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Exercises / Thigh & knee

3D athlete for the wall squat / wall sit

Wall squat / wall sit

  • Strength
  • Thigh & knee
  • Wall, Optional ball behind the back

Sliding down a wall into a squat. The unilateral wall squat produced the highest activation of four lower-limb muscles in Ayotte et al.

Also called wall sit, unilateral wall squat, isometric squat.

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Where you stand

No published distribution for this exercise yet. We add one only from a peer-reviewed study.

Muscles worked

Filled: primary. Outlined: secondary.

How much

Isometric holds (e.g. 30-45 s) or 2-3 sets of 10-15 slides.

Start: Standing with the back against a wall

Steps

  1. Stand with the back against a wall and feet about 30-40 cm in front.
  2. Slide down until the knees are bent to a comfortable angle (up to about 60°).
  3. Hold, or slide up and down. Progress to a single leg.

Cues

  • Knees over the second toe
  • Weight through the heels

Common mistakes

  • Knees drifting inward
  • Going deeper than symptoms allow

Used for

Evidence (2)

Easier

Harder

References (2)
  1. Ayotte NW, Stetts DM, Keenan G, Greenway EH. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2007;37(2):48-55. Electromyographical analysis of selected lower extremity muscles during 5 unilateral weight-bearing exercises
  2. Powers CM, Ho KY, Chen YJ, Souza RB, Farrokhi S. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2014;44(5):320-327. Patellofemoral joint stress during weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing quadriceps exercises