Legs · Bodyweight
Skater Stepback
How to do the skater stepback, 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
- Lunge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand on one leg with a soft bend in the knee. Push off laterally and bound sideways onto the other leg, then step the trailing leg back behind you to absorb and stabilize. Reset and repeat to the other side.
- 1Drive off the outside leg to push laterally
- 2Sink into the hip and glute as you land
- 3Stay balanced and controlled on each landing
Common mistakes
- Do not let the landing knee cave inward
- Avoid landing stiff-legged; absorb softly
- Do not rush; control each step back
Muscles worked
The skater stepback mainly works the glutes and quads, with the hamstrings, calves, adductors, lower abs, obliques, and hip flexors assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- QuadsPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- AdductorsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- External RotatorsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the 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.