Exercise guide · Legs & Glutes

Cossack Squat

The cossack squat is a wide, side-to-side bodyweight squat. You sink deep on one leg while the other stays straight out to the side, building hip mobility and single-leg strength in the quads and glutes.

Targets: Quads
Equipment: Bodyweight
Type: Compound

Step by step

How to do the Cossack Squat

Stand with a wide stance, toes pointed slightly forward or out.
Shift your weight to one side and sit your hips down and back on that leg.
Keep the working knee tracking over your toes while the other leg stays straight with the foot flat.
Lower until your working thigh is parallel or as deep as you can control with an upright torso.
Drive through the working foot to stand back to center.
Alternate sides each rep or complete one side before switching.

Form cues

Chest up, torso tall
Heel down on the bending leg
Straight leg active, foot planted
Control depth, do not drop fast

Common mistakes

Rounding the back or collapsing forward
Heel lifting on the working leg
Letting the straight knee buckle inward
Shifting weight onto the straight leg

Muscles worked

Primary

Quads

Secondary

Glutes and Hamstrings

Safety: Move within a range you can control. Use a support for balance if needed, and stop if you feel sharp knee or hip pain.

Alternatives

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