How to Do Frog Squats for That Killer Quad Burn

David Smethurst • September 14, 2026

Most people meet the frog squat as a warm-up drill. A few reps to loosen the hips before the real training starts, then straight on to the exercises that supposedly matter. It is a fair assumption and it is the wrong one. The frog squat exercise loads the hips through a range of motion almost nothing else reaches, and the strength you build down in that position carries into every squat you do afterwards.

If your quads do all the work while your glutes barely show up, or you have never been able to sit into a squat without your heels wanting to lift off the floor, this is the movement that addresses it directly.

What Is a Frog Squat?

The frog squat takes its name from the way you move while doing it. Both the position and the travelling pattern closely resemble how a frog moves across the ground. You sit back onto your heels with your knees bent and your feet turned outwards, which creates tension through the hips and inner thighs in a way most conventional squat variations do not.

In practice, it borrows from three movements at once: the sumo squat, the good morning, and the deep squat. It is typically performed with a wider-than-shoulder stance and the feet rotated outward at roughly 30 degrees. That wider base and external rotation are what make it different from a standard squat, and what make it useful.

A frog squat also rotates the thigh in a way that creates more space in the hip. Because of that, many people find they can sit deeper here than in any other squat variation, and that added depth tends to carry over to the rest of their training.

Frog Squat Muscles Worked: The Full Breakdown

Glutes (primary target). The gluteus maximus, medius and minimus carry the movement. The wide stance and the depth of the squat drive significant glute activation throughout.

Adductors. The inner thighs are heavily engaged. The wide stance and outward rotation of the feet place far more demand on them than a narrower squat does.

Quadriceps. The quads work through the full range, particularly as you drive back up out of the bottom position.

Hamstrings. Active throughout, especially as you hinge at the hips to lower down.

Calves. Recruited to support ankle mobility and keep you stable at the bottom.

Core. Your abdominals and lower-back stabilisers work continuously to hold a neutral spine and keep you balanced across every phase.

Research on squat biomechanics supports why the stance matters. A 2024 biomechanical review of the squat exercise in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy found that turning the feet out promotes hip external rotation, which is associated with greater gluteal activation and better control of the knee through the movement.

How to Do Frog Squats With Correct Form?

Getting the setup right is most of the battle. Here is how to perform a frog squat from the ground up.

Stance. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and turn your toes out at roughly 30 degrees. Your knees should point in the same direction as your toes for the whole movement.

The descent. Push your hips back and down, sitting them between your heels rather than folding forward at the waist. This distinction matters. If your torso tips over significantly, you have shifted into a hip hinge and lost the squat mechanics. Let your arms extend in front of your chest to counterbalance your weight as you lower.

The bottom position. Your hips should be low, your chest relatively upright, your feet planted flat on the floor, and your knees pressed out in line with your toes. This is where the adductors and hip flexors work hardest.

The ascent. Drive through the full foot to return to standing. Here is the detail most people miss: at the top, do not fully extend your knees. Keep a slight bend, around 45 degrees of knee flexion, so the muscles stay under continuous tension instead of getting a rest at lockout

Spine. Hold a neutral spine from top to bottom. Rounding the back reduces muscle activation in the lower body and, over time, reinforces poor positioning on heavier lifts.

The most common frog squat mistake

Folding at the waist instead of sitting the hips down between the heels. If your torso is nearly parallel to the floor at the bottom, your hips are too high and you have turned the movement into a good morning. Think about sending your hips straight down and back, not your chest straight forward. Keeping your arms extended in front helps pull the torso upright.

This is also the point where a second pair of eyes makes the most difference. It is difficult to feel the distinction between sitting down and folding over while you are in the middle of it, which is why our trainers coach the position directly in semi-private group training sessions rather than leaving members to work it out from a diagram.

Frog Squat Benefits: What You Actually Get From Them

Frog squats are often treated as a mobility warm-up and dropped once the real work begins. That undersells them. Here is why they earn a place in your programme.

