Legs · Bodyweight
Seated Forward Fold
How to do the seated forward fold, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight in front of you and feet flexed. Keep your back long as you hinge forward at your hips, reaching for your shins, ankles or toes. Allow your chest to come toward your thighs while keeping your spine extended. Hold the stretch, breathing deeply. Go only as far as comfortable without rounding your back.
- 1Sit with your legs extended and hinge forward at your hips, reaching toward your feet until you feel a stretch along your hamstrings and calves
- 2Keep your spine long and chest open rather than rounding forward
- 3Relax your neck and breathe deeply to allow a deeper stretch over time
Common mistakes
- Don't force the stretch by pulling aggressively on your feet
- Avoid rounding your back excessively or collapsing your chest onto your thighs
- Don't lock your knees or hold tension in your shoulders
Muscles worked
The seated forward fold mainly works the glutes, quads, and hamstrings, with the lower back and calves assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- QuadsPrimary
- HamstringsPrimary
- Lower BackSupport
- CalvesSupport
Kovo programs the seated forward fold 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 April 2026.