Lateral Squat Shift
How to Do It
Stand wide, toes mostly forward. Shift weight to one side, bending that knee and pushing the hips back while the opposite leg stays straight. Both heels down, chest tall. Sink to a comfortable depth, feel the straight-leg adductor stretch, then glide smoothly to the other side. Stay low throughout.
Why It Works
Actively lengthens the straight-leg adductors while loading the bent-leg hip into flexion and abduction, opening frontal-plane hip range and waking the inner-thigh and glute musculature for lateral work.
Hockey Transfer
Directly prepares the side-to-side push of the stride and crossovers; mobile, switched-on adductors improve push-off and lower the risk of the groin strains that plague skaters.
Coaching Cues
- "Heels stay down"
- "push hips back, not knees forward"
- "stay low, glide across"
Common Mistakes
Heel lifting on the bent side; rounding forward at the chest; staying too shallow to gain range
Progression / Regression
light goblet load or 2-sec pause each side
hold a pole for balance, reduce depth
Primary Muscles
Energy System
N/A (mobility/recovery)
Put it to work
on the ice.
This exercise is part of a fully periodized 12-week off-ice program — built by a sport scientist who coaches at the national level.
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