Core · Bodyweight
Squat and Double Knee to Elbow
How to do the squat and double knee to elbow, 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
- Flexion
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand tall, then squat down and place your hands on the floor. Hop or step back into a plank, drive both knees forward toward your elbows, then return to the squat and stand up. Move dynamically through the full sequence.
- 1Feel your abs crunch as you pull both knees to your elbows
- 2Drive through your legs to stand tall out of the squat
- 3Keep your core braced through the plank position
Common mistakes
- Don't let your hips sag in the plank
- Avoid rounding your back as you stand up
- Don't rush so much that you lose control of the movement
Muscles worked
The squat and double knee to elbow mainly works the lower abs, upper abs, quads, and hip flexors, with the obliques, glutes, hamstrings, and front delts assisting.
- Lower AbsPrimary
- Upper AbsPrimary
- QuadsPrimary
- Hip FlexorsPrimary
- ObliquesSupport
- GlutesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- Front DeltsSupport
- TricepsMinor
- ForearmsMinor
- Mid ChestMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- CalvesMinor
- AdductorsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the squat and double knee to elbow 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 abs & core exercises
- How to do the ab wheel rollout
- How to do the ankle tap plank
- How to do the ankle taps
- How to do the resistance band dead bugs
- How to do the resistance band pallof press
- How to do the rollout
Last reviewed June 2026.