Kneeling Squat

A upper legs exercise targeting the glutes, performed with barbell.

Kneeling Squat demonstration
Kneeling Squat — demonstration

Body part

Upper Legs

Equipment

Barbell

Target muscles

Glutes

Secondary muscles

Abdominals, Hamstrings, Lower Back

How to do Kneeling Squat

  1. Set the bar to the proper height in a power rack. Kneel behind the bar; it may be beneficial to put a mat down to pad your knees. Slide under the bar, racking it across the back of your shoulders. Your shoulder blades should be retracted and the bar tight across your back. Unrack the weight.

  2. With your head looking forward, sit back with your butt until you touch your calves.

  3. Reverse the motion, returning the torso to an upright position.

Muscles worked

Primary (target)

Glutes

Secondary

AbdominalsHamstringsLower Back

Related exercises

All upper legs exercises →

Track Kneeling Squat in NutriMind

Log your sets and the app does the rest — automatic PR detection, progression charts for every lift, and progressive overload that adjusts your next workout. Paired with AI nutrition coaching so your training and your plate pull in the same direction.

Planning your next heavy session? Estimate your max with the One Rep Max Calculator and build up to it with the Warm-up Calculator. More free tools →