Legs · Bodyweight
Bodyweight Slow to Explosive Squats
How to do the bodyweight slow to explosive squats, 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
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and arms forward for balance. Lower into a squat slowly over three to four seconds, then drive up explosively through your heels, staying grounded or leaving the floor depending on intent. Land softly and reset before the next rep.
- 1Feel constant tension in your quads and glutes during the slow descent
- 2Drive hard through your heels and explode upward from the bottom
- 3Brace your core to keep the torso tall through the fast portion
Common mistakes
- Do not let your knees cave inward as you explode up
- Avoid rounding your lower back at the bottom of the squat
- Do not rush the lowering phase; keep it slow and controlled
Muscles worked
The bodyweight slow to explosive squats mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, lower back, and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the bodyweight slow to explosive squats 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.