Pistol Squat Guide: How to Master the Pistol Squat

The pistol squat is a variation of the single-leg squat. Perform pistol squats by lowering your body on one leg with your arms extended in front of you to counterbalance your bodyweight. Pistol squats work muscle groups in your legs like the glutes, hamstrings, calves, and quads. The movement pattern of the pistol squat also engages your core and hip flexors.

Pistol squats and lunges work many of the same muscles in your lower body, but they are distinct movements that differ in a few ways.

1. 1. Stability: A full pistol squat enhances single-leg strength by engaging your stabilizer muscles more than a traditional lunge. In contrast, a lunge balances your weight evenly between both legs.
2. 2. Difficulty: The pistol squat is an advanced exercise that requires greater ankle mobility and hip mobility than the lunge. Consider doing warm-up leg exercises before performing pistol squats.
3. 3. Variations: Pistol squats and lunges each have their own set of variations. Some pistol squat variations include the use of free weights like dumbbells, weight plates, and kettlebells. Lunges allow for cardio movement, especially variations like the walking lunge.

For pistol squats, aim for 3–5 sets of 1–5 repetitions on each leg. Focus on maintaining good technique throughout all sets and repetitions.

1. 1. Begin standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Your posture should be tall. Keep your shoulders directly over your hips, and maintain a neutral head and neck position. Your chin should remain tucked throughout the movement, as if you were holding an egg under your chin.
2. 2. Lift one foot slightly off the ground.
3. 3. The weight on your standing foot should be evenly distributed along the entire foot. Grip the floor with your foot to create a stable foot position.
4. 4. Reach your arms forward, and pre-tension your core and arms. All repetitions should begin from this starting position.
5. 5. Begin your downward movement by slowly bending the hip, knee, and ankle of your standing leg. Your floating leg should remain extended straight in front of your body.
6. 6. Keep your arms extended as you lower to the bottom position. Maintain a neutral spine, and lower only as far as you can while controlling your pelvis position.
7. 7. At the bottom of the movement, your shoulders should finish over your hips. Your extended leg should be parallel to the floor. The weight on your foot should be evenly distributed.
8. 8. Pause at the bottom of the repetition.
9. 9. Push the foot of your working leg into the ground to initiate upward movement.
10. 10. As you return to a standing position, keep your chest high, squeeze your glute, and allow your knee to straighten and your hip to travel forward.
11. 11. To finish the movement, squeeze your glute and quadricep while maintaining a neutral spine.
12. 12. At the end of each repetition, your shoulders should finish directly over your hips. Imagine that your pelvis is a bucket filled with water and you’re attempting not to spill any water out of the front, back, or sides of the bucket.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

In order to see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

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