Kickstand Squat: Strengthen Quads, Hamstrings, and Glutes

As a personal trainer with over 30 years of experience, I’m often asked what is the best workout. In fact, if I had a dollar for every time I answered this question, I’d be pretty rich by now!

Unfortunately, there is no easy answer, as the best workout depends on many factors, including your fitness aims and goals, your experience, how much time you have for exercise, and your motivation levels.

That said, arguably, the most important consideration is the one thing that many trainers forget to mention – convenience. Consequently, I’m a big fan of calisthenic or bodyweight training. Requiring minimal equipment, you can work out almost anywhere and anytime, making calisthenics the perfect excuse-free way to reach your fitness goals.

That’s not to say calisthenics is the best workout for everyone or that it’s better than lifting weights. However, if getting to the gym is a struggle, bodyweight exercises are the perfect substitute for weight training.

Are you still trying to decide between lifting weights and bodyweight training? Then check out this detailed comparison: Calisthenics vs. Weightlifting: Which Is Best?

Of course, calisthenic training is not perfect, and there are a few drawbacks to relying on your body weight for resistance. For example, some calisthenic leg movements are too easy for many exercisers, while others are far too challenging.  

And that’s why I am very excited to tell you about a new bodyweight leg exercise – kickstand squats. This exercise bridges the gap between conventional and single-leg squats, making it the ideal lower-body exercise for the majority of exercisers.

In this article, I reveal how and why to do this extraordinary bodyweight squat variation.

How to Do Kickstand Squats

The kickstand squat is a relatively straightforward exercise. That said, you’ll enjoy it more and get better results if you learn to do it correctly.

Follow these step-by-step instructions to get the most from this unique squat variation.  

1. Stand with your feet together and your arms by your sides.
2. Take a small step back and lift your rearmost heel off the floor. Your back leg provides balance and support, but most of your weight should be on your front leg.
3. Bend your legs and squat down until your front thigh is roughly parallel to the floor. Raise your arms to the front for balance if required. Try to keep your torso upright.
4. Drive your front foot into the floor and stand back up.
5. Continue for the desired number of reps.
6. Switch sides and repeat.

Muscles Worked

Kickstand squats are a compound exercise that works all your major lower body muscles. That said, the main “movers and shakers” during this exercise are:

• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings
• Gluteus maximus
• Abductors
• Adductors

Pro-Tips for Better Kickstand Squats

I’ve been using kickstand squats for years, both in my workouts and those of my clients. Here are my top pro tips for making this exercise as safe and effective as possible.

Experiment with your stance – adjust your feet to find your optimal stance for kickstand squats. Start with your toe a few inches behind your heel and move it out and back until you are comfortable. Remember, your rearmost leg should only be used for balance and not to help you lift and lower your body weight.

Control your descent – a slow, smooth descent provides a safer, more effective workout. Take 2-3 seconds to descend, and then pause at the bottom of your rep for another second or so. Stand up explosively to conclude your rep. This is the best tempo for optimal results.

Adjust your range of motion – get more from this exercise by squatting as deep as possible. For some, this will be below parallel, while others will not be able to squat as deeply. Let your knee health and flexibility be your guide.

Related: How Deep Should You Squat?  

Brace your core – even without extra weight, you still need to brace your core during kickstand squats. This will help reduce unwanted movement in your lumbar spine and make you feel more stable and balanced. Make sure you brace your core at the start of each and every rep.

Hold a handrail if necessary – unilateral or single-leg exercises like kickstand squats don’t just challenge your muscles; they test your balance, too. Consequently, if you feel unsteady on your feet, you should hold a handrail for extra support. Gradually wean yourself off this aid as your balance improves.

Kickstand Squat Benefits

Do you still need more convincing that kickstand squats deserve a place in your workouts? Consider these benefits and then decide!

Convenience – you can do kickstand squats almost anywhere and anytime, making them a great excuse-free workout. Inconvenience is a proven barrier to consistent exercise (1). The more seamlessly an exercise fits into your schedule, the more likely you are to do it regularly.  

Good for your balance – balance is your ability to keep your center of mass over your base of support. Balance decreases with age and lack of use. Kickstand squats challenge and enhance this critical neuromuscular function. As such, kickstand squats are ideal for building functional fitness and strength.

Better mobility and joint health – in my experience, the kickstand squat is excellent for improving mobility and joint health. It’s tolerated well by people with mild to moderate knee pain, most of whom report their joints feel better after doing this exercise.

Effective workout without weights – no weights? No problem! Kickstand squats provide an alternative way to overload your lower body muscles. As such, you can build muscle and strength with this exercise, even though no weights or equipment are involved.

Ideal for exercisers who aren’t ready for pistols – just because you can do 50 air squats doesn’t mean you’ll be able to do single-leg squats or pistols. It’s a big jump from bilateral or two-legged exercises to using just one leg at a time. Kickstand squats are the perfect transitionary exercise between bilateral and unilateral training.

Improved athletic performance – do you want to run faster, jump higher, change direction quicker, or kick harder? Unilateral exercises like kickstand squats are proven to help (2). Most strenuous athletic endeavors happen one leg at a time, so it makes sense to train in a similar way.

