When it comes to working your lower body, there are often a few exercises that come to mind: squats, lunges, and deadlifts, to name a few. While all of these are great for working multiple leg muscles, if you’re looking to mix things up, we’ve found a super simple exercise that will burn your quads like never before.
The best part? Unlike other lower body exercises, you won’t need adjustable dumbbells or resistance bands. You will only need the weight of your body and a wall.
Wall squats, also known as wall squats or the devil’s chair, primarily target the quadriceps, the muscles that sit under the front of your thighs. It is an isometric movement, which builds strength and endurance in the muscles without any movement. It also hits the glutes and calves and can be done from almost anywhere, without using equipment. Read on to learn more about wall sitting and the variations you can try.
how to make a wall seat
To sit on the wall, start with your back flat against a flat wall. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart and about two feet from the wall. Keeping your back flat against the wall, slide down until you have a 90-degree bend in your knees: your quads should be parallel to the floor and your knees should be directly over your ankles. Hold the wall as long as possible – aim for 20 seconds to start and stack. You should feel a stretch in the front of your thigh and it shouldn’t be long before it starts to burn.
Be sure to never let your knees extend past your ankles on this move, as this will make it less effective and work your calves, not your quads. Keep your core engaged throughout the movement; think about sinking your navel into your spine and keeping your weight in your heels, not your toes. You should also not collapse to your knees at the end of the movement; instead, you should press your heels back and slide your back up the wall until you’re on your feet.
The benefits of sitting on the wall
Since wall seats isolate the quads, they are great for building front leg strength. This is great for runners, as running primarily targets the hamstrings, so wall sitting can help balance your leg muscles. By activating your low slow-twitch fiber muscles, you’re also helping to build endurance in your muscles, which won’t help you build bigger muscles, but will help you move faster.
As you’ll soon notice after trying your first wall seat, they get your heart rate up quickly and help you burn calories. Unlike a squat, where you have periods of work and rest as you move up and down, in a wall squat, you keep your muscles working hard throughout the movement, increasing your heart rate and, in turn, your blood pressure. calories burned.
Wall Sitting Variations to Try
There are no ifs and buts about it: sitting on the wall is an intense exercise and beginners may find it difficult. Fortunately, there are a number of variations to make the exercise easier or more difficult.
To make it easier to move, don’t go too low in the seat. Aim for a 45 degree angle, not 90 degrees, as this will take some pressure off your quads and knees. You can also shorten the amount of time you spend on the movement: Try five seconds at first and build up, or place an exercise ball between your back and the wall.
To make the move more difficult, hold the move longer or try one of these variations:
Sit on the wall with one leg: To really set your quads on fire, try doing a seated wall on one leg. To do this, sit down, then shift your weight onto one leg and extend the other in front of you. Hold this for a few seconds, before lowering your leg back to its starting position. Repeat on both sides.
Sit on the wall with weight: You guessed it, for a weighted wall squat, you’ll want to add weight to the movement, by placing a weight plate or dumbbell across your thighs. Be sure to remove the weight before standing up.
Sit on the wall with curl: To get an upper and lower body workout, hold a dumbbell in each hand and once you’re in a wall sit position, add some shoulder presses or bicep curls.
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