Weighted Sissy Squat

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell or any weighted object against your chest. Keep your core engaged and spine straight. Slowly lower your body down by bending your knees and hips as you lean back slightly. Continue lowering until your knees are fully bent, or as far as you comfortably can. Pause briefly, then press through your heels to raise your body back up to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

How to perform the Weighted Sissy Squat

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Weighted Sissy Squat using your free weights.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your quadriceps.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your quadriceps rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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