Skater Squats (Complete How To Guide)

The Skater Squat is a single-leg strength exercise that builds balance, stability, and power through the legs and hips. It’s similar to a pistol squat but with the back knee lowering toward the ground instead of the back foot staying extended forward.

This makes it a great unilateral movement for developing lower-body strength, coordination, and knee control with less mobility demand than a pistol squat.

Primary Muscles Worked: Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings
Secondary Muscles Worked: Core, Calves, Hip Stabilizers
Equipment Needed: None (optional pad or target for knee touch)

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How To Do Skater Squats

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Set-Up:
   • Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and arms extended in front for balance.
   • Lift one foot off the ground and hold it slightly behind you (this is your working stance).
2. Execution:
   • Begin bending the working leg, sitting your hips back and lowering your body slowly.
   • Keep your chest tall and back flat as you lower until your back knee lightly touches the ground or a pad.
   • Drive through your heel to stand back up, keeping your non-working leg off the floor the entire time.
   • Repeat all reps on one leg before switching sides.
3. Tips for Proper Form:
   • Keep your working knee tracking in line with your toes.
   • Maintain tension through your core and glutes for balance.
   • Move slowly and under control, don’t “drop” to the bottom.
   • Use your arms for balance but avoid swinging them for momentum.

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Key Benefits

• Builds unilateral lower-body strength and balance.
• Improves hip and knee stability.
• Great for athletes needing single-leg power and control.
• Enhances mobility and coordination through a large range of motion.

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Modifications and Variations

• Easier Option:
  • Use a pad or yoga block as a depth target for the back knee.
  • Allow the back foot to lightly touch the ground for balance.
  • Hold onto a support (e.g., pole or band) for assistance.
• Harder Option:
  • Hold a dumbbell or plate in front for added resistance and counterbalance.
  • Perform Tempo Skater Squats (3–4 seconds lowering).
  • Try Elevated Skater Squats by standing on a small platform to increase range of motion.

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Common Mistakes

• Letting the Knee Cave In: Keep it aligned with the toes.
• Leaning Too Far Forward: Maintain upright posture and engage your core.
• Rushing the Movement: Control each phase, especially the lowering.
• Touching the Back Foot to the Ground: Keep it off the floor for proper isolation.

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Reps and Sets Recommendations

• For Strength: 3–4 sets of 6–8 reps per leg.
• For Hypertrophy: 3–4 sets of 8–10 controlled reps per leg.
• For Balance and Stability: 2–3 sets of 10–12 slow, precise reps per leg.

Skater Squat Alternatives

If you can’t do Skater Squats, for whatever reason (you don’t have dumbbells for example), here are a few alternatives that you may be able to try out.

Barbell Lunges

You may be able to try Barbell Reverse Lunges instead. Barbell Lunge is a very similar movement but involves placing a barbell on the back similar to a back squat and placing the back foot on the ground.

The only instance that I would hesitate against using Barbell Lunges is if the athlete cannot hold an upright torso. Some athletes, due to mobility issues, hinge forward heavily at the hip during lunges.

In these cases, I would recommend sticking with dumbbells (Dumbbell Reverse Lunge) until the lifter’s mobility is improved.

DB Step-Ups

If DB Lunges are uncomfortable for you, then Dumbbell Step-Ups may be a good single-leg replacement. Some athletes find that Lunges, even with proper form, to be hard on their knees.

Sometimes, Reverse Lunges may be a solution, but other times I’ll just have them switch to Dumbbell Step-Ups. It’s still a great exercise to get in the needed single leg work, but without the same amount of stress placed on the knees.

Pistol Squat

Another good single-leg alternative for Skater Squats – that doesn’t require any equipment at all – is the Pistol Squat.

If you’re really good at them you literally need no equipment at all, but at most you’ll only need a box or chair to sit down to.

More Links and Info

If you’d like to see more Lower Body Lifts, head over to the Horton Barbell Exercise Library where I have a growing collection of step-by-step instructions all for free.

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