Legs · Bodyweight
Side Squat Walk
How to do the side squat walk, 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
Drop into a half squat with your chest up and feet about shoulder-width. Stay low and step sideways one foot at a time, keeping tension in your hips and thighs, then travel back the other direction.
- 1Stay low in the squat and feel your outer glutes fire with each step
- 2Keep your knees tracking over your toes and tension in your thighs
- 3Brace your core and keep your chest up for control
Common mistakes
- Do not let your knees collapse inward as you step
- Do not stand up between steps; stay low throughout
- Do not lean forward or arch your back; keep your torso neutral
Muscles worked
The side squat walk mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, lower back, calves, and adductors assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- CalvesSupport
- AdductorsSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
Kovo programs the side squat walk 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.