Barbell Squat with Side Leg Raise

Here’s a move that can help you create definition in your outer thighs while building firm and tight glutes. You’ll definitely feel this move burning both sides of your tush at the same time.

Completing the Barbell Squat with Side Leg Raise:

• Rack the barbell on the back of your shoulders.
• Stand with your feet shoulder-width distance apart, feet parallel. Hold the barbell level while beginning to bend your knees, lowering your hips deeply so your thighs are parallel with the floor, keeping your weight back in your heels.
• Then rise back up, straightening the legs completely and lifting the left leg out to the side, squeezing the outer glute.
• As you step the foot back into shoulder-width distance position, squat down again. Then stand up and do a side leg lift on the right side. Lower the leg back to the starting position.
• This counts as one rep.

Useful Tips:
• Keep your chest up, back flat and look ahead.
• Avoid rounding your shoulders and back.
• Do not let your knees collapse to the inside or go over your toes.
• Raise your leg as high as you can to engage the outer thigh muscles.

You should feel your:
• Glutes, hamstrings, quads and outer thigh.

Barbell Squat with Side Leg Raise exercise demonstration

Jill Taylor Demonstrates the Barbell Squat with Side Leg Raise

Video Transcript:

Hi guys!
I’m going to show you how to do a barbell squat with a side leg raise or a lateral leg raise. You can do this movement with dumbbells, with a band, but if you’re really ready to take it to the next level, go ahead and grab a barbell.

So as you line up, you want the barbell to be just a little bit lower than shoulder height and step underneath it. And the barbell is gonna rest right on the back of your shoulders, not too high on your neck and not down on your back. It’s going to rest pretty square. Get your feet stable underneath the bar, wrap your fingers around and lift off by pressing through your heels and step back. So the squat portion, you’re going to keep your core tight hands are on the bar and as you squat down, engage those glues. So you’re going to squat down deep into the movement.

As you lift up, you’re coming up on one leg and lifting out to the side, squat back down and up to the other side. So as you move through the different squats, you want to make sure that core is nice and tight and that you’re never letting your the bar lean forward and letting your chest come down.
So it’s down and lift up. Make sure you’re getting full depth on those squats if you can, and it’s right out to the side. You’ll notice as I’m pulling up, I’m keeping my feet flexed as I do that lateral lift…So…down up, and it’s directly to the side. You’re not doing a kick to the back of these. All right? That is a barbell squat with a lateral leg lifts.