Legs · Bodyweight
Star Squat
How to do the star squat, 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 your feet together and arms at your sides. Drop into a squat, then explode up and jump while spreading your arms and legs out wide into a star shape in the air. Land softly back with your feet together and immediately lower into the next squat to keep the rhythm going.
- 1Load your hips and quads on the squat, then explode through the jump
- 2Spread your arms and legs fully into the star at the peak
- 3Land soft with bent knees to absorb the impact
Common mistakes
- Don't land with stiff, locked legs
- Avoid letting your knees cave in on the squat or landing
- Don't round your back as you drop into the squat
Muscles worked
The star squat mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, calves, lower back, side delts, and adductors assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- AdductorsSupport
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the star squat 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.