Sled Lying Single Leg Squat

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Lie flat on the machine's back pad with your shoulders firmly against the bolsters and your head supported.
2. Place the working foot on the platform with a hip-width stance, ensuring the heel is flat and the knee is aligned with the foot.
3. Keep the non-working leg bent and tucked toward your chest or resting on the floor/frame to prevent it from assisting.
4. Grip the side handles and disengage the safety locks to begin the movement.

How to do it

1. Inhale and slowly lower the sled by bending at the hip and knee, maintaining a controlled 3-second eccentric phase.
2. Lower the weight until your thigh is close to your torso, ensuring your lower back does not lift off the pad.
3. Exhale and drive through the mid-foot and heel to push the sled back to the starting position.
4. Complete the rep just short of locking out the knee to keep the tension on the target muscles.

Form checklist

• Keep your lower back and glutes pressed firmly against the back pad throughout the entire set.
• Ensure the working knee tracks directly over the second toe, avoiding any inward collapse.
• Maintain a flat foot on the platform; do not allow the heel to lift as you reach the bottom of the rep.
• Keep your hips level and avoid tilting your pelvis toward the working leg.

Pro tips

• To emphasize the glutes, place your foot slightly higher on the platform; to emphasize the quads, place it slightly lower.
• Pause for one second at the bottom of the movement to eliminate momentum and force the muscles to work harder from a dead stop.

Make it harder

• Implement a 1.5 rep style: go all the way down, come halfway up, go back down, and then push all the way to the top.
• Slow the eccentric (lowering) phase to 5 seconds to increase time under tension.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the sled lying single leg squat work?

The sled lying single leg squat primarily targets the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, and also works the abs and obliques as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the sled lying single leg squat?

The sled lying single leg squat uses sled machine.

Is the sled lying single leg squat good for beginners?

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

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