Squats and lunges
Side step squats
- Kit
- No kit
- Works
- quads · glutes
- Also
- outer hips · hamstrings · calves · core
Side step squats add lateral travel to a standard squat: you step out to one side, sink into a squat, then step back to stand. The sideways stepping loads the outer hip and glute more than a squat in place, and the constant movement keeps your heart rate up. It suits anyone comfortable with a bodyweight squat who wants a knee-dominant movement that also trains the hips sideways.
Form
How to do side step squats
- 1Stand tall with your feet under your hips, arms loose or hands together in front of your chest.
- 2Take a wide step directly out to one side, landing on a flat foot with your toes pointing forward or slightly out.
- 3As the foot lands, sit your hips back and down into a squat, keeping your chest up and both heels planted. Breathe in on the way down.
- 4Drive through both feet to stand, then step the same foot back to the start so your feet are under your hips again. Breathe out as you rise.
- 5Repeat to the other side and keep alternating at a steady pace for the whole effort, so both sides get equal work.
Watch for
Common mistakes
Stepping out and squatting on a bent, unsettled foot so the knee collapses inward.
Fix: Land the stepping foot flat and let it settle before you sink, and push the knee out over the middle of the foot.
Leaning the chest far forward to reach depth.
Fix: Sit the hips back instead of folding at the chest, and go only as low as you can while keeping your ribs stacked over your hips.
Taking tiny steps that turn the movement into a squat in place.
Fix: Step wide enough that you feel the load shift toward the outer hip, roughly a stride out from your normal stance.
Variations
Easier and harder
Sessions