Legs · Bodyweight
Weighted Counterbalanced Squat
How to do the weighted counterbalanced squat, 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
Hold a weight plate or dumbbell at chest height with both hands as a counterbalance. Push your hips back and squat down as deep as your mobility allows, letting the weight in front keep your torso upright, then drive through your heels to stand.
- 1The counterweight in front keeping your chest tall as you sit deep
- 2Quads and glutes loading through the bottom of the squat
- 3Even drive through your whole foot as you stand
Common mistakes
- Letting your knees cave inward or your heels lift
- Rounding your lower back at the bottom
- Using the weight to yank yourself up instead of driving with your legs
Muscles worked
The weighted counterbalanced squat mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, lower back, upper abs, lower abs, and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- Lower AbsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- BicepsMinor
- ForearmsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- Front DeltsMinor
- AdductorsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
Kovo programs the weighted counterbalanced 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.