Legs · Bodyweight
Curtsey Squat
How to do the curtsey squat, 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 with feet hip-width apart. Step one leg diagonally back and behind the other, like a curtsey, and lower into a lunge until your front thigh is roughly parallel to the floor, then drive through the front heel to return and repeat.
- 1Front-leg glute and outer hip working as you lower into the curtsey
- 2Quad of the front leg loading through the descent
- 3Front heel driving you back up to standing
Common mistakes
- Letting the front knee cave inward
- Twisting the torso; keep your hips and chest facing forward
- Losing balance by crossing too far or too fast
Muscles worked
The curtsey squat mainly works the glutes and quads, with the hamstrings and adductors assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- QuadsPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- AdductorsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- CalvesMinor
Kovo programs the curtsey squat 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 glutes exercises
- How to do the agility ladder drill
- How to do the airdyne bike
- How to do the arc trainer
- How to do the assault bike
- How to do the medicine ball atlas stone lift
- How to do the b stance hip thrust
Last reviewed June 2026.