A deep lateral single-leg squat that shifts the hips to one side to load the working leg, primarily stressing the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and quadriceps.
How to do the Cossack Squat#
- Stand with a wide stance and toes pointing forward or slightly outward.
- Shift your hips to one side and bend the knee of that leg while keeping the opposite leg extended.
- Sit back into the bent knee with your chest upright and spine neutral, keeping weight through the heel and mid-foot of the working leg.
- Pause at the bottom, then drive through the heel of the bent leg to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the prescribed reps, then switch sides.
Muscles worked#
Common mistakes#
- Letting the bent-knee heel lift off the floor.
- Rounding or collapsing the torso instead of keeping a neutral spine.
- Allowing the bent knee to cave inward past the toes.
- Bending the opposite leg instead of keeping it extended.
- Shifting weight onto the straight leg instead of loading the working leg.
