the toughest leg exercises I’ve ever tried (or programmed for my clients). It turns out that sissy squats have nothing to do with sloppy weightlifting form.

The first time I heard the phrase " sissy squats ," I thought someone was insulting my squat form.
