{"id":280302,"date":"2026-02-04T13:36:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T13:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/280302\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T13:36:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T13:36:12","slug":"what-is-the-somersault-squat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/280302\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is the Somersault Squat"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A FEW MONTHS ago, Joe Daniels<\/a>\u2019s notifications started blowing up after trainers, fitness influencers, and everyday gymgoers began pointing their butts to the sky. <\/p>\n

Names like IFBB Pro Petar Klancir<\/a>, Julian Zaletti<\/a>, and Bret Contreras<\/a> were posting instructions and commentary about a \u201cnew\u201d exercise that Daniels had pioneered: The somersault squat. Except the move, a bent-forward, front-loaded squat variation that isolates (and smashes) the quadriceps, isn\u2019t exactly new. Daniels came up with it more than 15 years ago, when he was an amateur bodybuilder competing for titles like the 2009 Cincinnati NPC Championship (which he won). <\/p>\n

After stumbling onto the move while performing a weighted stretch on a Smith machine, Daniels posted about the discovery<\/a> on a still relatively young video website called \u201cYouTube.\u201d Every few years since then, he says, he\u2019s gotten notifications that the video is blowing up as people discover (and re-discover) perhaps the most quad-focused squatting variation out there.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople were looking for \u2018how can I train my legs at home\u2019 [during COVID lockdowns,] and the somersault squat with the kettlebell kind of boosted up there,\u201d says the now-45 year old Daniels, who has focused on kettlebell<\/a>-oriented muscle gain for more than a decade at KBMuscle.com<\/a>. \u201cAnd it just blew up [again] in the past six months or so. I\u2019m seeing all these trainers say, \u2018I found this thing called the somersault squat. It looks silly. It looks insane and ridiculous, but I tried it, and here\u2019s what\u2019s happened.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n

What \u201chappened,\u201d usually, is that their quads got a serious pump. That\u2019s what has made Men\u2019s Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S.<\/a>, so hyped about this move. One of his favorite gyms doesn\u2019t have a leg extension machine, but Samuel still wants to hammer the fronts of his thighs. The bent-over position of the somersault almost completely takes the hamstrings and glutes out of the equation, letting him build his quads without the machine.<\/p>\n

Why the Somersault Squat Works, and Why We Love It<\/p>\n

Daniels stumbled across the quad-killing power of the somersault squat while he was stuck under the bar of a Smith machine. He\u2019d placed the bar deep within the crease of his hip and bent at the knees, giving his hamstrings a weighted stretch.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought, \u2018okay, now I need to get up. I have to get out of this thing.\u2019 So I just tilted the bar forward, took the locks off, and I kind of extended my quad because there was no other way to do it,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen I came up, I was like, \u2018wait, that feels really interesting!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The weight had been dialed in almost completely on his quads. He did a few more reps with the 90 pounds that were loaded on the bar, and could barely walk afterwards. After a few days of tinkering, and thinking of how the move looked almost like you\u2019d tumble forward into a somersault, he posted a video and gave the move its name.<\/p>\n

Somersault squats\u2019 quad-focused power comes from that bent-over posture, Samuel explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we squat, there are multiple drivers to the motion, and we use a lot of our hamstrings and glutes,\u201d he says. But with your torso bent over, you can focus on making sure knees go in front of your toes during the somersault. You also focus on your quads when you straighten your legs. \u201cBecause of that, the hamstrings and glutes are less involved.\u201d<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just a benefit for guys who are trying to create quad hypertrophy to flash at bodybuilding shows and shorts with a five-inch inseam. As Daniels transitioned from bodybuilding to kettlebell-focused training, including kettlebell sport competitions, he kept somersaulting; the move, he says, helped him build the strength-endurance in his quads he needed to launch himself into jerk after jerk after jerk in the 10-plus-minute sets of competition kettlebell work.<\/p>\n

He also found it worked for his clients with back pain and other issues that make conventionally loaded lower body training difficult. \u201cThose people think they can\u2019t squat at all, so they can\u2019t train their legs,\u201d he says. \u201cWith the somersault squat, you can train your quads without having a high systemic load on your body [and spine].\u201d<\/p>\n

