If your goal is to build a strong lower body, wall sits should be a priority in your leg day workouts.
If your goal is to build strong legs—and strengthen your calves, glutes, and quads—wall sits should be one of your new best friends. This “quad burner” is a very effective exercise that’s easy on the joints, great for your posture and balance, and works for all fitness levels. Wall sits are an excellent way to build functional strength and also burn fat!
Now, if you want to have fun with wall sits, you can use them to test your strength. We spoke with Zach Smith, Founder/Owner and Doctor Of Physical Therapy at HIDEF Physical Therapy, who fills us in on how long to hold a wall sit after 50 to determine if your leg strength is elite. Smith specializes in orthopedic and sports rehabilitation, injury prevention, and athletic performance and works with athletes at every fitness level, including high school standouts to pros in the MLB, NFL, NBA, and more.
What Makes the Wall Sit a Go-To Choice Among Fitness Pros?
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Smith is particularly passionate about the topic of wall sits, noting that the exercise has “been long forgotten” but is incredibly productive.
“As a physical therapist, I work with patients every week. I also own eight different physical therapy clinics, and this is a staple in what we provide, especially for relieving knee pain and improving quadriceps strength,” he tells us. “This will really help people go downstairs and be able to sit-to-stand from chairs.”
Which Muscles Are Mainly Engaged During Wall Sits?
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According to Smith, wall sits are stellar for firing up the quadriceps.
“There is not a lot we do that is full quad,” he says. “Going downstairs is the closest thing we have to a fully quad-isolated exercise. Though many people who do not have adequate quad strength end up compensating and changing the way they go downstairs because they don’t have strong enough quads. That’s why the wall sit is such a wonderful exercise.”
If You Can Hold a Wall Sit This Long After 50, Your Leg Strength Is Elite
For adults 50+, an average wall sit hold time is 30 to 60 seconds. Above average would be holding for more than 60 seconds. Really excellent would be holding with proper form for over 90 seconds, according to Smith.
“Top-tier is being able to do your all sit at around 90 degrees of knee flexion and maintain the position without changing or shifting for over 90 seconds. In my opinion, I would classify this as top tier,” he says.
How to Progress
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Smith typically has his clients work up from wherever they’re currently at, which is typically 30 seconds when they start physical therapy. He has them gradually work up by adding 10 to 15-second increments per rep.
“I always have my patients do three to five repetitions with as much rest time as they did in the wall sit so that they get a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio,” Smith shares. “As the time gets longer around 60 seconds, I work into a 1:2 work rest ratio so the rest would be two minutes if they did a 60-second wall sit.”
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist based in Greenwich, CT. She has 11+ years of experience covering wellness, fitness, food, travel, lifestyle, and home. Read more about Alexa
