Legs · Bodyweight
Kneeling to Standing Squat
How to do the kneeling to standing squat, 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
Start kneeling upright with both knees on the floor. Step one foot forward, then the other, and drive up into a standing squat position. Reverse the pattern back down to kneeling under control and alternate the lead leg.
- 1Feel your glutes and quads drive you up to standing
- 2Push through your front heel as you rise
- 3Keep your chest tall and core braced through the transition
Common mistakes
- Do not let your front knee cave inward as you stand
- Avoid slamming your knees down on the way back
- Do not lean too far forward to push up
Muscles worked
The kneeling to standing squat mainly works the glutes and quads, with the hamstrings, lower back, lower abs, calves, adductors, and hip flexors assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- QuadsPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- AdductorsSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the kneeling to standing 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
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- 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.