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Unilateral Bodyweight Squat Progressions

Muscles worked

  • Quadrizeps
  • Hip Adductors
  • Gluteus
  • Quadratus Lumborum
  • Long Calf
  • Short Calf
  • Calf (Gastrocnemius)
  • Calf (Soleus)

Form Cues

  • Stand on one leg with the other leg slightly lifted off the ground — extend your arms forward for balance

  • Brace your core and keep your back straight throughout the movement

  • Lower yourself slowly by pushing your hips back and bending the working knee

  • Keep the working knee tracking in line with your toes — don't let it cave inward

  • Go as deep as you can while maintaining control — never squat into pain

  • Push through the heel of the standing foot to drive back up to the starting position

  • Keep your hips level throughout — if one hip drops, this indicates weak glutes

  • Use heel elevation if ankle mobility limits your depth

Progressions

  1. 01

    Air Squat

    • Step into a comfortable roughly hip wide stance

    • Brace your core, keep the back engaged

    • Lower slowly by breaking at the hip and knees

    • Squat down as deep as you are comfortable, never squat into pain

    • Maintain a relatively upright torso

    • Pause briefly at the bottom

    • Come up with control

    • Avoid the knees dropping in or back rounding a the bottom (butt wink)

  2. 02

    Lunges

    • Step into a comfortable roughly hip wide stance

    • Reach backward with one foot into a comfortable split stance

    • Brace your core, keep the torso upright

    • Lower slowly by breaking at the hips and knees

    • Lunge down as deep as you are comfortable, never squat into pain

    • Make sure to only softly touch down the rear knee

    • Maintain a relatively upright torso

    • Pause briefly at the bottom

    • Come up with control

    • Avoid the front knee dropping inward

  3. 03

    Foot-Assisted Skater Squat

    • Start with feet hip-width apart

    • Lift one leg off the ground and place it one step length behind you

    • Keep the other foot planted firmly on the ground

    • Lower down into a split squat position, while keeping most of your weight on the front foot

    • Use the rear foot for assistance

    • Keep your core engaged and back straight

    • Stop once your rear knee touches the floor, pause briefly and come back up

    • Repeat on the other leg

    • Avoid falling down, control the eccentric

    • Use heel elevation if needed

  4. 04

    Step Ups

    • Start standing in front of a box

    • Place one foot on the box

    • Lean forward over the front foot, reaching the arms forward

    • When your full bodyweight is shifted onto the foot, press down into the box and step up

    • Use the rear foot for assistance to stand up, but avoid overusing it

    • Stand up completely

    • Slowly lower back down

    • Shift back slightly at the bottom to touch down with the rear foot

  5. 05

    Skater Squat

    • Start with feet hip-width apart

    • Lift one leg off the ground and reach it one step length behind you, but keep it floating

    • Keep the other foot planted firmly on the ground

    • Lower down into a single leg squat, while reaching your arms forward

    • Keep your core engaged and back straight

    • Stop once your rear knee touches the floor, pause briefly and come back up

    • Repeat on the other leg

    • Avoid falling down, control the eccentric

    • Don’t let the rear foot touch the floor

    • Use heel elevation if needed

Common mistakes

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