Yeah, it looks kind of silly. Daniels says that some detractors have derisively referred to his creation as a \u201cstripper squat,\u201d or \u201c10 rounds of ass to the sky.\u201d But \u201cembarrassing\u201d looking moves can often be the most effective: The hip thrust, once ridiculed as a \u201csky hump,\u201d is now well-known as one of the weight room\u2019s most powerful moves for glute gains.<\/p>\n

Samuel and Daniels say there are reasons to brave a few funny looks and embrace the suck of the somersault:<\/p>\n

Work the Quads With Minimal Equipment<\/p>\n

Samuel\u2019s no-leg-extension gym isn\u2019t unique. The trend in gym-building over the 2010s, he says, was away from machines, and towards more free weights. And while there are enough isolation moves for other body parts (think: curls for biceps and skullcrushers for triceps), targeting your quads alone could be tough. The somersault squat, with its back-friendly, hamstring-hampering position, puts your other muscles at an anatomical disadvantage, putting more stress on the quads \u2026 even if you\u2019re dealing with lighter weights at home.<\/p>\n

Blast the Quads With High Volume<\/p>\n

Quads, like triceps, benefit from some high-rep work, Daniels says. But, you might ask, instead of bending over and looking silly, why not just squat a lot? \u201cWhen we squat, we spend a lot of time thinking about our upper body, because we we need to do that to stay safe,\u201d says Samuel. \u201cBecause of that, we can\u2019t really take things to complete fatigue in a high-volume way. But you can do [high volume] with [the somersault] squat \u2026 because of the placement of the load.\u201d<\/p>\n

This Exercise Hits Different <\/p>\n

Most guys feel the leg extension machine in the vastus medialis, the teardrop of the thigh that hugs the inside of the knee. But when they try the somersault squat for the first time, Daniels says, trainees remark on how the move taxes the vastus lateralis, the meaty outside of the quad which usually gets overpowered in the leg extension. <\/p>\n

Why Certain Guys Should Not Do the Somersault Squat<\/p>\n

Somersault squats\u2019 extreme position makes them iffy for guys with existing knee injuries or pain, Daniels says. If you\u2019ve had knee surgery or have recurring knee issues, skip them.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a move you need to understand before you do the somersault squat, says Samuel. The goblet squat teaches basic squat mechanics, and, at the very least, you should understand how to do that move. Goblet squats also help your body start to understand how to move knee over toe in a safe manner. <\/p>\n

\u201cBefore you move your knee over your toe, you have to understand how to squat with a vertical shin,\u201d he says. \u201cIf you can\u2019t goblet squat at least half your bodyweight for 8 to 10 reps, then you probably shouldn\u2019t be focusing on getting your knee over your toe with load in the somersault squat position.\u201d<\/p>\n

How to Do the Somersault Squat with Proper Form<\/p>\n

To do the somersault squat, you’ll need some platform to elevate you feet (stacked plates or, ideally, a slant board) and a kettlebell<\/a>.<\/p>\n

SHOP MEN’S HEALTH-APPROVED KETTLEBELLS<\/a><\/p>\n

\"individual<\/p>\n

Florence Sullivan<\/p>\n

\"individual<\/p>\n

Florence Sullivan<\/p>\n

Start with your feet shoulder- to hip-width apart on the floor, or with your heels slightly elevated on a pair of small weight plates or a slant board. Set the kettlebell between your feet so that the handle is parallel to your legs, bisecting your body.Place your forearms deep into the creases of your hips. Squat down with your arms in this position so that your hands reach the kettlebell\u2019s handle, and your hamstrings are on the backs of your calves. Grab the handle of the kettlebell.Push back with your legs so your torso comes forward as your butt goes up and back. At the top of this position, you\u2019ll basically be at the bent-over position of a good morning or stiff-legged deadlift exercise.Bend your knees to return to the starting position, with your hamstrings returning to the backs of your calves. Continue in this way for 10 to 20 reps. <\/p>\n

These form tips can help fine-tune the move:<\/p>\n

Start Light<\/p>\n

Warm up sets are always a good idea for getting your joints moving, but with the somersault squat, it can also help you get used to an unusual position, Samuel says.<\/p>\n

