TRX Figure-Four Squat
What Is the TRX Figure-Four Squat?
TRX Figure-Four Squat is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps and also engages the glutes, the hip stabilizers and the core. It is an intermediate-level movement in which you hold the suspension trainer handles, cross one ankle over the opposite knee, and squat on the standing leg while the straps help you balance.
The exercise does two jobs at once. The standing leg works through a single-leg squat, building unilateral leg strength and balance, while the crossed leg sits in a figure-four position, so every rep also stretches the glute and outer hip of that leg as the hips sink. Some suspension training programs use the same position mainly as a hip stretch, squatting until the standing knee is bent to about 90 degrees and pausing briefly at the bottom. Done for controlled reps, it is a single-leg squat first.
The quadriceps of the standing leg do most of the lifting, and the glutes keep the hip stable and the knee tracking over the foot. In a study of 21 healthy, active adults, a bodyweight single-limb squat drew about 64% of maximal effort from the gluteus medius and 59% from the gluteus maximus, among the highest gluteus maximus readings of the 12 exercises tested. How hard you lean on the straps and how deep you go set the difficulty here: the lighter your grip on the handles, the more the standing leg has to do.
The movement suits anyone working toward an unassisted single-leg squat who also wants more hip mobility. If a squat on one leg is still too hard, build up with the TRX Squat and the TRX Single-Leg Squat first. If tight hips make the crossed position uncomfortable, practice the Supported Standing Figure Four Stretch or the Standing Figure Four Pose on their own until you can sit into it. Once controlled reps feel easy with light hand pressure, the Pistol Squat is a logical next step.
Muscles Worked
- Vastus Lateralis
- Primary
- Vastus Medialis
- Primary
- Gluteus Maximus
- High
- Gluteus Medius
- High
- Rectus Femoris
- High
- Adductor Magnus
- Medium
- Soleus
- Low
Instructions
- Set the straps to mid-length, hold a handle in each hand, and stand facing the anchor point.
- Step back until the straps are taut, hold the handles at about chest height with your elbows bent and palms facing each other, and lean back slightly.
- Shift your weight onto one leg, bend that knee slightly, and cross the other ankle over the thigh just above the standing knee.
- Flex the foot of the crossed leg, brace your core, and keep your chest tall.
- Sit your hips back and down on the standing leg, letting your arms straighten toward the anchor as you lower.
- Descend until the standing knee is bent to about 90 degrees and the thigh is close to parallel, or as deep as you can keep the knee tracking over your toes and your hips level.
- Drive through the whole foot of the standing leg to stand back up, using the straps only for balance.
- Complete your reps, then switch legs.
Common Mistakes
Pulling with the arms
Hauling yourself up with the handles moves the work from the standing leg to the arms, so use the straps for balance and only a light assist.
Letting the straps go slack
Slack straps give no support at the bottom of the squat and jerk taut as you rise, so keep light tension on them for the whole rep.
Standing knee caving inward
Letting the standing knee fall toward the midline strains the knee and takes the glutes out of the movement, so keep it tracking over the middle toes.
Relaxed foot on the crossed leg
A floppy foot or an ankle resting on the kneecap lets the crossed knee twist, so place the ankle just above the knee and keep that foot flexed.
Rounding the back to get deeper
Dropping the chest and rounding the lower back to reach depth hides limited hip mobility, so stop where the chest stays tall and the spine stays neutral.
Injuries
TRX Figure-Four Squat is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The straps carry part of your weight and catch you if you lose balance, so the main strain points are the standing knee, which can drift inward or too far forward as the leg tires, and the crossed knee, which takes a twisting load if the foot goes slack or the hip is too tight for the position.
Rest the crossed ankle on the thigh just above the standing knee, never on the kneecap, and keep that foot flexed so the knee does not twist. Keep the standing knee pointing over the middle toes and the hips level, and keep the straps taut so they support you all the way down. Go only as deep as you can hold that alignment. A pinch at the front of the hip or a pull on the outside of the crossed knee means the hip has run out of room, so stop above that point.
To make it easier, squat less deeply, lean back a little more on the straps, or split the two demands by practicing the TRX Single-Leg Squat and the Standing Figure Four Pose separately. To make it harder, go deeper, use lighter hand pressure, and work toward the Pistol Squat.
Stop if you feel sharp pain in either knee, pain in the ankle of the crossed leg, or numbness or tingling running down the back of the leg. People with a recent knee or ankle injury should get clearance from a clinician before loading this position.
- Primary Focus
- Quads
- Equipment
- Suspension trainer and body weight
- Modality
- Strength
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Alternative Exercises
Other Names for the TRX Figure-Four Squat
The TRX Figure-Four Squat is also known as:
- TRX Figure-Four Stretch
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Is the TRX Figure-Four Squat a strength exercise or a stretch?
It is both. The standing leg does a single-leg squat while the crossed leg gets a glute and outer hip stretch, so for controlled reps it trains leg strength, and pausing for 5 to 10 seconds at the bottom turns it into more of a hip stretch.
- Q: How deep should I squat?
Aim for the standing knee bent to about 90 degrees, with the thigh close to parallel to the floor. Stop higher if your knee starts to cave, your hips tilt, or your back rounds to get there.
- Q: What should I feel in the crossed leg?
A stretch in the glute and outer hip of the crossed leg, which deepens as you sit lower. You should not feel it in the crossed knee; if you do, move the ankle a little higher up the thigh, flex the foot, or reduce the depth.
- Q: How is it different from the TRX Single-Leg Squat?
The TRX Single-Leg Squat holds the free leg out in front, so that leg's hip flexors have to keep it off the floor. Here the free leg rests across the standing knee, so instead of holding it up you need enough hip rotation on that side to sit into the figure-four position.
- Q: Can I do a figure-four squat without straps?
Yes, but it is much harder, because nothing helps you balance or counter your hips moving back. Try it once you can do controlled reps on the straps with only light hand pressure.