Legs · Bodyweight
Speed Skater
How to do the speed skater, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Gait
- Mechanic
- Accessory
How to do it
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Push off one foot to bound laterally to the opposite foot, crossing your trailing leg behind you and swinging your arms in opposition as if skating. Land softly and immediately bound back to the other side. Keep your chest up and maintain a continuous, rhythmic side-to-side motion, staying low to the ground.
- 1Feel your glutes and inner thighs working as you bound side to side
- 2Keep your chest up and maintain balance over your planted leg
- 3Use your arms to generate momentum and rhythm
Common mistakes
- Avoid letting your knee collapse inward as you land
- Don't rush; land softly and control each bound
- Avoid leaning too far forward; keep an athletic stance
Muscles worked
The speed skater works the quads, glutes, calves, upper abs, and hamstrings.
- QuadsSupport
- GlutesSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
Kovo programs the speed skater 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 April 2026.