The pistol squat, also known as a single-leg squat, is the ultimate challenge of unilateral stability and lower body strength. Its name eloquently describes the pistol shape that you assume when descending into the movement with your arms stretched forward and one leg extended straight ahead of you.
Here’s all you need to know about pistol squats, including how to do them properly.
Which Muscles Are Used In Pistol Squats?
Before diving into how to perform a pistol squat, there are two phases of the exercise—going up and going down—and several muscle groups are involved. While some muscles are more active than others during each stage, each primary muscle group must work in sync to complete the move.
Eccentric Phase (Going Down) Your knee joint flexes and thereby activates the hamstring during the eccentric phase of the single-legged squat.Your glute works to stabilize your hip joint as your squat.Your quads also fire up to stabilize your knee joint as you come down.Your core muscles engage to maintain the upright position of your torso.The muscles around your ankles are engaged to keep you stable. Concentric Phase (Going Up)
Working together in coordination, each of the muscle groups mentioned above works together to initiate the concentric phase (going back up).
Your quad contracts to extend the knee joint from its deep flexed position at the bottom of the squat.Simultaneously, your glute activates to extend the hip straight.The core muscles kick in to maintain torso integrity on the way back up.The muscles around your ankle also fire up to keep you stable as you come up. What are Pistol Squats Good For?
Pistol squats are great to include in any exercise program because they challenge several muscle groups and your ability to maintain multi-joint stability throughout the entire motion. The movement is impossible to complete without proper control. You need both stability and strength to complete this move, so it’s a great marker of well-rounded functional agility.
There is some evidence that the inability to perform the single leg squat is indicative of biomechanical knee insufficiencies and is predictive of possible future knee injury.
The benefits from performing this exercise include, but are not limited to:
Increased single-legged strengthCoordinationBalanceWhole-body stability
Additionally, the pistol squat is particularly good for strengthening your glutes and may protect your lumbar spine against future injury.
How to Prepare for Pistol Squats
The pistol squat is a challenging movement that requires a large degree of strength, stability, and technique. Here are several exercises you can do to prepare for practicing the single-legged squat:
The Bulgarian split squat is a greatsingle-legged exercise that trains all of the muscles (quads, hamstrings, glutes) you need to complete a pistol squat successfully. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg to begin and then progressively add weight to the movement by holding a pair of dumbbells. This will make the movement more challenging and allow you to easily move onto the body-weight pistol squat.The single-legged Romanian deadlift is another exercise that can help build you up to the pistol squat. It trains your hamstrings and glutes, which are both prime movers in the pistol squat. Practice the movement without weights first and then move on to holding dumbbells in each hand. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps on each side.The single-arm farmer’s carry is a core exercise that challenges your core in a vertical position, similar to the position needed to complete the pistol squat. Hold a dumbbell in one of your hands and walk with it for 60 seconds on each side. Make sure to keep a tall posture and your core tight the entire time. Don’t let your shoulders slouch. Perform three sets on each side.
Make sure you also work on your ankle mobility and hamstring flexibility with good stretching. If you lack good dorsiflexion mobility—the ability to raise your foot upward toward your shin—on the leg on which you're squatting or your other leg won't stay straight due to tightness on your hamstring, then you can increase your risk of injury due to improper form.
How To Do A Pistol Squat Hold both arms out in front of you in an extended position. Slowly shift your weight to one leg and extend the other leg out in front of you.Descend into the squat by simultaneously pressing your foot into the floor and bending at the hip and knee.As you descend into the squat, keep your core braced and your gaze focused directly in front of you to maintain your balance. When you reach the bottom of the squat, forcefully press into the floor with your foot and extend your hips and knee simultaneously to complete the movement.
Bonus Tip: Before practicing a complete pistol squat, practice them restricted to a chair. This will limit the range of motion to about 90 degrees and help you build strength until you can perform the full range of motion exercise without needing a chair behind you.
Precautions
While the pistol squat is an excellent exercise, there are a few notes of precaution to take when practicing this exercise. To begin, If you have any lower body injuries (especially hip, knee, ankle, or back), it is best to avoid this movement until you are healed and pain-free.
It is always best to have your doctor clear you for exercise before trying any exercise routine. You can also get help from a personal trainer if you want someone to coach you through the exercise and teach you the proper technique.
While performing the pistol squat for the first time, it is important to complete the movement slowly as the risk of injury is much less than performing it quickly and explosively. Always keep your core muscles engaged to protect your spine and reduce the risk of lower back pain. It's also important to have adequate mobility in each of the major joints involved (ankle, hip, knee) to maintain proper position in each phase of the exercise.
Mistakes to Avoid
There are three primary mistakes to avoid when doing a pistol squat. For one, avoid putting too much weight on the front of your toes. Otherwise, your heel will lift, and you will fall over when you descend into the squat.
Secondly, ensure you don’t sit too far back. Otherwise, it’ll be easy to fall over during the single-legged squat.
Third, try not to hunch your back. Hunching your back could cause you to disengage your core and lose balance if you bend your back too much.
A Quick Review
The pistol squat is a complex movement defined by its ability to challenge your single-leg strength, mobility, and stability. Performing a pistol squat correctly is no easy feat. If you can’t do one yet, don’t worry. It is a highly trainable movement, and with a little practice, you will be able to do one (or many) in no time. Just make sure you have the requisite ankle, hip, and knee mobility to perform the movement.
