We all know squats are the star when it comes to getting solid and sculpted legs. While squats are one of the best exercises, the lateral squats are no less. The side-to-sider version of the squats also needs the same limelight because they can also do wonders for your legs.

One of the main reasons why this exercise is good for your legs is that it involves a lot of your leg muscles. The problem that comes with this exercise is that people don't know the right way to do it or the form they should be taking. This is why this article has everything you need to know. Here, we have mentioned the benefits, how to do lateral squats and much more. So, let's jump right into this article.

What are Lateral Squats?

Lateral squats are a variation of squats that are meant to target the muscles of your legs and hips. These are similar to squats. However, you need to move from side to side while doing this exercise. Different muscles are involved in this exercise, such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, abductors, adductors, and even the glutes.

This means this exercise is perfect to involve your legs, thighs, and even the hips. In this exercise, you need to have some severe core engagement to ensure you have the correct form. You can even add weight to make this exercise more intense and have more effect on your legs.

How to Do Lateral Squats?

The question comes: what is the right way to do lateral squats? Following are the steps that you should follow if you want to have the right form and get the most benefits from this exercise.

Keep your feet wider than your hips and knees. Make sure your toes are pointing forward.

Once you have corrected it to form, then you need to shift the weight to the right heel and push your hips back while bending the knee and making sure your left leg is straight. You need to try to get your thigh parallel to the floor. You can use your arms and keep them straight to create the balance of the body.

Now, do the same movement with your leg. Ensure that you are keeping your right leg straight this time. Also, pause at the top to squeeze the glutes and engage the muscles properly.

Tips to Get Better Results:

Once you have corrected your form, you can get excellent results from this exercise. However, if you want to make the most out of this exercise and get more benefits, then don't worry; we have some tips below.

Ace the Stance:

The first and most important thing about lateral squats is that you need to perfect the stance. If your legs are too wide apart, then there is a risk of over-distension, and you can cause injury to your knees. If your feet are not wide apart, then you won't be able to squat correctly.

This is why you need to learn the best position for the lateral squats and do it accordingly so you don't injure yourself.

Watch Your Knee Alignment:

The next thing you need to know is that letting the knees cave in or if you press too much then also it can cause problems. This is why you need to make sure the alignment is perfect. If you don't take care of it during the exercise, then there are a lot of chances that you can have an injury.

The best way to fix this is to look at yourself while you are working out. This will help you get the correct position, and you will be able to understand where you are lacking.

Keep your Leg Fully Straight:

When you are doing lateral squats, it is essential that you keep the legs straight. When you are shifting from one leg to another, you need to make sure that the other legs remain straight. This will ensure that your glutes are adequately stretched out and that the movement is as smooth as possible.

Keep Your Chest Up and Spine Straight:

Another tip we can give you is to make sure that you keep the chest up and the spine straight. It is seen that a lot of people collapse their chests while they are doing the lateral squats. If you do this, it can put additional stress on your knees and also reduce the effect of the exercise.

Also, while doing this exercise, you need to ensure that your spine is straight. This makes sure that you don't put additional strain on your knees and spine and also prevents you from injuries.

Make sure to Engage Your Core:

When you are doing the lateral squats, you must maintain the core stability. Making sure your core is strong will allow you to be effective in this exercise and also help you with smooth movements of the exercise. If you don't do this, there are a lot of possibilities that you can arch your back, and it can also cause the rounding of the upper back. This can eventually cause pain and injury.

Progress Slowly:

The last tip we have for you is that you need to progress slowly with the exercise. First, start with the body weight and then slowly start adding weights. When you are comfortable with the lower weights, you can start adding more. However, it is suggested not to start with weights as it can cause injury quickly.

Final Words:

Lateral squats are gaining more popularity because people now understand the benefits they can get from doing this exercise. There are a lot of benefits of this exercise, and it can help you get the most tined legs ever. However, it is essential that you do this exercise properly and make sure you have the proper form and you don't injure yourself. We hope this article was beneficial for you and you learned how to do this exercise the right way.