Kneeling squats is a form of exercise that is often included in lower body workouts, and focuses on building strength and size to the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves.

Kneeling squats can be performed with or without dumbbells. The benefit of using dumbbells is that you can work each leg independently, for instance with a set weight in one hand and lighter weight in the other to get an even workout.

kneeling squat vs squat:

The squat is a leg strengthening exercise that involves bending at the knees and hips to bring your body down in a sitting position.

Kneeling squats are sometimes confused with squats, but they are actually different. The main difference between the two is that in the kneeling squat, you hold your core tight while leaning forward over your hands which brings your center of gravity lower than in the standard squat position. This allows you to activate more muscles overall, but it is also more difficult.

Are Kneeling Squats Effective?

The kneeling squat builds muscle in your hips, thighs, and glutes while toning and defining muscles in these areas. Kneeling squats also help you get lower into the squat position than just a regular squat due to having more stability from holding onto dumbbells or weight plates.

Kneeling squats are effective for building strength and size for leg exercises that require more stability, such as squats.

How to do kneeling squat:

Kneel on your left knee and bend both of your knees so that your right foot is flat on the floor and your left knee is bent at a 90-degree angle. Position both of your palms on top of each other shoulder-width apart on the floor in front of you, with elbows slightly bent.

Keep your back straight and lean forward onto the ground until your chest touches the floor. At this point, it is important to be careful not to let your knee slide away from your hands.

Once you are in this position, it is very important that you maintain a straight back throughout the exercise. At this point, your weight should be on both of the palms and near the front portion of the shoulder. You can tighten up your core by contracting it at this point. Holding this position for a second, shoot your hips up and lean forward onto both of your hands.

Once you reach the top of the motion, squeeze your glutes tightly while contracted. After that, slide back into the starting position by bending at both of your knees and moving down onto your elbows again. Repeat the exercise 8-10 times for 3 sets.

Another variation: Straighten your arms and position them out to the side with palms facing forward. Maintain a straight back while bending at both of your knees and moving down onto your elbows again. Repeat this 10 times for 3 sets.

In another variation, you can hold a dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms out to your sides with palms facing forward rather than putting them on the floor. Then bend your knees as described above and raise yourself up again using the same muscles.

Muscles involved in kneeling squats:

Kneeling squat works just about every muscle in the lower body. The specific muscles that are worked in a kneeling squat workout, depending on what you do after performing a kneeling squat. If you continue with additional exercises then the majority of your focus will be on the same muscle groups that were targeted during the kneeling squat.

If you stretch out or take a break after doing one knee-squat variation, then the muscles worked in that variation will be involved in a secondary way.

#1: Quadriceps

Kneeling Squat is a great way to work on your quadriceps and stretch out your hips, this can help with knee pain and overall leg flexibility.

Your quads are located on the front of your legs and attach to the knee cap. They are in charge of extending your legs, like in a standing position.

#2: Hamstrings

The hamstrings are located on the backside of your upper leg. They work in conjunction with your glutes and quadriceps to extend the hip. This motion is what happens when you do a standard squat.

#3: Glutes

The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in your body and is responsible for hip extension and posterior pelvic tilting. Squats work out this muscle group, which makes the kneeling variation a great warm-up exercise to standard squats.

Is Kneeling Squat bad for knees?

Kneeling squats can be a great way to strengthen but not hurt your knees. Since you are keeping your weight down on the front of your shoulder you automatically have the tendency to stay more upright so as not to put too much pressure on your knee joints.

In addition, if you feel any pain shoot through the knees during a kneeling squat, you should stop the exercise immediately to avoid injury.

If you are new to squats or have had injuries in the past, make sure to seek out medical advice before starting an at-home knee squat workout.

Possible problems when doing kneeling squats:

This exercise is not recommended for people with knee or back injuries due to the high amount of stress that is put on these areas in this type of movement. Since the glutes are being worked hard in this movement, you should have a proper form before adding weight to the exercise.

Kneeling Squat before & after workout

Pre-workout: Kneeling squats are a great pre-workout exercise because of their effectiveness in warming up your whole lower body, which makes stretching afterward easier and reduces the risk of injury at the gym later on in the day.

Post-workout: Since kneeling squats require your muscles to work in the early stages of development, they are a great way to end a workout routine because they help flush lactic acid from your body and leave you feeling refreshed.

The most important thing to keep in mind when doing a kneeling squat is that your knees should not go beyond your toes. If you feel any sort of pain or discomfort radiating from the knee while lowering down into position, then stop immediately and try an easier variation than kneeling squats.