Start without about half as much weight as you think you\u2019ll work with, and get into both the bottom and top of the exercise position. \u201cI try to live in the bottom position for a second,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s what\u2019s going to get you comfortable in that bottom range of motion. Hold for a split second at the bottom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keep the Weight as High on Your Femur as Possible<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re doing somersault squats, you want to keep the weight under your hips as much as possible to keep the tension on your quads, and off your joints, Daniels says. When the weight slides down the femur too much, the pressure\u2019s off your thigh muscles and onto your skeletal system, which can cause stress on the knees.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Lock Out at the Top<\/p>\n

Completely straightening your knees at the top takes the tension off the quads, Daniels says, making the exercise less intense. But it also puts a massive stretch on your hamstrings. That\u2019s great, but it\u2019s not what you\u2019re training with this isolation move. Limit your range of motion slightly to help tax (and tire out) the quads.<\/p>\n

Turn Up the Intensity with a Spanish Somersault Squat<\/p>\n

If somersault squats have one weakness as a quad builder, it\u2019s that there\u2019s little tension at the top of the move, Samuel says. To round out their quad-smashing ability for a more advanced move, he suggests adding a band and combining it with another quad-focused move\u2014the Spanish squat.<\/p>\n

Often used in rehab settings for ACL reconstruction and patellar tendinitis, Spanish squats are performed with a resistance band wrapped around the insides of the knees, and then anchored to a pole or weight machine in front of the legs. This lets the Spanish squatter sit back into the move, as the band pulls the legs forward.<\/p>\n

Setting up a somersault squat with a band wrapped in the Spanish squat position gives the quads a one-two punch, Samuel says.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time you try to straighten out your knees with those bands, there\u2019s direct force trying to pull them forward. And what that does is forces your quads to contract really aggressively as you\u2019re starting to straighten,\u201d he says. \u201cWe have tension in the stretch position [from the band], and we have tension in the shortened position [from the somersault squat maneuver.]\u201d<\/p>\n

Be warned: Daniels says this variation is extremely intense. And Samuel says the setup is tough to get hang of.<\/p>\n

How to Incorporate the Somersault Squat in Your Workouts<\/p>\n

Since it\u2019s an isolation exercise<\/a>, somersault squats should act as an accessory move to compound exercises that tax more than the quads, Samuel says. That means doing somersaults near the end of your workout, after you\u2019ve already done your more all-around squats, deadlifts, or lunges.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m using it at the end of a leg day. I\u2019ll get my heavy moves in first, like very heavy deadlifts, heavy walking lunges,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd then I\u2019ll do somersault squats as either my third or fourth exercise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Putting somersault squats this late in the workout takes advantage of the fact that they\u2019re harder to do with heavier weights, he says. Your quads are already somewhat taxed from the other moves, so you can use lighter loads and still take the quads near failure in the somersaults.<\/p>\n

To get near failure in this way, Daniels and Samuel both suggest longer sets with more reps\u201412 to 20 reps in each set. <\/p>\n

This, Daniels says, plays into how our quads work.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of endurance there, just like the triceps. It\u2019s the same thing, joint extension,\u201d he says. \u201cWith the somersault squats, if I\u2019m doing sets of five, it has to be really heavy, but it\u2019s not that same feeling [of quad burn]. So I tend to do them for higher reps.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom LineDo them near the end of your leg day workout.Start with a lighter set to get a feel for the move.Do 4 sets of 12 to 20 reps, going near failure.The Gear You’ll Need<\/p>\n

It’s important to have a quality piece of equipment when doing larger lifts like this. Here are a few kettlebells that have been tested by our editors. For a full selection check out Best Kettlebells Guide<\/a> and our Best Adjustable Kettlebells Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Best Kettlebell Overall<\/p>\n

\"Powder<\/a>Yes4All Powder Coated Cast Iron Kettlebell<\/p>\n

Most Durable Adjustable Kettlebell<\/p>\n

\"Adjustable<\/a>Rep Fitness Adjustable Kettlebell with Matte Powder Coating\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Greg Presto is a fitness and sports reporter and videographer in Washington, DC.<\/p>\n