Legs · Bodyweight
The Straddle
How to do the the straddle, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Timed hold
- Movement
- Extension
- Mechanic
- Mobility
How to do it
Sit upright on the floor and open your legs into a comfortable wide V. Place your hands on the floor in front of you and hinge forward from your hips until you feel a stretch through your hamstrings and inner thighs. Hold while keeping your chest as long as possible.
- 1Feel the stretch spread across both hamstrings and into the inner thighs as you hinge forward
- 2Keep your sit bones grounded and your chest reaching forward rather than collapsing down
- 3Ease into the width of the straddle and let the stretch build with your breathing
Common mistakes
- Do not force your legs wider than your hips can comfortably support
- Avoid rounding your spine aggressively just to reach farther
- Do not bounce at the bottom of the stretch or yank yourself forward with your hands
Muscles worked
The the straddle mainly works the hamstrings, with the adductors assisting.
- HamstringsPrimary
- AdductorsSupport
- CalvesMinor
Kovo programs the the straddle 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 hamstrings exercises
- How to do the deficit rdl
- How to do the leg curl
- How to do the dumbbell rdl
- How to do the glute ham raise
- How to do the jefferson curl
- How to do the leg swings
Last reviewed April 2026.