How to Program Kickstand Squats

There are lots of ways to incorporate kickstand squats into your workouts. Here are a few of my favorite kickstand squat programming strategies.

Make It Your Go-To Unilateral Leg Exercise

Unliteral leg training is so important and valuable that almost everyone should do it. Training one leg at a time enhances functionality, balance, and mobility and helps prevent left-to-right strength imbalances. There are plenty of single-leg exercises you can choose from. Still, in my opinion, kickstand squats are one of the most accessible and effective.

Do Kickstand Squats in Your Warm-Up for Weights

A good workout starts with a thorough warm-up. This usually entails 5-10 minutes of cardio followed by dynamic mobility and flexibility exercises for the body parts you’re about to train. After that, you should be ready to go.

However, I also like to add bodyweight exercises to my weights warm-ups, e.g., push-ups before bench presses and kickstand squats before barbell squats. These exercises help fire up the nervous system and get you ready for the movements you’re about to perform.

I’ve also found that doing calisthenics before weights strengthens the mind-muscle connection, resulting in a much better workout.

Use Kickstand Squats as A Finisher

Have you reached the end of your leg workout but still have some gas in the tank? Push yourself even harder with a few sets of kickstand squats. With no weights, there is no stress on your lower back, so that you can work to failure without risk of injury.

Set yourself a goal of 50-100 reps per leg, and then pump them out in as few sets as possible. I guarantee you’ll feel this finisher in your quads tomorrow!

Try This Descending Alternating-Leg Ladder Workout

This is one of my favorite ways to do kickstand squats. Simply begin by doing ten reps on each leg, and then do one less per subsequent set until you reach one. This adds up to 55 reps per leg, which is a significant amount of work. Rest no more than 10-15 seconds between sets – this is supposed to be a non-stop challenge!

• 10 reps left leg/10 reps right leg
• 9 reps left leg/9 reps right leg
• 8 reps left leg/8 reps right leg
• 7 reps left leg/7 reps right leg
• 6 reps left leg/6 reps right leg
• 5 reps left leg/5 reps right leg
• 4 reps left leg/4 reps right leg
• 3 reps left leg/3 reps right leg
• 2 reps left leg/2 reps right leg
• 1 rep left leg/1 rep right leg

Need more of a challenge? Try starting your descending ladder with 12 or even 15 reps!

Kickstand Squat Alternatives

I’m a big fan of kickstand squats, but I also understand you can have too much of a good thing! To that end, here are three effective alternatives to conventional kickstand squats. Use these exercises to keep your workouts fresh and interesting.

Kickstand Goblet Squats

Beginner and intermediate exercisers will probably find that bodyweight kickstand squats are plenty challenging. However, more advanced exercisers may need more weight to overload their quads, hamstrings, and glutes. So, grab a dumbbell or kettlebell, hold it in front of your chest, and give kickstand goblet squats a try.

Bulgarian Split Squats

Bulgarian split squats are very similar to kickstand squats. However, the main difference is the position of your non-working leg. Provided you have a suitable bench on which to place your supporting leg, Bulgarian split squats are an excellent alternative to kickstand squats. But, for those without a bench or similar, kickstand squats are a better option.

Shrimp Squats

Have you mastered kickstand squats and are looking for your next calisthenic leg training challenge? Try shrimp squats. They’re more accessible than pistols and more demanding than kickstand squats. This is an excellent exercise for stronger, more advanced exercisers. However, they will definitely test your strength, mobility, and balance.

Conclusion

While calisthenics athletes often have well-developed upper bodies, their leg development can sometimes be less impressive. That’s not because they skip leg day; it’s just that push-ups and pull-ups are better muscle builders than air squats and bodyweight lunges.

The good news is that there are several calisthenic leg exercises that build muscle and strength.

Kickstand squats allow you to overload your muscles without external weights. More accessible than pistols, kickstand squats are an excellent progression from bodyweight squats and other relatively easy lower-body exercises.

So, why not include kickstand squats in your next leg workout? Whether you train with weights or prefer bodyweight exercises, this movement has a lot to offer with very few drawbacks. Try it – I think you’re gonna like it!  

Related: Forget Squats – Build A Stronger Lower Body with These Unilateral Bodyweight Leg Exercises and Workout

References:

1. 1 – Blake H, Stanulewicz N, Mcgill F. Predictors of physical activity and barriers to exercise in nursing and medical students. J Adv Nurs. 2017 Apr;73(4):917-929. doi: 10.1111/jan.13181. Epub 2016 Nov 8. PMID: 27731886.
2. 2 – Liao KF, Nassis GP, Bishop C, Yang W, Bian C, Li YM. Effects of unilateral vs. bilateral resistance training interventions on measures of strength, jump, linear and change of direction speed: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biol Sport. 2022 Sep;39(3):485-497. doi: 10.5114/biolsport.2022.107024. Epub 2021 Jul 3. PMID: 35959319; PMCID: PMC9331349.

Featured Image via @FunctionalBodybuilding on YouTube!

---