Back to library

Exercise Library

Half Knee Bends (Male)

A quick, shallow bodyweight squat performed rhythmically to warm up the knees and build light leg endurance.

CardioBodyweightPartial squat
GoLightWeight mediahalf-knee-bends-male

Demonstration coming soon

Primary

Quadriceps

Secondary

GlutesCalvesHamstrings

Equipment

Bodyweight

Pattern

Partial squat

Setup

  1. 01Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly turned out.
  2. 02Keep weight balanced over the mid-foot.
  3. 03Hold the arms in front of the chest or on the hips for balance.
  4. 04Set a steady tempo before starting.

Execution

  1. 01Bend the knees and sit down to roughly a quarter to half squat depth.
  2. 02Keep the heels down and the torso upright.
  3. 03Rise back to a full stand without locking the knees hard.
  4. 04Repeat rhythmically for the target reps or time.

Checkpoints

  • -Knees track in line with the toes on every rep.
  • -Heels stay on the floor throughout.
  • -Depth stays consistent from first rep to last.
  • -The tempo stays smooth and continuous.

Common mistakes

  • -Letting the knees cave inward as reps accumulate.
  • -Rising onto the toes at the bottom of the bend.
  • -Bouncing sharply out of the bottom position.
  • -Bending from the waist instead of the knees and hips.

Programming notes

  • -Use 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 25 reps as a lower-body warm-up.
  • -Use 30 to 60 second continuous bouts in beginner conditioning circuits.
  • -Progress by slowing the descent or moving to full-depth squats.

Related exercises

Almost there

Coming soon to iOS & Android

GoLightWeight is in the final stretch. Free to download, no account required to start.

Coming soonApp Store
Coming soonGoogle Play