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In some video, I saw a guy showing a very effective, according to him, squat technique for working out your legs at home.

The technique is such: a person should bend back, pulling their hands back while standing on the tip of the toes, at the same time sitting down, then stand up in normal position omitting hands.

Is it good, bad or ugly for your leg muscles? Is this really some awesome technique that's better than traditional squats.

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I believe you're describing a Sissy Squat *. This is a great body-weight exercise for developing your quadriceps. However, sissy squats don't work the glutes at all; instead recruiting the hip flexors. These would not be a replacement for traditional squats but they can be implemented alongside squats for a challenging leg day.

* Not for sissies.

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    I'd say they don't work the glutes at all - in fact, if anything, they're working the hix flexors instead, since in this leaned back position, the hips need to act in isometric flexion, rather than extension, to keep the torso upright.
    – David Scarlett
    Commented Nov 3, 2020 at 23:15
  • @DavidScarlett, good point. Edited.
    – C. Lange
    Commented Nov 4, 2020 at 0:10
  • Surely sissy squats are fake? It can't be possible to lean back like that. Must be done like the Smooth Criminal video.
    – Richard Barraclough
    Commented May 24, 2023 at 21:46

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