Legs · Bodyweight
Single-leg Balance Reach
How to do the single-leg balance reach, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand on one leg with your knee slightly bent. Hinge at your hips and extend your free leg straight behind you while reaching both hands toward the floor in front of you. Keep your back flat and hips square as you lower until your torso is nearly parallel to the ground. Pause briefly, then drive through your standing leg to return to upright. Repeat for reps and then switch legs.
- 1Stand on one leg and hinge at your hip as you reach forward; you should feel your glutes and hamstrings controlling the motion
- 2Keep your supporting foot rooted and feel your ankle and foot muscles working to maintain balance
- 3Engage your core and keep your back flat so the movement feels stable and controlled
Common mistakes
- Don't round your spine or let your back collapse as you reach
- Avoid letting your knee drop inward or shifting your weight to your toes
- Don't rush the reach or fling your leg back; move slowly and deliberately
Muscles worked
The single-leg balance reach mainly works the glutes, quads, and hamstrings, with the lower back and calves assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- QuadsPrimary
- HamstringsPrimary
- Lower BackSupport
- CalvesSupport
Kovo programs the single-leg balance reach 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.