Fully Guided Pistol Squat Exercises (From Basic To Advanced)

May 22, 2021

One of the most loved and used Squat exercises is the Pistol Squat. However, there are still quite a few people who do not know what it is? Or how to perform this Pistol Squat exercise to bring the best results? In this article, WellTraining would like to share with everyone good knowledge so that everyone can better understand this Pistol Squat exercise.

What is Pistol Squat?

Pistol Squat is a one-leg squat. The practitioner will perform a lowering movement, Squat butt and thigh with one leg. This exercise is relatively difficult and requires quite high technique to balance the body.

Pistol Squat is an exercise that works on the main muscle, the front thigh, to help the front thigh muscles become firm, increase muscle and reduce fat effectively. The exercise is very suitable for women who want to improve the size of their legs.

Besides, Pistol Squat also works on the calf muscle groups, hamstring muscles, buttocks, abdominal muscles, and lower back. Practicing Pistol Squat properly will help the whole body become toned, the body balanced and stronger.

Pistol Squat – General Guide

Pistol Squat is an exercise that affects many central muscle groups and works to help improve strength, develop larger and stronger muscle groups. To make the most of this exercise, you need to master the best way to practice it and apply it to yourself. The Pistol Squat can be practiced with bare hands or with gym equipment such as dumbbells, dumbbells or kettlebells.

Here is a guide on how to do a basic Pistol Squat, without using weights and suitable for beginners, especially women.

The specific exercises are as follows:

Prepare with an upright position on the left, slightly forward the right leg, raise the arms forward perpendicular to the body and let the hands parallel.
Push your hips back and bend your knees, bring your right leg forward, lower yourself down and use your left foot as a pillar, supporting the whole body.
The right leg should be brought up parallel to the ground, the body is lowered as low as possible and so that the thighs touch the calves. Note, keep your back, chest and head still straight, eyes looking forward.
Hold that position for a few seconds, then stand up and bring your right leg back.
Continue repeating the movement 5 times. Then, switch legs and do the same with the right leg.

Above is a Pistol Squat exercise with bare hands. It is suitable for beginners and women who want toned and slim muscles. Men who want to strengthen their muscular, bigger and stronger muscles should use dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells to practice with.

Pistol Squats with normal weights are the most common and are performed as follows:

You stand up straight with your left foot, right leg slightly raised and two hands holding a kettlebell with a moderate weight, placed in front of your chest.
Slightly bend the knees on both sides, butt slightly pushed back, hands still holding dumbbells, back and head still straight. Raise your right leg off the ground and squat down by bending your knee, using your other left leg as support.
Both hands still hold the dumbbells in front. Stay in this position for a few seconds and then stand up with the force of your heels, bringing your legs back to the original position.
Continue to repeat the movement 5 times. Then rest for 1 minute and do the movement on the other leg.

Pistol Squat – 5 exercises for your legs

1. Ankle Deficit Bench Stretch

Exercise instructions:

Start by facing a bench or chair, standing a few feet apart, feet hip-width apart.
Bring your right foot onto the bench.
Keeping your left foot in place, slowly lean forward toward your right knee.
With your right knee comfortably extending beyond your toes, bring your palm down to frame the raised foot.
Pause here for a few minutes and repeat on the opposite side.

Attention:

“Move your knee forward as far as you can while still making full foot contact on the bench,” says Schumacher. Stretching will help loosen joints and tendons, and help you gain flexibility and ankle mobility when sitting at the bottom of a pistol squat.

2. High Heel Touch Down

Exercise instructions:

Start standing on a high surface like a step or bench.
Base your right foot on the bench.
Keeping your left leg as straight as possible, lift it off the overhead surface, hovering in the air.
Slowly bend your right knee and lower your left heel to the ground, bringing your hands out in front of you.
Pause here for a moment, then reverse the movement to return to standing.

Attention:

Keep your original knee level and in line with your second toe, says Schumacher. “Make sure to touch your heels down, not your toes.” This will promote greater glute depth and activation, which is needed to come back from the bottom of a pistol squat.

3. Slider Pistol Squat

Exercise instructions:

Start standing with your feet hip-width apart, a slider under your right foot.
Bring your right toe up toward the sky, keeping your heel fixed.
Slowly begin to slide your right foot forward along the ground.
Simultaneously, bring your hands out in front of you and lower into a squat on your left leg.
Go as low as you can comfortably return.

Attention:

This exercise will give you an idea of what to do with a pistol squat with both your legs supporting your weight.

4. Eccentric Box Pistol

Exercise instructions:

Start standing about one foot in front of the box or bench, facing away.
Keeping your left heel rooted, lift your right foot off the ground, keeping the knee as straight as possible.
With your weight on your left heel, squat down toward the box, keeping your right foot off the ground, straight out in front of you.
Tap the box with your butt and reverse the motion to return to a standing position.

Attention:

“The goal of this exercise is to demonstrate control as you lower into a pistol squat,” says Schumacher. As you gain confidence and strength, try to lower the back seat until you’ve reached the desired depth for the pistol squat.

5. Elevated Counterbalance

Exercise instructions:

Start standing on a high surface like a step or bench, holding a dumbbell with one hand at each end.
Base your right foot on the bench.
Keeping your left leg as straight as possible, lift it off the overhead surface, hovering in the air.
Slowly squat down to your right leg, pushing your hips back.
As you lower to the ground, press the dumbbell straight out in front of you for counterweight.
Lower until you can tap your left heel into the ground.
Reverse the movement slowly and return to a stationary state.

Attention:

When you feel comfortable with this exercise, try it without weights in your hands. This will challenge your balance even more

Benefits of doing Pistol Squat properly

As a fairly basic exercise in the squat system, what benefits does the Pistol Squat bring to the practitioner? Perhaps this is the question that many people who are starting to practice this exercise are wondering. Then let’s analyze the benefits of this exercise!

Pistol Squat increases body strength

When you master the Pistol Squat exercise, the traditional Squat exercises are also improved and more advanced. The strength of the body when practicing any Squat exercise is enhanced and achieved the best results. So, when you can practice Pistol Squat very well, it means that your other Squat exercises are highly effective.

Pistol Squat you can do anywhere

With Pistol Squat, you will not have to spend money to go to the fitness center. You can practice anywhere, from the park, the garden, indoors or on the beach…

Increase body flexibility

Practicing Pistol Squat exercises properly will help muscle groups develop better, increase flexibility for all muscle groups and skeletal systems.

Reduce pressure on the spine

The Pistol Squat exercise uses dumbbells to keep the position in front of the chest, different from the Squat exercises that have to carry weights on the shoulders, putting pressure on the spine. With the Pistol Squat exercise, the spine is released, limiting the compression and pressure.

Increase leg strength

With the Pistol Squat exercise, the legs play a very important role to balance the whole body. Repeating the movement many times has the effect of increasing flexibility and strength for the legs.

In summary, Pistol Squat is one of the best exercises to help strengthen and balance the body. Hope this knowledge is useful and matches the information you are looking for. See you on our next topics!

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