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Figure-8 Squats

IntermediateStrengthTier T3

Hold a low quarter squat while passing one kettlebell hand to hand through the legs in a continuous figure-8.

Targets: Hip
Muscles: Quadriceps, Gluteus Maximus

Stop if

Choose an easier exercise if pain reaches 6 out of 10 or becomes sharp. Stop and rest if pain reaches 8 out of 10.

This is the general ClapMove rule. This exercise has no extra stop rule of its own.

  • Pain 6 out of 10 or more: choose an easier exercise.
  • Pain 8 out of 10 or more: stop and rest.

Equipment needed

  • Works at home
  • Works at the gym

kettlebells

Home Options

  • kettlebell

Dosage

3

Sets

8

Reps / Time

60 sec

Rest

controlled

Tempo

Step-by-Step Guide

Set up

  • Stand holding the kettlebell in one hand.
  • Settle into a low quarter-squat.
  1. She holds a low quarter-squat: knees bent to about a quarter depth, hips back, chest lifted, the kettlebell hanging in her right hand in front of her right leg, her left hand open and ready beside her left leg.

    Step 1 of 5

    Hold a low quarter-squat with the kettlebell in one hand.

  2. She swings the kettlebell back between her legs from the right hand toward the waiting left hand: the bell travelling through the gap between her thighs, her left hand reaching behind the left thigh to receive it, the quarter-squat still held.

    Step 2 of 5

    Pass the kettlebell back between the legs toward the other hand.

  3. She continues the figure-8: the kettlebell, now in the left hand, swings around the outside of the left leg and forward between the legs again toward the right hand, the squat still held, the path tracing the second half of the figure-8.

    Step 3 of 5

    Swing the kettlebell around the leg and forward to the other hand, continuing the figure-8.

  4. She repeats the hand-off rhythm: the kettlebell arriving back into the right hand from behind the right thigh to begin the next figure-8 loop, the low quarter-squat never leaving, her eyes forward.

    Step 4 of 5

    Keep weaving the kettlebell through the legs in the continuous figure-8 while the squat stays held.

  5. She holds a low quarter-squat: knees bent to about a quarter depth, hips back, chest lifted, the kettlebell hanging in her right hand in front of her right leg, her left hand open and ready beside her left leg.

    Step 5 of 5

    Hold a low quarter-squat with the kettlebell in one hand.

Safety Information

Hold a low quarter-squat before starting the weave. Stay in the squat position consistently while the kettlebell weaves through the legs in a continuous figure-8. Anyone with a shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, back or balance problem should ask a physical therapist or physician before attempting this exercise and stop at pain or dizziness. A continuous through-legs weave under a held squat needs a light kettlebell and a squat you can already hold, not a deep fatigue squat. Stop if the exercise causes pain or you become unwell. Seek appropriate professional advice about symptoms or suitability.