Legs · Bodyweight
Side Swing Skater Stepback
How to do the side swing skater stepback, 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
Stand tall, then step one leg back and across behind you into a skater stance while swinging your arms across your body for balance. Push off the back leg to return to center, then repeat to the other side in a steady rhythm.
- 1The glute of the planted leg loading as you step back
- 2Your arms swinging to drive and balance the motion
- 3A soft, athletic knee bend on each landing
Common mistakes
- Letting the front knee cave inward on the plant
- Rushing so you lose control of the stepback
- Staying stiff through the hips and ankles
Muscles worked
The side swing skater stepback mainly works the glutes, with the quads, hamstrings, obliques, calves, and adductors assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- QuadsSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- CalvesSupport
- AdductorsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the side swing skater stepback 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.