How to Master the Pistol Squat
4 must-do exercises to incorporate so you can start doing pistols squats in no time!
I recently reached a new milestone. I did my first pistol squat (one-leg squat)! Being able to do a pistol squat has been something I’ve wanted to do for a while, and I’ve finally been able to do it. Not only does being able to do a pistol squat shows a great deal of strength and stability, an added bonus is that it looks pretty cool as well.
Doing a pistol squat is something that’s attainable for most people. The movement itself requires just your body weight, so you don’t need access to a gym or any equipment. Even the exercises I have used to train to do the pistol squats requires minimal equipment.
Here are some exercises I had gradually incorporated to train to do pistol squats. They are listed in order from the easiest to most difficult.
1. Goblet Squats
Before being able to perform pistol squats, it’s important to master the traditional two-leg squat first. Regularly performing goblet squats will allow you to develop lower body strength while mastering the movement pattern of a squat. Perform this exercise by doing a body weight squat while holding a weight against your chest. Remember to keep your chest upright and to descend until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground.
2. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts
Once mastering the traditional squat, it’s time to incorporate an exercise that works on your balance. Since pistol squats require a whole lot of balance, it’s important to incorporate some exercises that allow you to improve your stability. Single-leg Romanian deadlifts target your hamstrings and glutes just like any other deadlift variation; but something that sets single-leg Romanian deadlifts apart is having to perform the movement with one leg. This movement translates well to doing a pistol squat since it trains your ability to balance on a single leg.
Pro-Tip: Begin doing this exercise using your body weight. Overtime as the movement becomes easier, you can use dumbbells to make it more challenging.
3. Pistol Squats on a Box/Bench
As you get more comfortable with doing single-leg Romanian deadlifts, it’s then time to start trying out pistol squat variations. A variation I did for a while were pistol squats on a box. A great thing about this exercise is that it gets you practicing the pistol squat movement before you’re quite ready to do the unassisted pistol squat. By not requiring you to do the movement with the full range of motion (since you only need to squat until your butt touches the box), it greatly reduces the difficulty of this exercise. Perform this exercise by balancing on one leg and squatting down until your butt touches the box (while your other leg is kept straight and parallel to the ground).
Pro-Tip: Continue to challenge yourself with this movement by incorporating a dumbbell (by holding it against your chest).
4. Pistol Squats with a Wall/Door Frame Support
Once you have become comfortable with doing a pistol squat on a box, you’re now ready to do a pistol squat using a wall/door frame as a support. Doing this variation allows you to finally practice using the full range of motion required to do an unassisted pistol squat. Holding against a doorframe/wall while doing this movement provides some support, reducing the amount of stability you need. Do this variation as if you were performing the unassisted pistol squat, but by holding onto the door/wall frame throughout the movement for additional support.
Eventually, you will notice that you’re becoming less and less dependent on the wall/door frame to assist you with pistol squats. This is the moment you have been waiting for. At this point, you’re ready to attempt to do a pistol squat unassisted!
Take-Away Points:
Pistol squats are a difficult movement to perform, but if you work to develop your leg strength and stability it is very much an attainable milestone. The great thing about fitness is that if you are willing to put in the work, you will see results guaranteed!
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