Wall Sits: A Surprisingly Simple Way to Build Power in the Legs

While a wall sit may seem simple, performing one can actually be a serious challenge for your body — one that boasts some impressive benefits. A static wall sit doesn’t just work your legs and thighs, after all. It strengthens your back, quads, and even your core. And the benefits of wall sits extend beyond just boosting strength — they’ve been shown to help with everything from improving your balance to lowering blood pressure. Taking things one step further, wall sit variations that challenge different muscle groups and use different equipment can help you mix up your workout routine.

Let’s explore the benefits of wall sits, how to perform a proper wall sit, and seven wall sit variations to build lower body strength and reap plenty of other benefits along the way.

What muscles do wall sits work?

A wall sit primarily works muscles in the lower body, but it also requires you to engage muscles in the core, upper back, and shoulders to stay upright against the wall. This makes it a powerhouse exercise that can work multiple muscle groups at once.

When performed correctly, wall sit exercises can work your:

• Quads
• Hamstrings
• Glutes
• Hip flexors
• Adductors
• Calves
• Core

Wall sits are also an isometric exercise, meaning you hold them in a static position instead of incorporating movement. Isometric movements are known to be a great way to build strength — and wall sits are no exception.

Let’s explore the specific benefits of wall sits and what they can do for your body.

Benefits of wall sits

If you’ve wanted to know, “do wall sits build muscle?” just ask anyone who’s held one for more than a few moments and they’ll say that you can feel your muscles being challenged right away! While it goes without saying that a wall sit helps build strength, they offer a ton of other great benefits, too.

Wall sits can:

• Build muscle endurance. As an isometric movement, wall sits contract your muscles without lengthening. This can help you increase muscle endurance as you train your muscles to contract without tiring for longer stretches of time.
• Improve your balance. Because wall sits require you to keep your back flat against the wall, you need to engage your global stabilizer muscles. These include your glutes and adductors, which help stabilize your joints and keep your spine aligned. Strengthening these muscles may help you improve your balance over time.
• Lower your blood pressure. This lesser-known benefit may be surprising, but a recent study showed that isometric movements were the most effective exercises at lowering resting blood pressure.
• Reduce muscle stiffness. If you’ve ever wondered, “are wall sits good for knees?” it might surprise you to learn that isometric exercises have been shown to help reduce pain and stiffness in people with certain knee conditions, such as knee osteoarthritis. That’s because isometric movements like wall sits can help strengthen your muscles without putting too much pressure on your joints as you heal.
• Increase mindfulness. Sure, we know you might be busy focusing on how challenging a wall sit can be, but we promise you — trying to stay in the moment and focus on your breath can turn an ordinary wall sit into a miniature moment of zen.

We could go on and on, but you probably get the picture: wall sits are a simple, accessible, beneficial exercise for most people, regardless of where you are on your fitness journey.

What’s the difference between a wall sit and a wall squat?

You may hear the terms “wall sit” and “wall squat” used interchangeably, but they are technically two different exercises. While both are beneficial, here’s the difference:

Wall sits are isometric exercises, meaning they build strength and endurance by holding the move for a specific duration rather than performing a specific number of reps, similar to a plank hold or a squat hold.

Wall squats have a concentric and eccentric phase and are done in sets of reps. These build strength and endurance through the concentric and eccentric phases of the reps.

Wall squats are also a great way to work on increasing your range of motion if you’re finding it challenging to reach a 90-degree bend in the knees and hips.

For a balanced strength routine that promotes endurance and stability, incorporate both wall sits and wall squats in your workouts. All variations are helpful for building strength in the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, as well as increasing joint stability in the hips, knees, and ankles. Variations that include the stability ball will provide even greater stabilization benefits because your body needs to counteract the instability provided by the ball.

Common mistakes when doing wall sits

Even though a standard wall sit doesn’t require any equipment and the name may sound simple, maintaining the proper form is important. Here are a few common mistakes beginners make when attempting a wall sit:

• Sitting up too high. Your knees should be at a 90-degree angle to your back and lower legs.
• Pressing your hands on your thighs or knees. This is a common mistake some people make to take tension off the legs during a wall sit. Though it may be tempting, try to avoid this, since it effectively makes it easier and lets your legs off the hook.
• Keeping your weight on your toes. Try to keep your weight on your heels, not your toes, during a wall sit.

Before we jump into how to do a wall sit — and all the fun and challenging variations to try — here’s a friendly fitness reminder. While it’s important to constantly strive to break through your fitness plateau, it’s also necessary to be cognizant of your body’s limitations. If you are recovering from any injuries or prone to difficulty with your knees, there are ways to scale this movement that will accommodate your unique needs. If you feel any pain at all, stop and consult with one of our Coaches to develop alternative movements.

Now, let’s begin!

