If your goal is to build a strong lower body, wall squats should be a priority in your leg day workout.
If your goal is to build strong legs and strengthen your calves, hamstrings, and quads – wall benches should be one of your new best friends. This is “fuel tank” is a very effective exercise that easy on the jointsgreat for posture and balance and works for all fitness levels. Wall sits are a great option strengthening functional strength and burn fat too!
Now, if you want to have fun with wall chairs, you can use them test your strength. We with Zach SmithFounder/Owner and Doctor of Physical Therapy at HIDEF Physical Therapy, who tells us how long after age 50 to wall sit to determine your elite leg strength. Smith specializes in orthopedic and sports rehabilitation, injury prevention and athletic performance and works with athletes at all fitness levels, including high school standouts to professionals in the MLB, NFL, NBA and more.
What chooses the wall among fitness professionals?
Smith is particularly passionate about the topic of wall sits, noting that the exercise is “long forgotten” but extremely effective.
“As a physical therapist, I work with patients every week. I also have eight physical therapy clinics, and that’s a major part of what we offer, specifically to relieve knee pain and improve quad strength,” he says. “It really helps people get down and be able to sit up from chairs.”
What muscles are mainly engaged in wall sitting?
According to Smith, wall mounts are very important for firing quads.
“We do a lot of work that’s a full quad,” he says. “The dip is the closest thing we have to a full isolated quad exercise. Although a lot of people who don’t have enough quad strength compensate and change the way they go down because they don’t have a strong quad. That’s why the wall sit is such an amazing exercise.”
If you can sit on a wall after 50 years, your leg strength is elite
For adults over 50, the average time spent sitting on a wall is 30 to 60 seconds. Holds more than 60 seconds on average. According to Smith, it would be really great to hold for more than 90 seconds with proper form.
“At the top level is to do the whole squat at about 90 degrees of knee bend and hold the position for more than 90 seconds without changing or changing. In my opinion, I would classify that as top level,” he says.
How to progress
Smith typically works with her clients from wherever they are, which is usually 30 seconds before starting physical therapy. He has them work up gradually by adding 10 to 15 seconds per repetition.
“I always have my patients do three to five repetitions of their rest time in the wall sit so they get a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio,” Smith says. “When the time is about 60 seconds, I work in a ratio of 1: 2 work rest, so that the rest is two minutes if they sit on the wall for 60 seconds.”
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is a freelance writer, editor and content strategist in Greenwich, CT. She has over 11 years of experience in health, fitness, nutrition, travel, lifestyle and home. Read more about Alexa