Don’t let your back round during the exercise. Think about keeping your back flat, chest up.

Kneeling squats for glutes:

The biggest benefit of incorporating kneeling squats is that they target your gluteus maximus, which is the largest muscle in your body. This exercise also heavily involves your quadriceps, hamstrings, and lower back.

The biggest benefit is that it works on your glutes. By adding this movement to your workout routine you can expect to see an increase in muscle mass over time along with improved lower body strength.

Kneeling squats before bed:

If you are looking for a great way to end your day, then consider adding a few reps of kneeling squats to your routine. The great thing about doing them before bed is that you will not have to worry about missing a workout.

Instead, these squats will give you an extra boost to help improve your range of motion and flexibility while helping you stay mentally focused and ready to start the day tomorrow.

This is especially helpful if you are having problems sleeping due to anxiety or stress.

Kneeling squats with dumbbells:

Doing Kneeling Squats With Dumbbells is a good way to get a balanced workout of the upper and lower body. Having something to hold on to while doing this kind of squat is important since it reduces stress in your arms, wrist/elbow joint, shoulder and neck. If you are new to this workout, it is recommended that you start with no extra weight.

Grab a pair of dumbbells and kneel on the ground, positioning your hands behind your head. Keep your back straight and push off your heels to stand up straight while bringing the weights to shoulder level. You should feel this in your hamstrings and glutes.

Just like the normal squat, you should keep your back straight, chest up, and avoid rounding forward.

Kneeling Squat benefits

Kneeling Squat benefits:

Great for beginners because they can be done without any weight at all if you are just starting out with resistance training. It is also a great way to regress common leg exercises like squats or lunges.

They are not only good for your glutes, they involve most of your leg muscles including the quads, hamstrings, and even some of the smaller stabilizing muscles.

As mentioned before, this is also a great finishing exercise at night when you are done with your workout for the day because it does not require any equipment or much movement so you can focus on relaxing your mind.

Kneeling squats, just like normal squats, are a great way to strengthen the muscles in your legs.

By adding this exercise into your daily routine you can expect to see an increase in muscle mass over time along with improved lower body strength.

Another reason people love doing kneeling squats is that they feel it helps them get ready for bed. If you are someone who struggles to sleep because of anxiety or stress, this is a great exercise for you.

This is also the perfect way to end your day because it helps release tension in your muscles and leaves you feeling relaxed so that you can finally get your much-needed shut-eye.

Tips to take more advantage:

Now that you have seen all the benefits, it is time to take advantage of them.

Start off doing three sets of ten reps and gradually work your way up from there to five sets of twenty-five reps if you choose. This will be a great starting point for beginners who are looking to simply strengthen their muscles without trying anything too intense.

If you want to take it a step further, try incorporating weights into your routine with things like dumbbells or kettlebells. This way you can see even faster results and make this exercise more challenging.

Once again, remember that with any workout routine safety is always the most important thing so make sure you are using proper form and not straining yourself.

If you are looking for an excellent leg workout, the kneeling squat is a great place to start.

This exercise targets your hips, thighs, and buttocks without the added stress on the joints that comes from other types of squats like a barbell or even smith machine squats.

It may be challenging at first but once you master the proper technique and see your muscles start changing, you will feel great about yourself.

This is a great way to tone your legs and shape them so take advantage of the results it has to offer today.

Now that you have seen the benefits of doing kneeling squats it is time to incorporate them into your workout routine. After all, how can you expect to see results if you are not following a workout plan?

If you want to add in this exercise, start off slow and don’t try to do too many reps in the beginning. Make sure you have mastered the proper technique before trying them with weights or incorporating them into your regular routine.

Remember that the most important thing is making sure you are doing them correctly so you see the best results possible.

Before doing any exercise, you should warm up first to prevent injuries and increase performance. You can start with something simple like jogging in place for about five minutes or do some jumping jacks if you feel more inclined. This will get your blood flowing and heart rate going so that when you add in the workout your muscles are ready for it.

Katya Bogush
I have 9 years of experience as a Fitness Trainer, Functional and Stretching Coach. I have a Master’s degree in the field «Sport» and have significant knowledge in this area not only in theory but in practice as well. My passion is to help people achieve their goals, get not only a slim and fit body but also good health. Consequently, I create training and nutrition programs for people with different aims (weight loss, growth body mass, or keeping fit). Dozens of my clients are satisfied with their sport results, good health, and well-being, strong and fit body. Well, their satisfaction is the best thing in my job. As an added bonus I’m a good writer and have experience in writing articles and blogging about health and fitness trends, weight loss, nutrition, and sports psychology.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here