Staggered Squat with Rotation: Movement of the Week

Your hips are built to move.

Every time you turn to reach behind you, get in or out of a car, change direction, or pivot to grab something off the floor or counter, your hips are the foundation of those movements..

Stand up and turn your toes towards the middle of your body. That’s internal rotation of the femur — it’s a movement that we all use everyday, but rarely think about. This movement allows us to make quick turns when walking, running, or jumping. It allows us to have the mobility to get on and off the floor and it is the foundation of transferring power from the lower body to the upper body.

When rotation doesn’t come from the hips - it has to come from somewhere else and it’s often the lower back. This can occur due to lack of mobility in the hips or lack of strength. This week’s movement helps to train both - the strength and the mobility of the hips.

The Staggered Squat

Here's how it works. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, then slide one foot straight back until its toes line up with the arch of your front foot.

From here, squat down and let your hips turn toward your back foot. The whole point is that the turn comes from your hips, not your spine: as you rotate, your back hip rolls inward — that's the internal rotation we've been talking about — while your front hip opens. Keep your ribcage and shoulders stacked over your pelvis so your torso turns as one piece and the rotation comes from your hips not lower back. The video shows what this should look like.

Do all your reps on one side, then switch your stance and repeat on the other.

Where to Start

For this movement, I'd start with just bodyweight. If you already have good, fluid internal rotation in your hips, you can add load from there — but loading it too soon can leave you surprisingly sore. Go slow and controlled, and use less weight than you think you need.

If you’re a golfer, pickle-baller, tennis player, or just wanting to feel stronger through your hips this is a great movement to build strength and power.