Pistol Squat

What is Pistol Squat:

The Pistol Squat is an advanced unilateral bodyweight exercise targeting lower body muscles, particularly the quadriceps and glutes. In this movement, you squat down on one leg while the other extends straight out in front of you. The deep range of motion combined with the balance challenge makes it great for developing lower body strength, stability, mobility, and coordination.

Key Benefits:

  • Size and Strength: Works the quadriceps and glutes, promoting muscle growth and strength improvement.
  • Lower Body Mobility: Enhances hip, knee, and ankle mobility, contributing to better movement performance in daily activities and sports.
  • Lower Back Support: Activates and strengthens the core muscles, especially the spinal erectors, to maintain balance and stability throughout the movement.
  • Balance and Coordination: Develops stability and control, especially for single-leg strength.
  • Functional Strength: Improves leg extension strength, hip extension strength, core stability, hip mobility, ankle mobility, and overall fitness, improving performance in daily activities and sports.
  • Versatile and Scalable: This can be performed with or without added resistance, making it adaptable for all fitness levels.
  • Convenience: This exercise can be performed virtually anywhere without equipment, making it accessible and convenient for most individuals.

Variations:

  • Bodyweight Lunge: A bodyweight unilateral exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps, performed by stepping one leg forward while the other stays behind for support.
  • Cossack Squat: A squat variation that targets the hip adductors (inner thighs). It is performed by adopting a wide stance and lowering the body to one side at a time, keeping the opposite leg straight.
  • Dragon Squat: A single-leg squat variation performed by squatting on one leg while moving the other leg behind the working leg at the lowering phase of the movement without it touching the ground.

How to perform Pistol Squats:

  • Starting Position: Stand on one leg, keeping your chest upright and core engaged. Extend the opposite leg straight out in front and off the ground with your toes pointed forward.
  • Execution: Slowly bend the standing leg, lowering your body into a deep squat while maintaining the extended leg straight out in front and off the ground, making it roughly parallel with the ground. Keep your arms extended in front for balance. Hold the lowest position you can go to briefly, then push through the heel of your standing leg and extend your knee to return to the starting position.
  • Repetition: Repeat the movement for your desired number of repetitions before moving on to your other leg.

Breathing Technique:

Proper breathing is crucial for maximizing performance and maintaining stamina throughout the exercise. Experiment with what you're comfortable with and let you perform your best. For starters, you can try the following:

  • Inhale: Inhale at the starting position or as you lower your body.
  • Exhale: Exhale after returning to the starting position.
  • Lower Back and Hip Mobility: Don't be afraid to go as far as your mobility allows, as long as there is no immediate pain within your range of motion. Additionally, since you're not holding a heavy weight with your upper body, and unless you experience lower back pain due to rounding, it's more than okay to let your lower back round at the bottom of the squat.
  • Non-working Leg: Feel free to let your non-working leg bend as necessary and rest briefly on the ground before going down, especially if it is a limiting factor, to help maintain your performance quality.
  • Knees Alignment: While knees caving in is quite normal due to some overcompensations or lack of mobility when the intensity is relatively high, try to keep your knees going in the same direction your feet are facing.
    •

    Additional Information:

    Ways to make it easier:

    • Focusing only on the Concentric or Eccentric phase
    • Decreasing the Range of Motion - partial reps, only go as far as you can handle
    • Doing it with a slight knee bend on your non-working leg
    • Holding onto something for support
    • Regressing to an easier variation/exercise

    Ways to make it harder:

    • Playing with the Tempo & adding an Isometric phase (pause/hold)
    • Increasing the Range of Motion - going down as far as possible
    • Adding resistance - wearing a weighted vest or holding a dumbbell/barbell
    • Progressing to a harder variation/exercise