Legs · Bodyweight
Side Step Shuffles
How to do the side step shuffles, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Reps
- Movement
- Lunge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Drop into a quarter-squat athletic stance with knees soft and chest up. Push off the trailing leg to shuffle sideways for a few quick steps, then reverse direction, staying low the whole time.
- 1Glutes and outer hips driving each push-off
- 2A low, stable athletic stance throughout
- 3Quick, light feet changing direction
Common mistakes
- Standing tall and losing the squat position
- Clicking your heels together between steps
- Crossing your feet instead of shuffling
Muscles worked
The side step shuffles mainly works the glutes and quads, with the calves, adductors, lower abs, obliques, and hamstrings assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- QuadsPrimary
- CalvesSupport
- AdductorsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- External RotatorsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the side step shuffles 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
- How to do the agility ladder drill
- 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.