By David Berman

One of my all-time favorite exercises is the Wall Sit. And though I like doing it personally, that’s not the reason it’s my favorite exercise. I like teaching it to others, and watching them experience “the burn” for the first time. The look on their face is priceless.

Since this is an article, I will be denied the pleasure of watching your face the first time you feel “the burn” – But I’m not going to let that stop me or you. All you need to do this exercise is a wall, a stop-watch or timer, and some intestinal fortitude.

Maybe you’ve heard of the Wall Sit, and perhaps you think you already know how to do it. If so, get ready for some new twists.

Here are the instructions:

1. Have your timer ready.

2. Basic position: Lean your back against a wall. Slide down the wall so that your hips are at a ninety-degree angle (“L” shaped). Your knees should also bent to a ninety-degree angle. Your ankles should be directly beneath your knees. Your knees and ankles should be about a fist apart (separated by about 4-6 inches at most). Your arms should be at your sides (don’t put your hands on your thighs).
3. Now for the two secret moves that make this exercise a real killer:
   Flatten your lower back into the wall and hold it there. This requires a bit of a posterior pelvic tilt (picture a dog tucking its tail between its legs).
   Simultaneously lift your toes and forefeet so that only your heels are in contact with the floor. Hold your toes and forefeet up throughout the exercise.

4. Hold this position for as long as you can. Grunting is optional.

The goal is to progressively increase the hold time up to 2 minutes for one repetition.

Another brutal way to use this exercise is to do a Tabata-style workout alternating Bodyweight Full Squats with Wall Sits. To do this, you perform as many squats as you can in 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds, perform a Wall Sit for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and repeat for a total of 8 sets (4 squat sets, 4 Wall Sits).

I hope you decide to give this a try. If so, maybe you can have a friend take a picture of your face for me. Or at the very least, post a comment to tell me what you think. Happy quad frying!

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This entry was posted on Thursday, December 11th, 2008 at 7:57 pm and is filed under Fitness.