Wall Squat
Demonstration photo coming soon
Part of these sets
This exercise rarely works alone. It appears in the following routines, where it is sequenced alongside the others that support it.
What it works
Primary muscles
- Quadriceps
Also involved
- Gluteus maximus
- Calves and hamstrings, holding the shin steady
Equipment: A clear stretch of smooth wall. A gym ball behind the back makes the slide easier.
How to do it
- 1
Stand with your back flat against a wall and walk your feet out about half a metre, hip width apart.
- 2
Slide down the wall until the knees are bent to a comfortable angle. A quarter to a half squat is plenty; a right angle is a target, not a requirement.
- 3
Check that the knees sit above the ankles rather than out beyond the toes, and that the whole of each foot stays on the floor.
- 4
Hold, breathing steadily, with the weight even through both feet and the thighs doing the work.
- 5
Push through the heels to slide back up, and rest for roughly as long as the hold before repeating.
How much to do
3 to 5 holds of 20 to 45 seconds
Most days for an irritable knee, 2 to 3 times a week as strength work
Discomfort up to about four out of ten during the hold is acceptable if it settles within 24 hours. Sharper than that means come up higher on the wall rather than push on.
Stop and get assessed if
Stop and get assessed if the hold produces sharp pain at the front of the knee rather than a burn in the thigh, or if the knee swells afterwards. Get medical advice before using long isometric holds if your blood pressure is high or poorly controlled, because holds like this push it up further.
Common mistakes
- Going too deep too soon
- Depth is what makes this hard, and it is also what presses the kneecap into the thigh bone most firmly. Come up until the hold is a strong burn in the thigh rather than a pinch at the front of the knee.
- Feet too close to the wall
- It drives the knees out over the toes and loads the kneecap instead of the thigh muscle. Walk the feet further out until the shins are roughly vertical at the bottom.
- Holding the breath
- Isometric holds raise blood pressure on their own, and breath holding raises it further, which matters if yours is already high. Breathe steadily, and count out loud if you catch yourself holding.
- Chasing ever longer holds
- A four minute wall sit is a party trick, not a knee programme, and the last three minutes are mostly discomfort tolerance. Once 45 seconds is comfortable, add depth or load instead of minutes.
- Knees drifting inwards
- Inward collapse concentrates load across the kneecap, which is often the sore structure. Keep each knee in line with the second toe and press the outside edges of the feet gently into the floor.
Making it harder
- Slide a little deeper, towards a right angle at the knee, as comfort allows.
- Rest a weight on your lap or hold one against your chest.
- Shift most of your weight onto one leg for the last few seconds of each hold, building towards a single leg wall squat.
- Move to sliding wall squats: down over three seconds and up over three, which turns the isometric into a full strength exercise.
Making it easier
- Reduce the depth to a shallow bend and shorten the holds to ten seconds, building time before depth.
- Place a gym ball between your back and the wall so the slide is smoother and the depth is easy to adjust mid hold.