We've all seen Pistols (one-leg squats) come up from time to time in workouts like Mary or Quenby, and struggle through the workouts using progressions such as the box, a medball or the wall, but how many of us are actively working on improving our pistol?
Well according to an article by Power Althletes magazine we all should be! The one-leg squat, or aptly named "pistol", is one of the most demanding and beneficial exercises in existence.
Pistols have a wide array of athletic and real-world applications. The fundamental skill that pistols teach is exerting power through the entire range of motion of your stance, while on one leg. Whether running, jumping, or changing directions in an athletic competition, or walking, sitting, or standing in your daily affairs, powerful legs enable us to do what we do better, and with greater ease. The combination of skills that pistol practice develops simultaneously-- balance, strength, endurance, flexibility and coordination-- make it one of the most useful and important exercises to learn.
Although doing a squat on one leg sounds simple, the reason that learning to do pistols well is so challenging is because they involve an interplay of several different physical skills (balance, flexibility, strength, coordination, focus), all performed simultaneously. An inability to perform the pistol is a result of a deficiency, or "weak link" in one or more.
The following article Pistols goes through tests to determine where your deficiencies are and exercises to overcome them. Just ask .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) if you have any questions
Steve Coter (in the picture above) can do 80 consecutive one-leg squats on each leg (160 in total), how many can you do?
We will give everyone a month to practice and then we will lay down a challenge to everyone in the gym to have a one-leg squat off. Rules and date to be determined, but lets aim for end of October.
- Rather than a one-leg squat off shouldn't we call it a pistol duel?!
Posted by Kermit on 09/24 at 10:22 AM
- This might not work for everyone, but I found that my biggest problem is balance on the way down. To help with the problem, I hold a 10# plate with both hands at arms length in front of my chest. The added weight is negligible for the squat and it gives me the ballast and counter weight that I need to get through it with stability.
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