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Wall Sit

Equipment: Bodyweight

Primary Muscles
  • Gluteus Maximus
  • Quadriceps
Synergistic Muscles
  • Adductor Magnus
  • Soleus

Wall Sit is a great lower-body isometric exercise that builds endurance and strength in your legs and glutes. It’s simple but burns fast—here’s how to do it:

  1. Stand with your back against a wall and your feet about shoulder-width apart, roughly two feet away from the wall.
  2. Slide down the wall until your thighs are parallel to the floor—like you’re sitting on an invisible chair.
  3. Keep your knees directly above your ankles (not over your toes), and press your lower back into the wall.
  4. Hold this position for as long as you can while keeping your core engaged and breathing steadily.
  5. Stand back up when finished and repeat for additional sets if desired.

Introduction

The wall sit exercise is a lower body strength training move where you lean against a wall with your back flat, bend your knees at a 90-degree angle, and hold the position for a set duration. It primarily targets the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. Wall sits are effective for improving lower body strength, stability, and endurance, making them beneficial for general fitness, sports performance, and rehabilitation programs that focus on these areas.

Muscles Worked

  • Primary: Quadriceps (thighs), Gluteus Maximus (buttocks)
  • Secondary: Hamstrings (back of thighs), Calves, Abdominals (core)

How to Do It (Step-by-Step)

  1. Stand with your back against a wall, feet shoulder-width apart and about 8 to 10 inches away from the wall. Lower yourself down into a squat position so that your knees are at a 90-degree angle. Your body should form a right angle from knees to hips to shoulders.
  2. Hold this position without sliding up or down the wall or bending at the waist.
  3. Maintain a neutral spine, engage your core and squeeze your glutes to keep your back flat against the wall. Keep your head in a neutral position and breathe normally throughout the exercise.

Tip: Focus on pushing your knees downward while keeping your heels planted firmly on the ground to maximize the effectiveness of this lower body workout.

Rep & Rest Guidelines

  • Strength: 4–6 reps, 2–3 min rest
  • Hypertrophy: 8–12 reps, 60–90 sec rest
  • Endurance: 12–20 reps, 30–60 sec rest

Achieve optimal progression with Auto Progression. Stay on track with smart rest timing using the Rest Timer.

Form Tips

  • Maintain a neutral spine and engage your core muscles to prevent excessive arching or rounding of the back.
  • Align your hips directly over your ankles, keeping feet shoulder-width apart and pressing evenly through all four toes.
  • Keep your knees at a 90-degree angle throughout the wall sit, ensuring that your thighs are parallel to the ground.

When to Use It

  • Lower Body Strength Endurance: Wall sits can help build and maintain lower body muscle endurance, ideal for activities like cycling or running longer distances.
  • Functional Fitness: Incorporating wall sits into functional fitness routines enhances stability during everyday movements such as getting up from a chair or squatting to pick up items.
  • Core Strength: By engaging the core muscles to maintain proper posture during a wall sit, this exercise can contribute to overall core strength development.

Workout History allows you to track and analyze your workout progress over time.

wall sit - Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about wall sit to optimize your training.

Wall sits primarily engage the quadriceps, glutes, and calves while also strengthening the core and lower back.

Aim to hold a wall sit for 30-60 seconds, gradually increasing duration as your strength improves.

While not a traditional wall sit, you can lean against a sturdy chair or bench with feet out in front. Adjust the incline to match the wall sit if needed.

Include wall sits in your workouts twice weekly for optimal results.

Doing wall sits every day may lead to overuse injuries. Allow muscles time to rest and recover between sessions.

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