The Dumbbell Cossack Squat is a intermediate-friendly dumbbell stretch that targets the quadriceps and adductors, with the glutes, hamstrings and abdominals working alongside. Here's how to do it right — and what to stop doing.
Primary musclesQuads, Adductors
Secondary musclesGlutes, Hamstrings, Abs
EquipmentDumbbell
LevelIntermediate
TypeStretching
3D demo in the EGON app
01 Execution
How to do the Dumbbell Cossack Squat
Hold one dumbbell at chest height with both hands under the top plate.
Stand with your feet well outside shoulder width and toes pointing forward.
Brace your abdominals and keep your ribs pulled down.
Shift your weight over one leg and sit the hips back and down over that foot.
Keep the other leg straight with the foot rolled onto its heel and the toes up.
Push through the bent leg to return to center, then repeat on the other side.
02 The payoff
Why it earns its spot
Adds load to a frontal plane pattern that most leg exercises never train.
The front held dumbbell counterbalances the body and allows more depth.
Builds adductor strength and hip range at the same time.
03 Don't do this
Common mistakes
Letting the dumbbell pull the chest down, which rounds the upper back at depth.
Arching the lower back to reach depth instead of respecting available hip range.
Lifting the heel of the squatting leg, which signals an ankle mobility limit.
Bending the extended leg, which removes the adductor and hamstring stretch.
EGON Put it on record
Track it in EGON.
Log every set of the Dumbbell Cossack Squat, get your PRs detected automatically, earn aura for the work — and climb five leagues of statues, from Stone to Ego.
