Here’s How Long You Actually Need To Hold a Wall Sit To See Results

Kaitlin Vogel
·3 min read
7

Trainers break it down—It's probably less time than you think.

A sculpted behind not only looks good, but it also affects everything from the way you move to your body's protection against injury. After all, fun fact: Your glutes make up the largest and strongest muscles in your body.

And one of the most effective exercises to tone your glutes is wall sits.

“Wall sits isolate the entire body including glutes, hamstrings and quads,” says Matt Haas, certified personal trainer. “Their main purpose is to increase muscular endurance as opposed to increasing muscle mass. Holding wall sits increases endurance and burns a lot of calories which will lead to looking toned and defined.”

Also known as wall squats, wall sits work the lower body. Pressing forward into your heels more starts to activate your glutes more. It is a safe alternative to squats for people with lower back issues, Whitney Berger, certified yoga instructor, personal trainer and owner of WhitFit NYC, explains.

How Long You Need To Hold a Wall Sit To See Results

No, you don't need to hold a wall sit for two minutes straight—trainers say between 20 and 30 seconds is best for a starting point.

At least 20 seconds is all you need, but you can work to build endurance and hold for three sets of 60 seconds with 30-second breaks in between, Haas states.

Berger recommends starting out at 30 seconds, then a minute, and see how you feel. Ideally, 5 minutes is the goal to see major changes—but those are major! You can still see changes by holding that wall sit for a lot less time.

Related: 40 Trainer-Approved Butt-Lifting Exercises to Help You Get Your Strongest Glutes Ever

Wall Sit Variations

There are several ways to do a wall sit. Here are a few to try.

Wall sit with exercise ball

This is the same as a regular wall sit, but place an exercise ball between your back and the wall. This requires a lot more balance and engages stabilizer muscles, Haas explains.

Wall sit with weight

Have a partner add a weight plate on top of your legs when you're in the seated position, or hold dumbbells in your hands for an added challenge, Haas states.

Single-leg wall sit

When you are in the seated position, extend one leg out in front of you for a few seconds, then return the leg and extend the other one, says Haas.

Wall sit with hip abduction

This is a basic wall sit pose, but add small pulses out with your knees, Berger explains. For an added challenge you can lift your heels, on the tips of your toes then add the pulses. This gets into the glutes, thighs and calves even more.

Next up: How to Do a Donkey Kick (and Why It's So Great for Your Glutes)

Sources

  • Matt Haas, certified personal trainer

  • Whitney Berger, certified yoga instructor, personal trainer and owner of WhitFit NYC,