Wall Sit
The wall sit is a squat held still with your back against a wall and your knees bent to about 90°, timed rather than counted in reps. It works the quadriceps at the front of the thigh and is a common, equipment-free way to build leg endurance.
Also called: Wall Squat Hold, Static Wall Squat, Wall Squat, Isometric Wall Squat · Equipment: bodyweight · Pattern: squat
Step by step
- Stand with your back against a smooth, flat wall and your feet hip-width apart, about two foot-lengths out from the wall.
- Slide your back down the wall, bending your knees, until your thighs are parallel to the floor and your knees are bent to about 90°.
- Adjust your feet so your knees sit directly above your ankles, with your shins vertical and your knees in line with your toes.
- Press your upper back and the back of your head flat against the wall. Let your arms hang by your sides or cross them over your chest, off your thighs.
- Keep your weight spread through your whole foot and your heels down.
- Hold the position for the set time, breathing steadily throughout.
- To finish, push through your feet and slide back up the wall to standing.
- Knees over ankles, thighs parallel to the floor
- Back and head flat on the wall
- Breathe steadily through the hold
- Heels down, weight through the whole foot
- Hands off your thighs
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Quadriceps: vastus lateralis | Prime mover | C |
| Quadriceps: vastus medialis | Prime mover | C |
| Quadriceps: vastus intermedius | Prime mover | C |
| Quadriceps: rectus femoris | Secondary | C |
| Gluteus maximus | Stabiliser | C |
| Hamstrings: biceps femoris (long head) | Stabiliser | C |
| Adductors | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Hands resting on the thighs
Fix: Let your arms hang by your sides or cross them over your chest.
Feet too close to the wall
Fix: Walk your feet out until your knees sit directly above your ankles.
Holding the breath
Fix: Breathe slowly and steadily from the start of the hold to the end.
Knees caving inwards
Fix: Keep your knees pointing the same way as your toes throughout the hold.
Heels lifting
Fix: Press your heels into the floor and keep your weight across the whole foot.
Sliding up the wall as fatigue builds
Fix: Keep your thighs parallel to the floor, or end the set when you cannot.
What the research says
Rehab & prehab · first choiceGeneral fitness · first choiceEndurance · first choice
- Joint angle — A systematic review of isometric training found that holds at longer muscle lengths produced more muscle growth than holds at shorter lengths. For the wall sit, a deeper knee bend holds the quads at a longer length.
- Angle-specific strength — Reviews of isometric training report that strength gains are largest at and near the joint angle trained, with more variable carry-over to other angles and to dynamic lifts.
- Duration — Wall sits are commonly progressed by lengthening the hold, adding sets or holding a weight plate on the lap. There is no direct research comparing these progressions.
- Role — Research on isometrics finds they produce less fatigue than dynamic strength training, so many programmes use the wall sit as a finisher, a warm-up or equipment-free leg work.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the wall sit in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.