10 Best Sled Lying Squat Alternatives for Limited Equipment
If you can’t use the sled lying squat, choose exercises that emphasize hip extension and glute activation: barbell hip thrusts, Bulgarian split squats, Romanian deadlifts, single-leg glute bridges, or sled pushes. Focus on driving through the heels, keeping a neutral spine, and squeezing the glutes at full hip extension to replicate the movement pattern.
Original Exercise: Sled Lying Squat
How to Perform Sled Lying Squat
- Adjust the sled machine to a comfortable weight.
- Lie on your back on the sled machine with your feet on the footplate.
- Position your feet shoulder-width apart and slightly angled outwards.
- Grip the handles of the sled machine for stability.
- Engage your glutes and core muscles.
- Push through your heels and extend your legs to lift the sled.
- Lower the sled back down by bending your knees and hips.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Sled Lying Squat Alternatives
1. Calf Press
74.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Adjust the seat so that your legs are only slightly bent in the start position. The balls of your feet should be firmly on the platform.
- Select an appropriate weight, and grasp the handles. This will be your starting position.
- Straighten the legs by extending the knees, just barely lifting the weight from the stack. Your ankle should be fully flexed, toes pointing up. Execute the movement by pressing downward through the balls of your feet as far as possible.
- After a brief pause, reverse the motion and repeat.
2. Calf Press On The Leg Press Machine
74.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Using a leg press machine, sit down on the machine and place your legs on the platform directly in front of you at a medium (shoulder width) foot stance.
- Lower the safety bars holding the weighted platform in place and press the platform all the way up until your legs are fully extended in front of you without locking your knees. (Note: In some leg press units you can leave the safety bars on for increased safety. If your leg press unit allows for this, then this is the preferred method of performing the exercise.) Your torso and the legs should make perfect 90-degree angle. Now carefully place your toes and balls of your feet on the lower portion of the platform with the heels extending off. Toes should be facing forward, outwards or inwards as described at the beginning of the chapter. This will be your starting position.
- Press on the platform by raising your heels as you breathe out by extending your ankles as high as possible and flexing your calf. Ensure that the knee is kept stationary at all times. There should be no bending at any time. Hold the contracted position by a second before you start to go back down.
- Go back slowly to the starting position as you breathe in by lowering your heels as you bend the ankles until calves are stretched.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
3. Band Squat
74% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with the band placed just above your knees.
- Keeping your chest up and core engaged, push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat position.
- Make sure your knees are tracking over your toes and your weight is in your heels.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push through your heels to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
4. Barbell Speed Squat
74% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out.
- Hold the barbell across your upper back, resting it on your traps or rear delts.
- Engage your core and keep your chest up as you lower your hips back and down, as if sitting into a chair.
- Lower until your thighs are parallel to the ground, or as low as you can comfortably go.
- Drive through your heels to stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top.
5. Band Squat Row
72.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Attach the band to a sturdy anchor point at waist height.
- Stand facing the anchor point with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hold the band handles with your palms facing each other and your arms extended in front of you.
- Bend your knees and lower into a squat position, keeping your back straight and chest lifted.
- From the squat position, pull the band handles towards your body, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
6. Barbell Full Squat (back Pov)
72.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out.
- Hold the barbell across your upper back, resting it on your traps or rear delts.
- Engage your core and keep your chest up as you begin to lower your body down.
- Bend at the knees and hips, pushing your hips back and down as if sitting into a chair.
- Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground or slightly below.
7. Barbell Full Squat (side Pov)
72.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out.
- Hold the barbell across your upper back, resting it on your traps or rear delts.
- Engage your core and keep your chest up as you begin to lower your body down.
- Bend at the knees and hips, pushing your hips back and down as if sitting into a chair.
- Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground or slightly below.
8. Barbell High Bar Squat
72.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out.
- Place the barbell on your upper back, resting it on your traps.
- Engage your core and keep your chest up as you begin to squat down, pushing your hips back and bending your knees.
- Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the ground, or as low as you can comfortably go.
- Drive through your heels to stand back up, extending your hips and knees.
9. Barbell Low Bar Squat
72.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell resting on your upper back.
- Keeping your chest up and core engaged, slowly lower your body by bending your knees and pushing your hips back.
- Continue lowering until your thighs are parallel to the ground or slightly below.
- Pause for a moment, then push through your heels to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
10. Dumbbell Squat
69% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
- Keeping your chest up and core engaged, lower your body down by bending at the knees and hips, as if sitting back into a chair.
- Continue lowering until your thighs are parallel to the ground, or as low as you can comfortably go.
- Pause for a moment at the bottom, then push through your heels to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Why You Might Need a Sled Lying Squat Alternative
You might substitute the sled lying squat because you lack a sled, suffer from knee or lower-back irritation in the prone position, or prioritize unilateral strength work. Substitutes let you preserve the hip-extension stimulus that drives glute growth while avoiding painful joint angles. Pick movements that maintain a posterior-chain moment (hip hinge or loaded hip extension) and cue strong glute contraction — for example, pause at peak hip extension and actively squeeze the glutes. That preserves muscle activation and similar loading mechanics even when equipment or mobility limits rule out the sled variation.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Decide based on equipment, pain patterns, and training goal. For pure glute hypertrophy choose exercises that maximize hip extension torque (barbell hip thrusts or weighted bridges) and cue a full squeeze at the top. For unilateral control and knee-friendly loading pick Bulgarian split squats or single-leg bridges and keep the front knee tracking the second toe to reduce valgus. If you want posterior-chain stiffness and hamstring involvement, choose Romanian deadlifts and hinge from the hips with a braced core and long eccentric. Match range of motion, loading progression, and movement pattern to your primary goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Sled Lying Squat work?
The sled lying squat primarily targets the gluteus maximus through hip extension, with secondary activation of the hamstrings and quadriceps to control knee flexion and extension. Core stabilizers and the adductors assist to maintain pelvic alignment and control the sled path.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Sled Lying Squat?
The Bulgarian split squat is the top bodyweight substitute for glute emphasis: keep the torso upright, front knee over the ankle, and drive through the front heel while squeezing the glute at the top. If you want a pure glute-dominant option, use single-leg glute bridges and pause at peak hip extension to maximize activation.
Can I build muscle without doing Sled Lying Squat?
Yes. Build glute and upper-leg muscle with progressive overload across hip-dominant and squat-dominant lifts (hip thrusts, RDLs, split squats). Use deliberate tempo, increased sets or load, and strong top-of-range glute contractions to replicate the activation you would get from the sled lying squat.
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