T Nation 25th Anniversary Giveaway - Enter Now
Categories: Bigger Stronger Leaner

Tip: Squat Like a Sissy For Bigger Legs

The Sissy Squat

The classic sissy squat puts the quads into a fully lengthened position and makes them scream all by their lonesome.

Now, someone with weak-sauce sprinkled all over his knees is going to complain about how sissy squats are bad for the knees. Wah. Have you taken any time to think about why they hurt?

It could be because your VMO is puny and can't tolerate the tension of this movement. When you've got big strong muscles it's crazy how they will mitigate the pain in that joint. It's also crazy that most of the guys I know with amazing VMO development can do these without pain.

There's probably some relationship here with the fact that they didn't spend decades wearing knee wraps, and actually allowed the VMO to fully develop by using a full range of motion in their quad-dominant movements. Crazy talk, I know.

One complaint about the sissy squat is that it's unloading the posterior chain completely and shifts the loading (bodyweight) entirely to the quads. And this is bad how? Yeah, it's called a quad-dominant movement for a reason. Give 'em a shot.

Recent Posts

  • Stuff We Make

Mag-10

1 year ago
  • Bigger Stronger Leaner

Question of Strength 65

Ask Me Anything I receive great questions in my T Nation Community Coaching Lab. If…

2 years ago
  • Bigger Stronger Leaner

Question of Strength 64

Ask Me Anything I get a lot of great questions in my T Nation Community…

2 years ago
  • Bigger Stronger Leaner

Your Warm-Up Is Killing Your Workout... and Gains

An Exaggerated Warm-Up Isn't Helpful I don't know when the lengthy warm-up became a thing,…

2 years ago
  • Bigger Stronger Leaner

Assess Your Metabolic State, Dominate Your Workout

Training and Your Metabolic State When I think "workout," I think of speeds. Your metabolic…

2 years ago