Wall Sit

These notes combine advice from 12 reviewed passages across 6 workouts.

Overview

A wall sit is a wall-supported squat hold performed in a seated position at a wall. It can be assigned as a timed bodyweight hold without added weight.

The movement can look simple, yet its form depends on maintaining the intended squat angle, keeping the torso upright, and controlling how much support comes from the wall.

Position and wall support

Descend to approximately a 90-degree knee angle and hold that level. Avoid sinking into a deeper squat, and keep the torso upright instead of folding forward.

The back-contact setup places the back against the wall. In the light-contact version, stay close enough for gentle contact, with about half a handspan given as a reference. Keep the feet bearing the load and avoid pressing the full body weight into the wall.

Foot and hand options

One setup uses an open foot position. Keep this cue attached to that setup rather than assuming it applies to every wall sit variation.

A different setup uses feet that point slightly outward.

For the unsupported-hands setup, hold the hands in the air and avoid taking assistance through them.

A separate description has the hands and upper body contributing to support and places the load toward an indicated inner-leg area. This differs from the unsupported-hands setup, and the exact inner-leg placement was shown rather than clearly defined in words.

Dynamic variation

One wall-supported seated variation includes a position with the toes raised and then a rise onto the toes. The verbal description does not fully clarify the transition between those positions.

Programming

Use the wall sit as a timed bodyweight hold when appropriate. The prescribed intervals in these examples were 32 seconds and one minute; they indicate assigned durations rather than confirmed completion times.

Terminology

Horse Dance was also used for a squat held against the wall.