Pistol Squat Progression: How to Work Up to a Single-Leg Squat

“It is a show of power and mobility,” says Lauren Pak, CPT, who runs a fitness training business along with her husband, Jason. “It’s one thing that is achievable, but in addition actually difficult.”

To finish a pistol squat development efficiently, you want severe strength in your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, plus a great deal of ankle and hip mobility. However so long as you don’t have points with knee flexion or discover the motion painful, Pak says pistol squats must be in attain for most individuals.

Even when the bottom appears impossibly distant otherwise you at the moment fall again in your butt with each try, build up the mandatory abilities simply takes the proper preparation. Pak broke down the pistol squat development for us, together with precisely the place to start, plus the drills and type cues that may provide help to pull off a pistol squat like a professional.

3-part pistol squat development plan

1. Begin with single-leg step downs

The primary order of enterprise is build up the power of the standing leg, which will probably be doing nearly all of the work. Pak says single-leg step downs are a good way to do that whereas mimicking the precise motion of a pistol squat.

1. Stand on the sting of a few weight plates or a small field along with your proper foot, whereas your left foot hangs off the facet.
2. Squat along with your proper leg deep sufficient in order that your left heel can calmly faucet the bottom beneath.
3. Stand again up utilizing simply the power of your proper leg.

Variation: When you’re struggling along with your stability, Pak recommends holding on to one thing like TRX straps for a bit of further stability. Over time, attempt to use the straps much less and fewer till you’re balancing by yourself.

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Development: As soon as you are feeling snug doing these step downs a number of instances in a row (on each legs), begin to enhance the peak of the platform you’re on in order that it’s a must to transfer via a much bigger vary of movement to get that heel all the best way to the bottom beneath.

2. Transfer into step downs with a ahead leg swing

When you’ve constructed up the power to go deeper and deeper into that squat, it’s time to extend the mobility challenge and the strength of the hip flexors by swinging the other leg ahead when you squat.

“That creates a bit of bit extra of what the pistol squat requires, which is that it’s a must to hold that different leg straight and up off the bottom,” says Pak. The added elevation provides you extra room for that leg to swing ahead with out hitting the bottom.

1. Stand on the sting of an elevated platform, like a field or stacked weight plates, along with your proper foot. Let your left foot grasp off the facet.
2. Squat down along with your proper leg, however this time, as a substitute of reaching your left heel towards the bottom, swing it ahead such as you would in a pistol squat.
3. Stand again up and convey your left leg again beneath you.

Variation: To assist counterbalance your weight in an effort to go deeper into the squat extra simply, maintain a weight like a heavy dumbbell or weight plate out in entrance of your chest.

Development: When you’re capable of make all of it the best way right down to the underside of the squat on every leg, begin to decrease the elevation (through fewer weight plates or a shorter field) to incrementally enhance the problem. Finally, you’ll get to a spot the place you don’t want any further elevation, and also you’ll formally be doing full pistol squats.

3. Mobility drills can assist your pistol squat

When you’ve accomplished the pistol squat development and constructed the power to do deep single-leg squats, however discover you don’t fairly have the vary of movement to get as little as you want for a pistol squat, Pak has a few recommendations.

For ankle mobility: Kneeling ankle glide

“Whenever you see anyone do a pistol squat efficiently, their knee has to go fairly far ahead so as to have the ability to get all the best way down,” Pak says. In any other case, your torso will fall backward. A kneeling ankle glide can construct the mobility to assist your physique get into the correct place.

1. Kneel on the ground along with your left foot ahead.
2. Lean ahead and push your left knee over the left toes so far as you may whereas retaining your left heel on the bottom.
3. Return to the beginning.
4. Repeat a number of instances, attempting to go additional every time, then change sides.

Variation: Pak says you may add a weight plate on high of the knee to eke out a bit of further vary of movement.

For hip mobility: Prying squats

In case your hips are too tight to achieve your butt all the best way right down to your heel, Pak suggests this drill:

1. Standing upright on each toes, maintain onto one thing like a squat rack or pole.
2. Decrease down into the underside of a squat position.
3. Push your knees out to the edges to pry your hips open and wiggle your hips decrease. “You’re simply attempting to get your self down as little as you may whereas attempting to maintain your chest open [with a] good lengthy backbone. And that is actually going to begin to open the hips up a bit of,” Pak says.

4 type cues to efficiently pull off a pistol squat

Pak says she sees a number of widespread errors that hold individuals from finishing a pistol squat. Hold these approach ideas in thoughts so that you just’re not unintentionally making issues more durable for your self.

1. Hold your weight balanced over the center of your working foot

When individuals attempt to rapidly get down right into a pistol squat and again up once more, Pak says it’s widespread to let the ahead leg veer out to the facet whereas leaning the higher physique in the wrong way. However this received’t construct the total power to do a sluggish, managed pistol squat.

“Attempt to ensure that leg is staying in shut and straight out in entrance of you,” she says.

2. Let your decrease again spherical

More often than not once we’re understanding, we’re advised to maintain a neutral spine. However in a pistol squat, you really need that decrease again to tuck beneath a bit. “If individuals attempt to keep too straight, it prevents them from having the ability to do the pistol squat,” Pak explains.

3. Lead with the knee

You might need been warned by a coach sooner or later that it’s harmful to let your knee go previous your toes. Bodily therapists now say that’s a myth, and that is one occasion the place you actually need that knee to go in entrance of the toes.

Pak suggests pondering of the knee actively shifting ahead as you sink down into the squat.

4. Enable your chest to return ahead

That is yet another instance of a typical squat cue that must be ignored if you’re doing a pistol squat. As an alternative of retaining your chest upright, you’ll profit from bringing it additional ahead on this transfer to appropriately stability your weight.