Men’s Classic Physique standout, Wesley Vissers is building momentum for the 2026 Olympia final thanks to solid wins at the Arnold Classic and Detroit Pro, and the Dutch Oak recently shared that his favorite quad crushers could be one of bodybuilding’s most underrated exercises: the sissy squat.
Specifically, Vissers, who has been praised for packing some size on to his legs in recent months, leans into the hack squat machine to slave away on his sissies. “Not only does it stretch the quads all the way to the top, it also stretches the hips and ankles at the same time,” explained the big man.
The sissy squat differs from the regular squat in that the back does not remain vertically parallel. Instead, the lifter will move onto their toes as the weight descends, allowing the back to become more horizontal. Then, as the weight is returned, the feet become flat and the back returns to an upright position. “More range of motion, more stretch = more muscle development,” qualified Vissers in a recent Instagram demonstration. “Try these before any normal squat or leg press movements and you’ll be surprised.”
Combining the humble hack squat with the sissy hack squat makes sense because the hack squat will blast the entire quad muscle, while the sissy will target the front of the thigh. In a previous post, Vissers even detailed his approach.
“This might be the best superset you can do, for your quads,” offered Vissers as he shared his upper leg building strategy in a previous post. “Try it if you dare.”
Installing himself on the hack squat machine, Vissers explained that since the sissy squat is one of the most difficult variations, he prefers to stick with it to failure. But once you’ve done that, don’t be tempted to think you’re done, says the Dutch Oak. “It’s a superset as we go to the regular hack squat, which is obviously a lot stronger and easier to do,” he adds. “So, you can actually do a lot more reps with the regular hack squat, after your quads are already ‘toast’ from the sissy hack squat. Making this an incredible, safe, and effective superset to do. Give it a shot yourself.”
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