Legs · Bodyweight
Deep Squat Reach Forward Reach-up
How to do the deep squat reach forward reach-up, 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
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Sink into a deep squat with heels down and chest tall. Reach both arms straight forward at shoulder height to lengthen through your upper back, then sweep them overhead and reach up toward the ceiling while staying low. Flow between the forward reach and the overhead reach with control.
- 1Stretch through your hips and ankles holding the deep squat
- 2Lengthening through your lats and mid back on the overhead reach
- 3Chest opening and spine extending as your arms travel up
Common mistakes
- Letting your heels come up off the floor
- Rounding forward or losing the upright chest
- Arching hard through the lower back to reach higher
Muscles worked
The deep squat reach forward reach-up mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, lats, lower back, lower traps, upper abs, calves, and front delts assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- LatsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Lower TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the deep squat reach forward reach-up 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.