Legs · Bodyweight
Squat Thrust
How to do the squat thrust, 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
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, then squat down and place both hands on the floor. Jump both feet back into a plank, then jump them forward to the squat and stand tall. Repeat at a steady, controlled pace.
- 1Drive your feet back and in powerfully from your hips and quads
- 2Brace your core to hold a solid plank each rep
- 3Stay light on your feet through the jumps in and out
Common mistakes
- Don't let your hips sag or pike in the plank
- Avoid rounding your back as you load the squat
- Don't let your knees collapse inward on the landing
Muscles worked
The squat thrust mainly works the quads and glutes, with the upper abs, lower abs, hamstrings, calves, hip flexors, lower back, and obliques assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Hip FlexorsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- TricepsMinor
- ForearmsMinor
- Mid ChestMinor
- LatsMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the squat thrust 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.