THEtraining without machinery and tools, only with your own body weight can be really efficient and effective, but it is often considered inconspicuous.
I pushup, squatting and plank it's not the exercises anymore”Instagrammable” to get publicity and recognition, but if the goal is to get back in shape they are sensational exercises.
One no-equipment exercise that will really challenge you for technical challenge and difficulty is the pistol squat!
Fortunately, this exercise is well worth the time and effort it takes to master properly; to succeed you need to have high levels of mobility, stability and force, but unlike so many moves and exercises, the pistol squat offers real benefits, helping build unilateral strength and honing balance and coordination.
What is the Pistol Squat?
First, it is necessary know the difference between the basic single leg squat and the pistol squat. The first is a single-leg squat where the hip crease is just above the knee crease; the pistol squat, on the other hand, is a cross-country squat that allows you to achieve a position on one leg in which the hamstring rests on the calf and the other leg is straight in front of you.
The challenge consists of be able to get down as far as possible, and then get back up with your own strength without falling backwards.
When to do the pistol squat?
As you get closer to the full movement, it's good to work on mobility exercises every day (which aren't just the pistol squat that help, however).
Refine the shape with the progressions three or four days a week, especially on leg training days.
Once you have mastered the movement, use the pistol squat as a lower body workout, working with low reps and limited sets such as 3 sets x 5 reps x leg to start.
Heating
Before moving on to the progressions, it is good to make an assessment of the body, from the bottom up:
- Ankle rating: Perform the knee to wall box test if you have difficulty with this ankle range of motion exercise
- Hip assessment: Perform the ABH assessment if you have hip mobility difficulties
After making these assessments, it's time to warm up:
Ankle warm-up
- Kneel and lean: 3 sets of 15 to 30 seconds per leg
- Leg hug and ankle rotation: 2 to 3 rotations per direction for legs
Hip warm-up
- Pidgeon stretch: 2 or 3 series of 15 to 30 seconds per leg
- Frog stretch: 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 30 seconds per leg
Once you've finished warming up, you're ready to begin progressions.
Pistol squat progressions
You are now ready to work on performing the true pistol squat; make sure you cFocus on the correct depth during progressions.
- First progression -> air squat: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
- Second progression -> close feet squat: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
- Third progression -> bench eccentric single leg squat: 5 controlled reps per leg
- Fourth progression -> single leg box squat: 10 reps per leg at each height
- Fifth progression -> toe squat: 6 to 8 repetitions per leg
- Sixth progression -> floater squats: 6 to 8 reps on each leg.
Once you've mastered the progressions, you'll be ready for the actual exercise!
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