Legs · Bodyweight
Forward Backward Quick Step
How to do the forward backward quick 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
- time
- Movement
- Lunge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand tall with a slight bend in your knees and stay on the balls of your feet. Quickly step one foot forward then back, alternating feet in a fast, light shuffle while keeping your chest up and core braced. Move at a brisk, rhythmic pace for the set duration.
- 1Light, springy contact through the balls of your feet
- 2Your calves and quads driving quick, snappy steps
- 3Your core staying tight to keep the torso steady
Common mistakes
- Landing flat-footed or heavy on your heels
- Standing too upright and losing your athletic stance
- Letting the steps get slow and sloppy
Muscles worked
The forward backward quick step mainly works the quads and calves, with the hip flexors, lower abs, obliques, glutes, hamstrings, and tibialis anterior assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- CalvesPrimary
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- GlutesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- Tibialis AnteriorSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the forward backward quick 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.