Back-to-Back Chair Hold | Friends

Quick Intro

The Back-to-Back Chair Hold, also called the partner chair, is a wall sit where each partner is the other’s wall. The two stand back to back and link arms at the elbows. Then, leaning into each other, they walk their feet forward together and slide down until both are sitting in a squat, thighs close to level, each held up by the other’s back. They hold, then push up and walk the feet back in to stand.

The leg work is the same as a Wall Sit. What changes is the wall. A partner’s back is warm, moves a little and leans back with its own weight, so the two have to keep their pressure even and move in step. If one partner pushes harder, both slide.

What You’ll Need

A flat, non-slip floor and shoes with grip. Socks on a smooth floor will slide.
A partner of similar height and weight. A big difference makes the position hard to find and puts more load on the smaller person.
A mat behind each partner is a good idea in case the hold breaks.

What It Works

The front of the thigh (quadriceps, vastus lateralis and vastus medialis), which hold the knees bent against the body’s weight for the whole hold. This is where the burn comes.
Glutes (gluteus maximus), which help hold the hips in the seated position.
The inner thigh (adductors), which keep the knees from drifting apart or together.
The muscles along the spine (erector spinae), which keep the back straight and pressing evenly against your partner’s.

The Technique

Getting into position

Stand back to back, heels about a foot length apart, so your backs touch from the hips to the shoulders.
Link arms at the elbows, each partner hooking their arms through the other’s.
Set the feet shoulder-width apart.
Lean back gently into each other until you both feel the other’s weight.

Sitting down

Say “stepping”. Both take one small step forward with the same count, then another. Keep leaning back.
As the feet move out, your backs slide down each other. Count the steps aloud so you stay together: “one, two, three”.
Stop when the thighs are close to level with the floor and the knees sit over the ankles. If the knees are ahead of the toes, the feet are not far enough out. Take one more small step together.

The hold

Press your back evenly into your partner’s. Keep the weight in the heels and mid-foot, knees pointing the same way as the toes. Look straight ahead and breathe steadily. Holding the breath makes the legs feel worse sooner, and it can make you light-headed.

If one partner feels the pair sliding, say so at once. Usually one person has eased off the lean or let the feet creep forward. Both adjust the feet together to find the balance point again.

Standing up

Say “up”.
Both push through the feet and press back into each other at the same time.
Walk the feet back in with small, counted steps as you rise.
Unlink the arms only once both are standing tall.

The most common way this ends in a stumble is one partner standing up alone. The other loses their wall and sits down hard. Always rise together, on a word.

How Long to Hold

Start with ten to twenty seconds. Build to thirty, then a minute, as the legs get stronger. Two or three holds with a minute of rest between makes a set. The burn in the thighs is expected. Sharp pain in the knee is a reason to stop.

Making It Easier or Harder

Easier:

Sit higher, with the knees bent less.
Hold for shorter times.

Harder:

Sit lower, with the thighs level.
Hold for longer.
Move on to the Back-to-Back Squat Hold with Ball Pass, which adds a medicine ball passed around the pair while you hold.

Partners of Different Sizes

The taller partner usually needs their feet a little farther out than the shorter one. Adjust together, one small step at a time, until both backs press evenly and nobody is being pushed up or pulled down. If the difference is large, the Wall Sit done side by side may suit the pair better.

Staying Safe

Move in and out slowly and together, on spoken counts.
Never stand up alone. Both rise on “up”.
Non-slip floor and grippy shoes.
Stop for sharp knee pain or if either partner feels dizzy.

The Lifting, Carrying and Catching a Person guide covers two-person balances like this one, including why a sudden change by one partner is the usual cause of a stumble.

Common Mistakes

Feet too close in. The knees go past the toes and the knees ache. Walk the feet farther out.
One partner leaning harder. The pair slides toward the weaker lean. Press evenly.
Rising out of step. Count it and go together.
Rounding the back. Keep the whole back against your partner’s.

Fitting It Into a Session

It makes a good leg finisher, or a cooperative hold between contests. It needs no equipment, which suits a session at home or in a park. Avoid it straight after heavy squatting, when the thighs are already tired and the hold is more likely to break.

Wall Sit is the solo version against a wall.
Back-to-Back Squat Hold with Ball Pass adds a rotational pass to the hold.
Partner Standing Hand-to-Hand Balance is another counterbalance, done standing on one leg.

FAQ

Do we have to link arms?

Linking arms keeps the pair together while sitting down and standing up. Some experienced pairs hold the position with their hands on their thighs, and the linked arms are safer while you learn.

Why do we keep sliding?

Usually the feet are uneven or one person has eased off the lean. Stop, stand up together and set up again with matched feet.

How does it compare to a normal wall sit?

The leg work is similar. The partner version adds a balance element, since the wall leans back and has to be matched.