Curtsey Squat

Description

How to Do Curtsey Squat

1. 1
   Setup

   Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, chest up, shoulders back, and core engaged.

2. 2
   Setup

   Shift your weight onto your left leg, maintaining a slight bend in the knee and keeping your gaze forward.

3. 3

   Step your right foot diagonally behind your left leg, crossing it over as if taking a bow, landing on the ball of your right foot.

4. 4

   Keeping your chest upright and hips relatively square, lower your hips straight down as if squatting, ensuring your front knee tracks over your ankle and your back knee hovers close to the floor.

5. 5

   Drive through your left heel to return to the starting position, bringing your right foot back to meet your left, then repeat on the opposite side.

Tips

• Maintain an upright torso throughout the movement; avoid leaning too far forward to effectively engage the glutes and protect your lower back.
• Focus on driving through the heel of your standing leg to maximize glute activation and maintain balance during the ascent.
• Control the descent and ascent; don't rush the movement, especially during the squat phase, to ensure proper muscle engagement and form.
• Keep your hips relatively square to the front, avoiding excessive rotation as you step back, to properly target the gluteus medius.

Common Mistakes

• ×Leaning too far forward can put undue stress on your lower back; fix this by keeping your chest proud and imagining a string pulling your head towards the ceiling.
• ×Not going deep enough limits muscle activation; ensure your front thigh is parallel to the floor or your back knee nearly touches the ground to achieve full range of motion.
• ×Allowing the front knee to collapse inward reduces stability and can strain the knee joint; actively push your front knee slightly outward to align with your mid-foot, engaging your glutes.