Legs · Bodyweight
Ape Traverse
How to do the ape traverse, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Lunge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Crouch low in a deep squat with your hands planted on the floor outside your feet. Move laterally by reaching both hands to one side, then hopping or shifting your feet across to follow, staying low like an ape the whole way. Keep your chest up off your knees and work both directions evenly.
- 1Stay deep in the squat and feel your hips and quads loaded throughout
- 2Plant your hands and shift your weight side to side under control
- 3Keep your chest up and core braced as you traverse
Common mistakes
- Do not stand up out of the squat between reaches
- Do not let your knees cave inward when you push across
- Do not rush; keep the lateral movement controlled
Muscles worked
The ape traverse mainly works the quads and glutes, with the adductors, upper abs, lower abs, obliques, hamstrings, calves, and hip flexors assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- AdductorsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- TricepsMinor
- ForearmsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the ape traverse for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More quads exercises
- How to do the resistance band squat
- How to do the resistance band squat to press
- How to do the resistance band thruster
- How to do the resistance band squat walk
- How to do the barbell squat
- How to do the barbell bulgarian split squat
Last reviewed June 2026.