Side Bench Squat

Perform a side bench squat to strengthen your legs and improve balance.

  1. Stand next to a bench with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Shift your weight to one leg and lower your body towards the bench, keeping your other leg extended out to the side.
  3. Touch the bench lightly with your glutes, then push through your heel to return to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch sides.

How to perform the Side Bench Squat

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Side Bench Squat using your body weight.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your quadriceps.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your quadriceps rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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