Why you need wall sits in your routine.

The thought of wall sits fills me with dread but it has to be one of the easiest ways to hit your quads without doing squats or lunges and putting too much pressure on those creaky knees.

Being an enthusiastic, middle age amateur triathlete, I am all too aware of how most of my training time is taken up with very sport specific activities, focusing of course on swim, ride and run. And whilst I can manipulate my ride and run to incorporate "strength" training to a degree, nothing is quite as good as having dedicated time at home or in the gym to work on my strength and conditioning.

But make no mistake with this exercise, you can’t confuse the word "sit" for taking a break from training. It’s a demanding exercise when executed correctly and it’s great for blokes to build leg strength.

THE BASIC STEPS TO WALL SITS.

All you need to do is find a wall and stand

with your back flat against it, keeping your feet shoulder width apart.

Move your feet approximately two feet forward so you’re leaning against the wall.

Slide your back down the wall until your hips are at 90-degrees. Adjust the position of your feet so your knees are also at a 90-degree angle. Brace your abs and try to keep your back nice and flat against the wall.

Don't worry if you struggle to find the right position and don’t let that stop you from doing the exercise. You can easily modify the exercise to allow for a 45-degree angle between your hips and back as you build strength. Once you feel stronger and more confident, try to change the angle by sliding lower down the wall.

Once you have mastered the body weight exercise, grab some dumbbells and hold these by your side for added weight and tension. You can even use the dumbbells to do a few curls!

And if that's not enough, lift one foot off the ground. But be sure to master the basic position first because this variation puts all of your weight on one leg and you will really start to engage your hamstrings and glutes too!

So next time you are looking for a decent way to burn those quads, try wall sits. Give each rep 30 seconds then rest for 30 seconds and repeat for as many sets as you desire. Work your way up to 60 seconds per set before trying any variation.