We’re back with another workout edge post. In the past I’ve done posts on effective quad exercises outside of the conventional barbell back squat, and how changing one simple thing can up your squat game, providing better stability through range of motion. I also mention squats in the SUPP UP. No Bull workout guides.
Because SUPP UP. is all about stripping away the inessential, this time around I figured I’d share with you an efficient set that torches your quads with minimal equipment – at most you need a dumbbell and at least maybe a wall to hold onto for stability until you get the hang of things.
Let’s get started.
Workout Edge: Build Your Quads – 2 Squat Variations.
It’s always a good idea to know different ways to work the same muscle, because if you know how the muscle works, you know how to build it no matter where you are or how limited your equipment is. If you’re in the military or an active civilian who travels a lot, you may not always have access to the gym equipment you usually use.
Even if you fit into neither of those categories, I’m pretty sure you’ve been in a crowded gym at least once in your life and know how annoying it can be to wait for equipment to free up. So rather than waiting around and inevitably cooling down from your workout, get smart instead.
The two most effective (and often underrated) quad exercises are the goblet squat and the sissy squat. When done right, these exercises aren’t just for beginners – if you think they are, you’ve either been doing them wrong or with poor form.
These two exercises are built into a simple and effective workout below. I always believe in warming up beforehand with 5 minutes of skipping with a speed rope, and training anterior (front) muscles with posterior (back) muscles, so I’ll usually finish quads with Nordic curls after.
And don’t let the names, especially sissy squat, fool you. In fact, the name for sissy squat has a pretty interesting back story which I’ll explain after I run through the workout below (it’s not one you may think it is – try and guess).
If you’re familiar with goblet and sissy squats, you’ll recognize some of these exercises; for those who aren’t, a brief explanation with links that I provide below will help you get this done.
The SUPP UP. Leg Workout [For Travel]
- Warm-up [skipping with a speed rope] – 5 minutes
- Goblet squat (Heavy) – 15 reps
- Any seasoned lifter should be able to do this with a barbell that weighs between 60-100 lbs (27-45 kg). The key is to do these HEAVY. If not, lower the weight to something where you can do just about 15 reps with one rep leftover in the tank.
- Also – squat BETWEEN your legs. I see people’s elbows flaring out beyond their legs instead of pressing into their inner thigh and that’s really where this movement gets messed up.
- Sissy squat – 12 reps
- There’s 2 variations for this – with dumbbells or with body weight. Try it with body weight only first, then dumbbells – I’ll explain later.
- Goblet squat (Heavy) – 15 reps
- Sissy squat – 12 reps
- Nordic Curls – 6-8 reps x 3 sets
The key here is good form and warming up properly. If you’ve never done these exercises before, they look easy when you’re watching them on video…and they are – just not the way you think. They’re easy to execute – not easy to complete.
Goblet Squat
Sissy Squat
The burn with each exercise will creep up on you. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or someone with respectable quads because:
- I’ve seen lifters do excellent with the barbell back squat, but get winded or can’t skip rope for more than 60 seconds with a speed rope.
- Skip rope isn’t just for the boxing gym – it’s an effective form of conditioning and a great way to warm up the entire body. I’ve said this in the SUPP UP. workout guides and I’ll say it again – skipping rope works so many muscles in the body, especially legs, and there’s a reason why it’s a core part of a boxing routine.
- I’ve also seen lifters go red in the face when they’re on their 15th – 20th rep and 1st set of a heavy loaded goblet squat.
- Goblet squats are good for beginners but they’re also great for seasoned lifters when loaded heavy. Especially when you descend into a 15 second hold at the bottom of your first rep, then continue to do 15 reps and repeat over 4 sets.
- Goblet squats work your legs, anterior core, and upper back. You need a huge amount of spinal stiffness and shoulder stability to hold a heavy dumbbell in an anteriorly loaded position, and you also need to be able to squat the weight itself. Try it and watch how your heart rate starts to surge after the first set – also notice how much of a leg pump you get.
- I’ve had lifters mock the sissy squat, only to have them hobbling around like geriatrics in a home 2 days later because of post-workout DOMS.
- The secret of sissy squats is simple – the movement eliminates involvement of your hamstrings and glutes. When done correctly, your heels are above your toes, and your body is angled backward rather than forward, forming a straight line from your neck to your knees throughout the entire movement. This reduces recruitment of your posterior-chain muscles, demoting them to a supporting role, causing them to work with the rest of your core muscles in order to keep your body in a straight line (like I said – neck to knees). This means all the work is in your knee joints.
- When done correctly, you feel a deep, searing burn in your quads, but no pain in your knees. This is great because you’re not hammering away at your lower back like you would with the barbell back squat, but instead giving it a breather, which (thinking ahead) will keep you lifting longer and healthier.
- Once you get comfortable doit these without holding onto a fixture and can blast through the body weight reps with ease, try them with dumbbells.
Now for the back story on sissy squats and their name.
If you know Greek mythology (thanks for canceling Kaos, streaming service who shall not be named), you’ll know where I’m going with this. It all starts with a douche bag named Sisyphus, king of Corinth. It got to the point where he pissed of the gods and in particular, Zeus, so much, he was fated to roll a large boulder up a hill for all eternity. This built his quads to an impressive level, hence the name sissy squat.
That’s one version of the story – there’s another.
Jokes aside, originally, the Sissy Squat was once known as the Monte Wolford squat, a classic physique body builder who competed from the 1940-1970s. Monte then taught it to Vince Geronda, and it’s said that Wolford claimed (jokingly) it would make “sissies” out of conventional barbell back squat lifters.
The Sisyphus and Monte Wolford sissy squat origin story both had one thing right though – the way sissy squats are done work your quads differently, leading to impressive muscle development.
I think the only thing I’d change about the illustration of Sisyphus is the way he was pushing the boulder – this would be more in line with the sissy squat movement:
Much better.
If you’ve read the SUPP UP. Workout Guides, you’ll know why this workout is so effective…and if you haven’t, well…you know what to do – pick them up as paperbacks or digital copies over at the SUPP UP. store.
That’s all, folks.
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