Single-Leg Squat

The exercise is performed by squatting down until a deep stretch is felt in the working leg's glute, then driving back up. A single-leg squat off a box is the same squat pattern performed on one leg with the second foot removed from contribution. The single-leg squat off a box creates the highest hip demand in the step-up progression because it requires maximum posterior shift. Free-leg drift backward indicates the athlete is no longer shifting adequately onto the working-side hip. The non-working foot is placed diagonally from the block, offset to the side rather than directly behind or beside it. Repetitions alternate between legs. During fatigue, bringing the free leg back early signals that the athlete is reverting toward a bilateral base. Knee pain during single-leg loading can stem from insufficient weight shift onto the working hip. The drill trains the single-leg squat movement pattern. The exercise can be used as a progression for single-leg squatting. The exercise is intended to strongly load the quadriceps and glutes. The exercise can address limitations in single-leg hip flexion.