Too many lifters dismiss bodyweight exercises as ineffective because there is no cold, hard steel in their hands. But one advantage they do have is that they improve relative strength—the weight you can lift in relation to your body weight.
One exercise that will improve your relative strength and more is the shrimp squat.
The name may make it sound funny, but the shrimp squat is a serious quad-busting move that’s going to provide plenty of lower-body benefits. Shrimp squats check off all the boxes: quad strength, balance, hip mobility, and knee stability. Once mastered, you’ll improve strength and control that carry over to squats, deadlifts, and sport-specific movements.
It’s simple but not easy, and it will torch your legs in the best way possible. Let’s dive into what makes the shrimp squat tick.
What is the Shrimp Squat?
The shrimp squat is a single-leg squat variation that sits somewhere between a Bulgarian split squat and a pistol squat. Instead of balancing on one leg with your back foot elevated, you hold your back ankle behind you while lowering into a single-leg squat. Unlike the pistol squat, which requires hamstring flexibility, the shrimp squat focuses on quad strength and balance. Think of it as a quad-isolating, balance-building test of grit, humbling but then rewarding once you lock it in.
How to do the Shrimp Squat
The shrimp squat may seem tricky, but once you learn the setup and cues, it becomes a test of unilateral strength. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to do it right.
Note: If balance is an issue, hold on to something secure.
- Stand tall on one leg, with one hand grabbing the ankle of your non-working leg.
- Squat down and guide your backside toward the floor while maintaining an upright torso.
- Lower until your back knee touches the floor or as close as your hip mobility allows.
- Push through your entire foot, keeping your chest up, core tight, and return to the starting position.
- Reset, and repeat for desired reps, and then switch sides.
Shrimp Squat Muscles Trained
Because you’re balancing and lowering into a deep unilateral squat, this move requires multiple muscle groups to fire together.
- Quadriceps: The working leg bears most of the load, and with its deep knee bend, this becomes a quad-dominant exercise.
- Glutes: The deep hip flexion requires your glutes to be on high alert to drive you back up.
- Hamstrings: Stabilize the knee and assist with hip extension.
- Core: Keeps the torso upright and resists leaning too far forward or bending sideways.
- Adductors: Work along with the hamstrings on knee stabilization.
- Calves: Maintain balance on the standing foot, which controls ankle stability and assists the hamstrings in returning to the starting position.
Common Shrimp Squat Mistakes and Form Fixes
Squatting on one leg with minimal assistance, what could go wrong? Plenty. Here’s what to watch out for to get the best out of the shrimp squat.
Too Much Forward Lean
There’s going to be some forward lean due to the extensive range of motion. However, leaning the torso too far forward shifts tension away from the quads and into the lower back.
The Fix: Keep your chest tall and head up throughout the rep. Brace your core and think of dropping your knee down instead of hinging forward.
What’s The Rush?
Not controlling the eccentric, dropping quickly to the bottom, and bouncing the back knee off the ground reduces the muscle-building tension, which is a risk for your knee health.
The Fix: Use a controlled eccentric and lightly touch the back knee to the floor, then squat back to the starting position.
Losing Balance
With a complete lack of stability, balance is going to be challenging, especially if you are new to the movement. But excessive wobbling and losing balance mean no quad action for you.
The Fix: Keep your weight balanced over the midfoot, engage your core, and focus your eyes on a fixed point. If needed, use a secure anchor point for support while building stability.
Pulling With the Rear Leg
It makes sense that you are holding on tight and pulling on the back leg, but doing so means the working leg isn’t getting all the muscle-building tension it deserves.
The Fix: Keep the back leg passive; it’s only along for the ride. All the drive should come from the working leg.
Shrimp Squat Benefits
Once you iron out your form, the shrimp squat becomes a quad and balance builder. Here’s what makes it worth adding to your lower-body day.
Quad-Dominant Strength
Because you hold the back leg in position, the quads of the working leg experience pure, isolated tension. The shrimp squat is an excellent bodyweight move to increase quad size and strength.
Improves Balance and Coordination
Balancing on one leg while moving through a deep range of motion teaches proprioception and control in a hurry, making you more athletic and tougher to knock down.
Joint-Friendly Strength Builder
The shrimp squat provides a lower body challenge without the spinal loading associated with barbell squats. Since the resistance comes from your bodyweight, your knees, hips, and lower back aren’t under the same compressive forces, allowing you to increase volume without compromising recovery.
Mobility and Stability in One Move
The shrimp squat isn’t all about strength; it’s also about how your joints move and stabilize together. Each rep requires your ankles, knees, and hips to travel through deep ROM, stretching tissues while building strength at those same end ranges. The shrimp squat improves:
- Your ankle mobility is tested as your standing foot drives through dorsiflexion under load.
- Hip mobility as you sink deep into the squat.
- Knee stability is challenged because the knee must stay aligned.
Programming Suggestions
The shrimp squat is a high-skill, high-reward exercise because it demands strength, balance, and mobility. Here are a few suggestions depending on your goals. Use as a:
- Bodyweight strength exercise when you don’t have access to weights.
- Accessory exercise to balance out bilateral training.
- Athletic move to enhance single-leg stability and its transfer to sprinting, cutting, and jumping.
Strength: 4 sets of 4–6 reps per leg, resting two minutes between sets. Add load if bodyweight becomes easy.
Muscle: 3–4 sets of 8–10 reps per leg, resting 90 seconds between sets. Focus on a controlled eccentric to increase muscle tension.