Hip mobility that carries over. The external rotation and wide stance load the hips through a range of motion most standard exercises skip. Over time this builds the sort of hip mobility that makes ordinary things easier: getting up off the floor, climbing stairs, picking something up without thinking about it.

Glute development for stronger movement. If you find your quads doing all the work in a squat while your glutes barely show up, weak glutes are usually the reason. Frog squats build strength exactly where it is missing.

A genuine low-impact option. The movement is controlled throughout with no ballistic loading, so many members find frog squats manageable when other lower-body work is not. If you have a knee, hip or lower-back condition, check with your GP or physiotherapist before adding them, and speak to a trainer about scaling the depth to the range you actually have available.

Adductor strength you probably lack. The inner thighs are chronically underworked in most programmes. Building adductor strength improves hip stability, which matters for walking, hiking, cycling, and anything that asks you to move sideways.

A Note on Sustainable Lower-Body Training

Movements like the frog squat are a reminder that lasting fitness is built on movement quality, not volume. Learning to load the glutes and inner thighs through a full, controlled range is the sort of work that keeps you training consistently for years, and consistency is what actually produces results. A systematic review of resistance training in people with knee osteoarthritis found it improved both pain and physical function, which is a useful counterpoint to the idea that strength work is something you grow out of.

Whether you are returning to exercise after a break, working around an old injury, or simply trying to move well as you get older, deliberate and form-focused movements like this one are how you get there. Stronger for longer is not about training harder. It is about training in a way you can still do in ten years.

Getting the bottom position right is a great deal easier when someone is watching your hips. At Realfit our sessions are capped at eight members, which means real attention on how you move rather than being one of thirty in a room. Learn more about semi-private group training at Realfit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a frog squat?
A frog squat is a lower-body exercise performed with a wider-than-shoulder stance and the feet turned outward at roughly 30 degrees. You sit your hips down between your heels while pressing the knees out over the toes, combining elements of the sumo squat, the good morning, and the deep squat into one movement.
What muscles do frog squats work?
Frog squats primarily target the glutes (gluteus maximus, medius and minimus) and the adductors, or inner thighs. The quadriceps, hamstrings and calves are also engaged, and the core works throughout to maintain a neutral spine and keep you balanced.
Are frog squats good for hip mobility?
Yes. The wide stance and external rotation of the feet load the hips through a range of motion that most standard exercises do not reach. Practising frog squats consistently can help you sit deeper in other squat variations by creating more space and freedom in the hip joint.
Why should I keep a slight bend in my knees at the top of a frog squat?
Fully extending the knees at the top gives the muscles a rest and breaks the tension you have built through the set. Holding around a 45-degree bend keeps the glutes, quads, hamstrings and adductors under continuous load, which makes the exercise more effective.
Can beginners do frog squats?
Yes. Frog squats are a bodyweight movement and accessible to most people. Because they are low impact and controlled, they suit anyone learning to engage their glutes and build hip mobility. Start slowly and prioritise correct form: a neutral spine, hips sitting down between the heels, and knees tracking over the toes. Get all three consistent before you add any load.
How are frog squats different from sumo squats?
Both use a wide stance with the feet turned out, but frog squats involve more hip flexion and a deeper sitting position than a standard sumo squat. The frog squat also draws on the mechanics of the good morning and the deep squat, putting greater emphasis on hip mobility and adductor engagement alongside glute activation.
Should I do frog squats if I have knee or hip problems?
Speak to your GP or physiotherapist first. Frog squats ask for a deep range of hip flexion, and that is not appropriate for every condition. In one-on-one personal training a trainer can scale the depth to the range you have available, which for many people means a shallower version that still does the job.

David Smethurst is a senior trainer and manager at Realfit with over 30 years in the fitness industry and 15 years coaching the Malvern East community. His expertise spans exercise science, human performance, rehabilitation, movement restoration, and recovery. David is also an advocate in the mental health space. Away from the studio, he is an active participant in community sport as a player, captain, and coach. That same commitment is what he brings to every session at Realfit.

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