Pistol squat: how to do a single-leg squat and build up to your first rep

How to do the pistol squat

A pistol loads one leg with your whole bodyweight through a full range of motion, so it builds real leg strength with no equipment. It also asks for ankle and hip mobility and balance, and it shows quickly if one leg is weaker than the other.

Swap for: Skater Squat, Bulgarian Split Squat, Goblet Squat

Muscles the pistol squat works

The pistol squat mainly works the quads and glutes of the standing leg. The adductors and the small hip muscles keep the knee tracking over the foot, the calf and foot muscles handle balance, and the hip flexors and abs hold the free leg up in front of you.

Sets, reps and reps in reserve for the pistol squat

Pistol squat variations

• 

  Skater Squat

  Keep the free leg bent behind you instead of in front when hip flexor or hamstring flexibility is what stops your pistol.

  Build a session with it
• 

  Bulgarian Split Squat

  Rest your back foot on a bench when you want the same one-leg load with far less balance demand, and room to add dumbbells.

  Build a session with it
• 

  Single-Leg Leg Press

  Press with one leg on the leg press when you want to train each leg hard at the gym with no balance at all.

  Build a session with it

Pistol squat alternatives

Split squats

• 

  Dumbbell Split Squat

  Keep both feet on the floor in a staggered stance for an easier one-leg exercise you can load with dumbbells.

  Build a session with it
• 

  Step-Up

  Step onto a box when you want single-leg work with a shorter range and simple loading.

  Build a session with it

Two-leg squats

• 

  Goblet Squat

  Hold a dumbbell at your chest to practice deep squat positions with both legs while you build toward a pistol.

  Build a session with it
• 

  Bodyweight Squat

  Use a full-depth air squat to warm up the ankles and hips before pistol practice.

  Build a session with it

Knee-forward quad work

• 

  Sissy Squat

  Kneel and lean back from the knees when you want hard quad work with bodyweight and no balance demand.

  Build a session with it

How to progress to your first pistol squat

Work backward from the full rep. First, squat on one leg down to a box or bench at knee height and stand up without rocking. Then lower the box a couple of inches at a time. In parallel, practice the bottom by holding a doorframe or post and sitting all the way down, using your hands only as much as you need.

If balance is the problem, hold a light plate or dumbbell straight out in front of you; the counterweight makes the bottom easier. If your heel lifts, put a small wedge under it. Log each version with the reps and RIR so you can see when it is time to remove a support.

Are pistol squats hard on your knees?

A pistol bends the knee fully under your bodyweight, so it is demanding, but a controlled pistol is not a knee-wrecker for healthy knees. The trouble spots are a fast drop into the bottom and the knee caving inward. Lower slowly, keep the knee over your toes, and stop above the depth that hurts. If deep knee bending is painful, a box pistol to a comfortable height or a split squat is a better choice.