Legs · Bodyweight
Squat Bounce
How to do the squat bounce, 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
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Drop into a bodyweight squat and stay low, then make small, quick bounces near the bottom of the squat, letting your hips rise and fall a few inches with each rep. Keep your chest up and weight in your heels as you pulse. This builds endurance and control at depth.
- 1Feel constant tension in your quads and glutes as you bounce at depth
- 2Stay grounded through your heels and keep your chest tall
- 3Keep the bounces small and controlled rather than dropping fully
Common mistakes
- Do not let your knees cave inward as you pulse
- Avoid bouncing aggressively or jarring the knees at the bottom
- Do not stand all the way up between bounces
Muscles worked
The squat bounce mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, lower back, and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
Kovo programs the squat bounce 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 June 2026.