Kneeling Squat — start position
Start
Kneeling Squat — end position
End

Glutes / Intermediate / Compound (multi-joint)

Kneeling Squat

A barbell exercise for the glutes, with the abs, hamstrings and lower back assisting.

At a glance

Primary
Glutes
Secondary
Abs, Hamstrings, Lower back (erectors)
Equipment
Barbell
Movement pattern
Squat
Level
Intermediate
Type
Glutes, Compound (multi-joint)

Loads the knee. Use a load you can control and skip it if it causes pain.

How to do it

  1. Set the bar to the proper height in a power rack. Kneel behind the bar; it may be beneficial to put a mat down to pad your knees. Slide under the bar, racking it across the back of your shoulders. Your shoulder blades should be retracted and the bar tight across your back. Unrack the weight.
  2. With your head looking forward, sit back with your butt until you touch your calves.
  3. Reverse the motion, returning the torso to an upright position.

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Muscles worked

Neck (Front)Upper traps (Front)Front delts (Front)Side delts (Front)Chest (Front)Serratus anterior (Front)Biceps (Front)Forearms & grip (Front)Abs — secondary (Front)Obliques (Front)Hip flexors (Front)Quads (Front)Adductors (Front)Shins (tibialis) (Front)Calves (Front)Outer shins (peroneals) (Front)Feet (arch & toes) (Front)Neck (Back)Upper traps (Back)Upper back (rhomboids, mid/lower traps) (Back)Rear delts (Back)Side delts (Back)Rotator cuff (Back)Lats (Back)Lower back (erectors) — secondary (Back)Triceps (Back)Forearms & grip (Back)Hip abductors (glute med) (Back)Glutes — primary (Back)Hamstrings — secondary (Back)Adductors (Back)Calves (Back)
FrontBack
  • Primary: Glutes
  • Secondary: Abs, Hamstrings, Lower back (erectors)

Best for

How specific this exercise is to each movement.

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Photos and instructions: free-exercise-db (github.com/yuhonas/free-exercise-db), public domain.