Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Hug Knees to Chest: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The 'hug knees to chest' exercise is a bodyweight movement that involves squatting down and hugging your knees to your chest, targeting the glutes and also engaging the hamstrings and quadriceps.

Primary muscles
Glutes
Secondary muscles
Quads , Hamstrings
Equipment
Body Weight
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the hug knees to chest
Front view: muscles worked by the hug knees to chest. Primary: glutes. Secondary: quads and hamstrings.
Back view: muscles worked by the hug knees to chest. Primary: glutes. Secondary: quads and hamstrings.
Primary Secondary

How to do the hug knees to chest

  1. Step 1: Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Step 2: Bend your knees and lower your body down into a squat position.
  3. Step 3: As you squat down, bring your knees up towards your chest and hug them with your arms.
  4. Step 4: Hold this position for a moment, then slowly return to the starting position.
  5. Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the hug knees to chest by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Hug Knees to Chest alternatives

More exercises that train the glutes as their main target:

More glutes exercises

See the best glute exercises, ranked →

Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.