Legs · Bodyweight
Swimming Side Steps
How to do the swimming side steps, 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
- Lunge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand in a quarter squat and step laterally side to side while sweeping your arms in a swimming motion. Stay low through the hips, push off the trailing leg, and keep your chest up as you move. Match the arm strokes to your steps for a smooth, continuous rhythm.
- 1Outer hips and glutes working to drive each lateral step
- 2Thighs staying loaded as you hold the low athletic stance
- 3Shoulders and arms moving through a full swimming range
Common mistakes
- Don't stand up tall between steps; stay low in the squat
- Avoid letting the knees cave inward as you push off
- Don't let the arm motion get sloppy or disconnected from the steps
Muscles worked
The swimming side steps mainly works the glutes, with the quads, adductors, obliques, hamstrings, and calves assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- QuadsSupport
- AdductorsSupport
- ObliquesSupport
- HamstringsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- LatsMinor
- Lower BackMinor
- Upper TrapsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Upper AbsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- Side DeltsMinor
- Rear DeltsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the swimming side steps 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 glutes exercises
- How to do the agility ladder drill
- How to do the airdyne bike
- How to do the arc trainer
- How to do the assault bike
- How to do the medicine ball atlas stone lift
- How to do the b stance hip thrust
Last reviewed June 2026.