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How to do a proper wall sit

While it’s true that a wall sit held for a longer time will give you more benefits, the most important thing is ensuring you have proper form. Keep your pelvis tucked under, lower back against the wall, and shoulders down and pressed against the wall (along with your head).

How to:

1. Stand with your back flat against a wall.
2. Lower your body into a position where your knees and hips are at 90-degree angles.
3. Hold for as long as you can while maintaining proper form.
4. Push up through your heels and return to the start position.

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7 wall sit and wall squat variations

One of the reasons our Coaches love prescribing a wall sit is because there are countless ways to scale it and for that reason, it’s a movement that will meet you wherever you are in your fitness journey. You can add resistance for a weighted wall sit, lift alternate legs for an extra challenge, and change positions throughout a series of wall sits to give yourself a dynamic — and challenging — workout.

Here are seven wall sit and wall squat variations to help challenge your muscle, build strength and endurance, and boost your fitness. We’ve included these exercises in order of increasing difficulty, starting with the easiest and getting progressively more challenging.

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1. Dumbbell Resisted Wall Sit

Adding dumbbells to this exercise will add an extra challenge for your biceps, helping you strengthen your upper and lower body at the same time.

How to:

1. Stand upright against a wall holding dumbbells at your sides.
2. Lower your body into a position where your knees and hips are at 90-degree angles.
3. Hold for as long as you can while maintaining proper form.
4. Push up through your heels and return to the start position.

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2. Plate Resisted Wall Sit

If you want to challenge your lower body even more during a wall sit, the plate resisted version is the one for you! This movement will add extra resistance to your legs, pushing your muscles to the max.

How to:

1. Stand with your back flat against the wall, holding a weight plate in your hands.
2. Lower your body into a position where your knees and hips are at 90-degree angles.
3. Place the weight plate on your thighs to add resistance to your legs.
4. Hold for as long as you can while maintaining proper form.
5. Remove the plate from your legs before pushing up through your heels and returning to the start position.

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3. Stability Ball Wall Sit

Incorporating a stability ball into these next few moves will require your muscles to work extra hard to stabilize your body, helping improve your balance and strength all at once.

How to:

1. Stand upright with your arms by your sides and the ball positioned at your mid-back level against a wall.
2. Lower your body into a position where your knees and hips are at 90-degree angles.
3. Hold for as long as you can while maintaining proper form.
4. Push up through your heels and return to the start position.

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4. Stability Ball Wall Squat

Wall squats are a variation of wall sits that incorporate movement into the traditionally isometric exercise. They can help you build endurance while getting your heart rate pumping!

How to:

1. Stand upright with your arms by your sides and the ball positioned at your mid-back level against a wall.
2. Lower your body into a position where your knees and hips are at 90-degree angles.
3. Push up through your heels and return to the start position and repeat for the desired number of reps.

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5. Stability Ball Wall Squat with Dumbbells

Are you feeling the burn yet? Next we’re combining that wall squat variation with the added challenge of dumbbells. It may be helpful to have a Coach or workout buddy hand you the dumbbells once you are in position with the stability ball at your mid-back against the wall.

How to:

1. Stand upright with your arms by your sides and the ball positioned at your mid-back level against a wall, holding dumbbells at your sides.
2. Lower your body into a position where your knees and hips are at 90-degree angles.
3. Push up through your heels and return to the start position and repeat for the desired number of reps.

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6. Stability Ball Wall Sumo Squat

Taking a wider stance for this exercise — in what’s called a “sumo squat” — will target different muscles than a regular squat. Specifically, you should feel it more in the adductor muscles of your inner thighs.

How to:

1. Stand upright with your arms by your sides and the ball positioned at your mid-back level against a wall.
2. Position your feet so you are in a slightly-wider-than-hip stance, and point your toes outward.
3. Lower your body into a position where your knees and hips are at 90-degree angles.
4. Push up through your heels and return to the start position and repeat for the desired number of reps.

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7. Single-Leg Wall Sit

This advanced exercise requires a bit of a balancing act — and can boost stability and strength throughout the lower body.

How to:

1. Stand upright with your back against a wall and one foot slightly off the floor.
2. Lower your body into a position where your knees and hips are at 90-degree angles.
3. Push up through your heel and return to the start position and repeat for the desired number of reps.
4. Switch legs and perform the same number of reps on the other side.

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A final word on wall sits

Wall sits are a tried-and-true exercise to work your lower body and build strength and endurance. Trying new variations can help you target different muscle groups and add an extra challenge, too. As is the case with any new exercise, ask a Coach or fitness professional for guidance if you want help in mastering this beneficial move.

More strength-building workouts

• The Best Lower Chest Workout for Shape and Strength
• 6 Workouts for Mixing Up Arm Day
• Powerful Leg and Back Workout for a Stronger Posterior Chain

Want to try more great bodyweight exercises? Try this bodyweight workout you can do in your living room or team up with an Anytime Fitness Coach to get personalized workout guidance to meet your fitness goals.

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