Exercise guide
Lever Seated Wide Squat
- Beginner
- Compound
- Rep-based
- Lower legs
- Upper legs
The Lever Seated Wide Squat is a compound lower-body movement that utilizes a wide stance to emphasize the adductors and glutes while providing machine-based stability. It is highly effective for building foundational leg strength and hip mobility with reduced spinal loading.
Reviewed by the Crucible team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Sit firmly in the machine with your back and hips pressed against the backrest.
- Place your feet high and wide on the footplate, with toes pointed outward at approximately a 45-degree angle.
- Grasp the side handles to stabilize your upper body.
- Disengage the safety locks and fully extend your legs without locking your knees.
How to do it
- Inhale and slowly lower the weight by bending your knees, ensuring they track in the same direction as your toes.
- Continue the descent until your thighs are slightly past parallel or as deep as your mobility allows without your lower back lifting off the pad.
- Exhale and drive through your heels and mid-foot to push the platform back to the starting position.
- Maintain a controlled 2-1-2 tempo (2 seconds down, 1 second pause, 2 seconds up), stopping just before knee lockout.
Form checklist
- Keep your lower back and sacrum glued to the backrest throughout the entire movement.
- Ensure your knees do not cave inward; actively push them out toward your pinky toes.
- Keep your feet flat on the platform; do not let your heels lift.
- Avoid 'butt wink' or rounding the lower spine at the bottom of the rep.
Pro tips
- Focus on the mind-muscle connection by imagining you are trying to spread the footplate apart with your feet to maximize adductor engagement.
- Pause for one second at the bottom of the movement to eliminate momentum and force the glutes to initiate the drive.
Make it harder
- Implement a 4-second eccentric (lowering) phase to increase time under tension.
- Perform 1.5 reps by going all the way down, coming halfway up, going back down, and then finishing the full extension.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the lever seated wide squat work?
- The lever seated wide squat primarily targets the adductors, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, and also works the hip flexors as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the lever seated wide squat?
- The lever seated wide squat uses leverage machine.
- Is the lever seated wide squat good for beginners?
- Yes. The lever seated wide squat is a beginner-friendly movement and a strong foundation to build on.
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