diff --git a/crocoddyl/robots.py b/crocoddyl/robots.py
index 34244b0944804fa9d8d24ccb094d3f70eead28f6..e3c971d5be0902dbfd8636243ada15c7bcdd280b 100644
--- a/crocoddyl/robots.py
+++ b/crocoddyl/robots.py
@@ -119,5 +119,7 @@ def loadHyQ(modelPath='examples/hyq_description'):
     robot = RobotWrapper.BuildFromURDF(FILENAME+modelPath+URDF_SUBPATH, [modelPath],
                                        pinocchio.JointModelFreeFlyer())
     # TODO define default position inside srdf
-    robot.q0.flat[7:] = [0., 0.75, -1.5, 0., -0.75, 1.5, 0., 0.75, -1.5, 0., -0.75, 1.5]
+    robot.q0.flat[7:] = [-0.2, 0.75, -1.5, -0.2, -0.75, 1.5, -0.2, 0.75, -1.5, -0.2, -0.75, 1.5]
+    robot.q0[2] = 0.57750958
+    robot.model.referenceConfigurations["half_sitting"] = robot.q0
     return robot
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