Curtsey Squat
Built around pure bodyweight leverage, Curtsey Squat earns a place on leg day and builds strength you can feel outside the gym.
How to do Curtsey Squat
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Take a step diagonally behind and across your body with your right foot, crossing it behind your left leg.
- Bend both knees as if you were curtsying, lowering your body towards the ground.
- Keep your torso upright and your weight on your front foot.
- Push through your front foot to return to the starting position.
- Repeat on the other side, stepping diagonally behind and across your body with your left foot.
Curtsey Squat Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
4 sets of 6-8 reps at your hardest clean leverage, resting 2-3 minutes. Add reps first, then slow the lowering phase.
Hypertrophy
4 sets of 12-18 reps with 60 seconds of rest. Change leverage or elevation before you add load.
Endurance
3 sets of 25-30 reps with 30-45 seconds of rest. Hold the end position for a beat once reps come easily.
Common Curtsey Squat Mistakes
Rushing reps so gravity does most of the work
Take two to three counts on the lowering phase of every rep.
Feeling the movement everywhere except the muscle it trains
Lighten the load and rebuild the position until the target muscle burns.
Adding weight faster than technique can absorb it
Hold a weight until every rep looks identical, then move up.
Easier and Harder Than Curtsey Squat
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Curtsey Squat — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Curtsey Squat?
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Take a step diagonally behind and across your body with your right foot, crossing it behind your left leg. Bend both knees as if you were curtsying, lowering your body towards the ground. Use your bodyweight only and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Curtsey Squat work?
The Curtsey Squat primarily targets the glutes. It is classified as a legs exercise and is performed with your bodyweight only.
How many sets and reps of the Curtsey Squat should I do?
For muscle growth: 4 sets of 12-18 reps with 60 seconds of rest. Change leverage or elevation before you add load. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Curtsey Squat good for beginners?
It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic legs patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.
What can I do instead of the Curtsey Squat?
Try the Smith Bent Knee Good Morning, Barbell Rear Lunge or the Kettlebell Swing. Each trains the glutes with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
