Exercise Profile
- Target Muscle Group
- Exercise TypeStrength
- Equipment RequiredBench
- MechanicsCompound
- Force TypePush (Unilateral)
- Experience LevelIntermediate
- Secondary Muscles
Abs, Adductors, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings
Target Muscle Group
Quads
Single Leg Squat From Bench Overview
The single leg squat from bench is a variation of the step up and an exercise used to strengthen the muscles of the leg.
The single leg squat is an excellent exercise to use to help you progress along the single leg exercises progression spectrum. The exercise can help you build unilateral leg strength as well as help improve balance.
Single Leg Squat From Bench Instructions
- Set up in a single leg stance position on a bench with one leg bent straight in front of you and the other supporting your bodyweight while keeping the knee slightly bent.
- Descend by flexing the knee of the supporting leg and continue until your foot touches the floor.
- Drive through the front foot and extend the knee as you return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Single Leg Squat From Bench Tips
- Only touch the heel of the foot at the bottom of the movement, this helps to prevent a person from pushing off with their non supportive leg at the most difficult part of the movement.
- Ensure you keep the heel down on the bench and load the quads by allowing the knee to travel forward as you descend.
- Descend slowly and focus on controlling the movement via the quads rather than relying upon momentum.
- If you cannot complete repetitions at a normal bench height, simply work your way up in bench height over time.
- You can utilize a variety of different loading strategies with this exercises, everything from dumbbells in a goblet position to a landmine attachment and everything in between. However, initially I would recommend a counterbalanced approach with dumbbells as this will allow you to complete the exercise without much concern for the balance aspect.
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