What is a pistol squat?
A pistol squat is a one legged squat, that when performed correctly resembles a pistol at its lowest point.
Why a pistol squat?
The pistol squat requires core support and posture alignment. Because the exercise relies on your abs and gluteus maximus (buns) for balance, performing one-legged squats regularly can help tone and strengthen your midsection and rear while building leg strength! At a very basic level, the pistol squat strengthens the same muscles that running does, glutes, hamstrings, & gastrocnemius (calves). But they also help you build better balance..think of when you’re trying to put a sock on one foot while standing on the other! LOL
To even begin to try the pistol squat, you MUST be able to perform a proper squat. Perfect form is KEY because if you perform squats incorrectly the damage to knees and back are pretty imminent!
To perform a proper squat you have to:
1: Keep head up & facing forward
2: Keep abs tight & Back straight (lower back slightly arched. DON’T tuck that tail!)
3: Keep legs Parallel to each other ..no knees pointing outward!
4: Knees behind toes at ALL times!! If you can’t do this, only squat as far down as you can with knees behind toes!
5: Weight on your heels! (I actually try and lift my toes in my shoes to make sure) 😀
Now, for correct Pistol Technique you start by:
1: Standing on squat leg with other leg straight and held out slightly forward. Foot in dorsiflexion (FOOT FLEXED!)
**Beginners hold on to something! or use a bench 😀 and as with the proper two legged squat, your back is straight and head up, abs in and knee never over your toes!
2: Point arms straight out for balance. Beginners, this would be the next progression!
3:Start to lower yourself VERY slowly and controlled. NEVER drop. Only go down as far as you can keep the technique! and if at ANY point your knee hurts, stop immediately.
If you’re doing it correctly, you should feel it on your back half. Buns, hams, quads and calves!
BEGINNER PISTOL with a Bench!————>
When you’re working on building up to your first pistol I recommend training it 2 days per week. With at-least 2 days of rest in-between. The most effective exercise for building up to the pistol is to perform the pistol while assisting yourself by holding on to an object or TRX or Equalizer straps. Perform 3-4 sets of 3 reps. Over-time you will require less and less assistance from your upper-body and eventually you will be able to bang these out with perfect form.
Once you can perform the Pistol I recommend practicing them 2x per week until you can perform 10 good reps. This will provide you with the base to transition into weighted pistols. The ultimate leg exercise!
This is what an ideal final pistol squat stance looks like—–>
Why low reps?
Pistols are probably the only pure leg exercise I do. I stick to intervals and sprints to promote athletic and lean legs. However I include pistols 1-2x per week to ensure my leg strength is up to par. My goal is for my legs to be strong and powerful without being bulky. The low reps encourage strength gains without causing hypertrophy (muscle growth). Low reps do have the power to trigger muscle growth if the sets are kept high (5+ sets). As a result I am performing low reps and low sets to ensure low volume. Low reps and low sets = strength gain without muscle gain.
I recommend stopping 1-2 reps before muscle failure with pistols. Training your muscle to maximum fatigue is what promotes muscle growth. By steering clear of failure you are able to gain strength without muscle growth.
If you want to build then by all means this is a great move for that too!
Pistols can definitely be used to build leg size. For those with skinny legs I recommend putting on a little bit of muscle in the lowerbody to balance out your physique. Proportion is key. Here is how you can use pistols to encourage muscle growth in the legs:
Weighted Pistols: 4 sets x 8-12 reps **DONT DO THESE UNLESS YOU CAN PERFORM BODYWEIGHT PISTOLS IN PERFECT FORM!**
Body weight Pistols: 1 set x max reps with good form. Stop when form is failing. This will only do damage!
Notes – Perform 2x per week. Add 5% weight each workout for the weighted pistols. Aim to perform more reps for the body weight pistols.
