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MOMENTUMWELLNESS

Exercise · Hips

Split squat

Reviewed by Dr. Ryan Rietz, D.P.T. and Dr. John Breyman, D.C.

A staggered stance — one foot forward, one back — and you lower straight down until the back knee approaches the floor. It is the bridge between two-legged strength and single-leg control: the back leg is still there for balance, but the front leg does most of the work, so the hip and knee have to cooperate under real load. Momentum's system names hip-dominant control during squat and step as the movement failure behind knee pain, and this is the first place that control is loaded rather than merely practised.

Also known as

  • static lunge
  • split squats
  • stationary lunge
  • lunge hold

At a glance

Type
Strength
Difficulty
Intermediate

Equipment

  • dumbbells (optional)