Legs · Bodyweight
Squat Press-up
How to do the squat press-up, 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
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground, keeping your chest up. Drive through your heels to stand, and as you reach the top, press your arms overhead to finish the rep before returning to the next squat.
- 1Feel your glutes and quads load as you sit into the squat
- 2Drive up powerfully and press overhead in one connected motion
- 3Keep your core tight to link the lower and upper body phases
Common mistakes
- Do not let your knees cave in or your heels lift during the squat
- Avoid pressing overhead before you finish standing
- Do not arch your back as you press; keep your ribs down
Muscles worked
The squat press-up mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, lower back, and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
Kovo programs the squat press-up 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.