Legs · Bodyweight
Bodyweight Side Squat Step
How to do the bodyweight side squat step, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Lunge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand tall, then take a wide step out to one side and sit your hips back into a squat over that leg while the other stays long. Push off the bent leg to return to standing, then step out and squat to the opposite side. Keep your chest up and weight in your heels.
- 1Quads and glutes of the bent leg loading as you sit into the squat
- 2A stretch through the inner thigh of the long, straight leg
- 3Chest tall and hips sitting back, not forward over the toes
Common mistakes
- Letting the bent knee cave inward
- Rounding your back as you sink into the side squat
- Putting your weight on your toes instead of your heel
Muscles worked
The bodyweight side squat step mainly works the quads, glutes, and adductors, with the hamstrings assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- AdductorsPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- CalvesMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the bodyweight side squat step 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.