Cossack Squat

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand with your feet in a very wide stance, roughly double shoulder-width apart.
2. Point your toes slightly outward and engage your core to maintain an upright torso.
3. Extend your arms forward or hold them at chest height to help maintain balance during the descent.

How to do it

1. Inhale as you shift your weight to one side, sitting your hips back and down while keeping the opposite leg perfectly straight.
2. As you descend, rotate the foot of the straight leg so the toes point toward the ceiling while keeping the heel anchored to the floor.
3. Exhale and drive through the heel of the bent leg to return to the center starting position.
4. Repeat the movement on the opposite side, alternating legs with a controlled, fluid tempo.

Form checklist

• Keep the heel of the working (squatting) leg flat on the floor at all times.
• Maintain an upright chest and avoid excessive forward lean or rounding of the spine.
• Ensure the knee of the working leg tracks in line with the toes, preventing it from collapsing inward.
• Keep the non-working leg fully extended with the knee locked throughout the movement.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'pulling' yourself down into the hip crease of the working leg to maximize the stretch on the trailing adductor.
• Pause for one second at the bottom of the movement to build strength in the end-range position and improve active flexibility.

Make it harder

• Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell in a goblet position at chest height to add external resistance.
• Slow down the eccentric phase to four seconds to increase time under tension and demand more stability.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the cossack squat work?

The cossack squat primarily targets the adductors, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, and also works the abs and obliques as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the cossack squat?

The cossack squat requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the cossack squat good for beginners?

The cossack squat is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Barbell Cossack SquatAdvanced · adductors, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
• Barbell Hang SnatchAdvanced · adductors, calves, erector spinae, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
• Barbell Jefferson SquatIntermediate · adductors, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
• Barbell Lateral LungeIntermediate · adductors, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps