Squat Side Kick

How to do the Squat Side Kick

1. 1Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly outward, and your arms at your sides or hands clasped in front of your chest.
2. 2Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor, keeping your chest up and core braced.
3. 3Drive through your heels to stand up explosively.
4. 4As you reach the top of the movement, shift your weight onto your left foot and kick your right leg out to the side at hip height, flexing your foot and squeezing your right glute at the top of the kick.
5. 5Return your right foot to the floor with control and immediately lower back into the next squat.
6. 6Drive back up and repeat the side kick on the left leg.
7. 7Continue alternating sides for the desired number of reps or time interval, maintaining an upright torso and controlled landing throughout.

Form tips

• Keep your standing knee soft and slightly bent during the side kick — a locked knee destabilizes your balance and reduces glute activation on the kicking leg.
• Flex your foot and lead with your heel on the kick rather than your toes; this cue increases gluteus maximus engagement and protects the hip joint.
• Brace your core through the entire movement — both on the squat descent and during the kick — to protect your lower back and maintain balance.
• Land softly after each kick by absorbing impact through your hip and knee rather than slamming your foot down, which reduces joint stress and lets you transition smoothly into the next squat.

Common mistakes

• Letting the squat depth become shallow over time — as fatigue sets in, many people cut the squat short, which reduces quadriceps and gluteus maximus stimulus. Aim for parallel or below on every rep.
• Swinging the kick instead of driving it with controlled hip abduction — a swinging leg uses momentum rather than glute strength and increases the risk of losing balance.
• Caving the knees inward during the squat phase — this places excess stress on the knee ligaments and reduces glute activation. Push your knees out in line with your toes on every descent and ascent.
• Neglecting to engage the core during the side kick — allowing the torso to lean heavily away from the kicking leg shifts load to the lower back rather than the hips.
• Landing with a stiff leg after the kick, which can jar the knee and ankle joints. Bend the knee slightly on contact and roll through the foot to absorb force.

Frequently asked questions