How To Perform The Assisted Lateral Squat

The Assisted Lateral Squat is a perfect exercise for anyone looking to build strength, improve balance and mobility, and reduce the risk of injury. This movement pattern works both your upper body and lower body muscles simultaneously, allowing you to perform the exercise with heavier loads than traditional squat variations. It also provides an opportunity to practice hip hinge movements – such as lateral band walks or single-leg squats – which are essential for developing knee and ankle strength.

By positioning your feet wider than hip-width apart, this variation emphasizes external rotation at the hip joint while helping strengthen all areas of your posterior chain. Furthermore, performing lateral squats can help increase ankle dorsiflexion range of motion which is important in sports like weightlifting (clean & jerk) or CrossFit (squat clean). So if you’re looking to build strength and balance while improving overall health and fitness, this style of squatting should be at the top of your list!

Instructions:

Start the exercise by standing upright, with your feet hip-width apart.
Bend your knees and shift your weight to one side, allowing the opposite leg to step out wider than your hips.
From this starting position, initiate the movement by pushing your hips back and down into a deep squat position while keeping both legs straight.
Maintain a neutral spine and engage your core as you squat, making sure to keep your chest up and shoulders back.
As you descend into the squat, focus on activating your glutes and hamstrings while ensuring that your knees stay aligned with your toes.
Once you reach the bottom of the movement, hold for a few seconds before returning to the starting position.
To increase the intensity, you can add a lateral band walk at the bottom of each squat or perform with a barbell back squat.
For an extra challenge, elevate your toes and try performing a split squat or pistol squat.
Once you’ve mastered this movement pattern, you can increase the range of motion, resistance, and stability by performing single-leg squats or Bulgarian split squats.
Whichever variation you choose, proper form is key to preventing injury and maximizing the benefits of this exercise – so be sure to practice with light weights first and pay attention to your body's cues.

The lateral squat with assistance is a strength training exercise designed to improve both strength and mobility in the hips, knees, and ankles. This exercise is often referred to as a single-leg squat or a Bulgarian split squat since it involves taking a wide stance with one leg forward and the other behind. The feet should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and you will begin by pushing your hips back while bending both knees to lower into a squat. As you return to standing, you will use the assistance of a box or bench to do so safely and with good form.

Benefits:

This exercise can be beneficial for building strength and conditioning the lower body, including your knees and ankles. According to a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, performing this type of single-leg squat is effective at improving power output during exercises such as the clean and jerk, as well as improving balance. Additionally, the assisted squat can help with knee pain and hip mobility while also strengthening leg muscles like the glutes and hamstrings.

Progression:

As you become more familiar with the movement, you can progress this exercise by adding additional weight or resistance. You can also challenge yourself further by performing unilateral exercises such as pistol squats, cossack squats, and single-leg balance drills. To make the exercise even more difficult, try incorporating a lateral raise into the movement to work on hip mobility and leg strength. In order to avoid injury and ensure proper form, it’s best to learn the movements from a qualified personal trainer or coach before attempting them on your own.