Reps Only exercise

Cossack Squat form, muscles worked, and workout tracking

The Cossack squat is a deep side-to-side squat performed with one leg bent fully under the body and the other extended straight, targeting the quadriceps, glutes, and adductors while demanding significant hip and ankle mobility. It is used as a mobility-strength hybrid to open the hips and groin under load, build lateral movement capacity for sport, and expose side-to-side asymmetries that bilateral squats hide.

Cossack Squat illustration

How to do Cossack Squat

  1. 1Stand with your feet roughly double shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly out, and arms extended forward for counterbalance.
  2. 2Brace your core and inhale as you shift your weight over one leg, squatting down onto it while the other leg straightens out to the side.
  3. 3Sink as deep as your mobility allows, keeping the working heel flat and the straight leg's toes pointing up or forward.
  4. 4Keep your chest tall; do not let the working knee cave in or the heel lift to force extra depth.
  5. 5Exhale as you push through the bent leg to rise back to the wide stance, then squat to the opposite side and continue alternating.

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Track Cossack Squat in Plates

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