Legs · Kettlebell
Kettlebell Sumo Squat
How to do the kettlebell sumo squat, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Kettlebell
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width and toes turned out, holding a kettlebell by the horns at chest height or hanging between your legs. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your thighs are parallel, keeping your chest tall, then drive through your heels to stand.
- 1Your inner thighs and glutes loading as you sink into the wide stance
- 2Knees tracking out over your toes, not caving in
- 3A strong drive through your heels and a glute squeeze at the top
Common mistakes
- Letting your knees collapse inward on the way up
- Rounding your back or letting your chest drop forward
- Coming up onto your toes instead of staying flat-footed
Muscles worked
The kettlebell sumo squat mainly works the quads, glutes, and adductors, with the hamstrings, forearms, lower back, and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- AdductorsPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- ForearmsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
Kovo programs the kettlebell sumo 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 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.