How to Perform
- Stand on the edge of a step or box (15-20 cm high) with one foot, letting the other foot hang off the side
- Keep your hands on your hips or extend your arms forward for balance
- Slowly bend the standing knee over 3-5 seconds, lowering the free foot toward the ground in a controlled manner
- Lightly tap the heel of the free foot on the ground without transferring weight
- Drive through the standing foot to return to the starting position
- Complete all reps on one side before switching legs
Form Cues
Do:
- Keep your hips level throughout the movement — do not let the free-leg hip drop
- Track the standing knee directly over the second toe
- Control the descent for at least 3 seconds; slower is harder and more effective
- Keep your torso upright and core braced
Don't:
- Drop quickly and catch yourself at the bottom — the eccentric phase is the exercise
- Shift your weight onto the free foot when it touches the ground
- Let the standing knee collapse inward; this signals insufficient glute activation
- Lean excessively to the standing-leg side to compensate for weakness
Progressions
When you can perform 3 sets of 10 controlled reps per leg with a 4-5 second descent, progress to the bulgarian split squat for deeper single-leg work, or the shrimp squat for a more advanced bodyweight-only single-leg challenge.
Common Mistakes
- Hip drop on the free-leg side: The pelvis tilts because the standing-leg glute medius is weak; cue "keep hips level" and reduce step height if needed
- Rushing the lowering phase: If you cannot control a 3-second descent, use a lower step and build up gradually
- Knee caving inward: Place a finger on your kneecap and watch it track over the toes; if it drifts inward, reduce range of motion until glute strength catches up
- Using the free leg to push off the ground: The tap should be feather-light; if you need to push off, the step is too high for your current strength