Kneeling Squat Guide: How-To, Muscles Worked, Benefits, Variations & More

If you were doing a traditional barbell squat you would most likely be using a rack to pick the barbell up from and put back down. When doing a kneeling squat this becomes a lot harder, even impossible. How are you going to load your shoulders with a barbell 1.5x your weight safely? There’s a reason that squat racks are made of thick steel and that’s safety. The huge benefit of progressive overload with more weight is that you can spark more muscle growth as your body tries to adapt. This is much harder when in a kneeling position.

Whilst a traditional barbell squat has its challenges, kneeling can also be difficult for a wide range of people. It can be a lot of weight to put on joints that usually one of the first to creak as we age. For some, a bodyweight squat may be more comfortable that a kneeling squat as the ankles, knees, hip flexors, glutes and posterior muscles can all work together to complete the movement.

The gluteus maximus is the largest glute muscle that covers the majority of the posterior side of the pelvis. It has several functions, however, it’s main function during a squat is hip extension (pushing the hips forward).

Situated on the lateral side of the pelvis, this muscle assists in keeping the hips and pelvis stable during a squatting motion.

As mentioned in our benefits and drawbacks section, the kneeling squat employs fewer muscles than the standing squat. With regard to the glute muscles (maximus, medius and minimus), these muscles would be working much harder to keep the knees pointing outwards and pelvis stable during a standing squat.

The quadriceps muscles, located in the front of the thigh, are one of the primary muscle groups used during a squat. These muscles consist of four heads: the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, and vastus medialis.

During a squat, the quadriceps function to extend the knee and straighten the legs. As the lifter lowers down into the squat, the quadriceps work to control the descent and prevent the body from collapsing. As the lifter pushes back up to the starting position, the quadriceps help to extend the knee and straighten the legs.

Proper activation of the quadriceps is important for maintaining good form and avoiding injury during the squat. If the quadriceps are not adequately engaged, other muscles, such as the hamstrings, may compensate and become overworked. This can lead to imbalances and potential injuries.

Because of the kneeling component of this exercise, the quadriceps won’t experience their full range of motion as they would with a standing squat.

The hamstrings are a group of three muscles located in the back of the thigh. They play an important role in many lower body movements, including the squat.

During a squat, the hamstrings function to extend the hip and flex the knee. As the lifter lowers down into the squat, the hamstrings are responsible for controlling the descent and preventing the body from collapsing. As the lifter pushes back up to the starting position, the hamstrings help to extend the hip and straighten the legs.

Proper activation of the hamstrings is important for maintaining good form and avoiding injury during the squat. If the hamstrings are not adequately engaged, other muscles, such as the quadriceps, may compensate and become overworked. This can lead to imbalances and potential injuries. In addition to their role in the squat, the hamstrings also help to stabilize the knee joint and provide a strong foundation for other lower body movements.

Before thinking about weighted exercises like the barbell squat, lets start with something more accessible. The bodyweight squat is a brilliant way to activate the lower body and core whilst being very safe, with plenty of room to find a level of exertion that suits the individual.

If someone has knee, ankle or hip mobility issues they can choose to only sink to a particular depth before returning to the starting position. From here you can begin to think about weighted squat variations to build in to.

Ok, the barbell squat might be the most fundamental exercise in a strength building program, and if not, it’s in the top 3. This exercise is incredibly functional, it stimulates huge amounts of muscle growth vs other exercises and on top of this, it builds muscle in the upper body as well!

Although we should address the elephant in the room, this is a blog about the kneeling squat which is sometimes used for those in rehab or beginners. The barbell squat requires proper form to avoid injury, and when you’re loading your shoulders with a bar as heavy as your bodyweight, it’s important to do things correctly. This exercise is suitable for those moving up from the kneeling squat because they’ve recovered their injury or are looking for the next challenge.

If you’re looking for glute activation, look no further. The hip thrust exercise is a strength training movement that targets the gluteal muscles, or glutes, as well as the hamstrings and lower back. It is typically performed using a barbell or dumbbells, and can be done with or without additional weight.

To perform a hip thrust, the lifter begins by sitting on the ground with their upper back resting on a bench and their feet flat on the ground. The lifter then places a barbell or dumbbells across their lap, and pushes through their heels to raise their hips off the ground until they are in a straight line from their knees to their shoulders. The lifter then lowers their hips back down to the starting position.

The hip thrust is a powerful exercise for building strength and size in the glutes, as well as improving hip stability and mobility. It can also help to improve athletic performance, as the glutes are a key muscle group for activities such as running and jumping.

Whilst the lunge looks like a simple exercise, many get it wrong. The reason we’ve added it as an alternative to the kneeling squat is because it works all of the same muscles, it’s extremely accessible and can be overloaded with weight if needed.

If you’re looking for more glute activation from this exercise try to keep your torso upright. If you’re looking for more quad activation lean forwards slightly. Remember to keep control and balance throughout the entire movement. Keep your feet pointing forwards along with your knee. To begin with place your arms out to your side to help your balance. As you get more comfortable you can bring your hand to your chest or begin to add weight with dumbbells, kettlebells or a barbell.