[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Pistol squats are one of the best lower-body strengthening exercises. This challenging movement pattern – a single-leg exercise – strengthens multiple muscle groups and is considered a functional exercise for activities such as walking, running and jumping since it mimics these everyday movements. But it’s not just about strength. Pistol squats improve
balance,
stability and coordination by challenging your core and stabilizer muscles. And with increased strength and coordination, you’re helping to prevent future injuries.
Keep in mind, this movement is far from easy! While they may seem intimidating at first, pistol squats are a highly rewarding exercise. Learn how you can gradually work your way up to this challenging movement, learn more about the muscles you’re working and get an in-depth explanation of how you’ll reap the benefits of stronger legs and improved stability.
How to Do a Pistol Squat
The pistol squat is a version of a single-leg squat.
Here are the steps:
- Stand upright with your chest up and shoulders down. Engage your core and glutes.
- Lift your left leg and straighten it in front of your body. Make sure that the left foot does not touch the ground.
- Bend your right knee and sit your hips back to lower yourself into a single-leg squat. Thrust your arms forward as a counterbalance if you have trouble balancing on one leg.
- Lower your bottom toward the floor until your knee is bent at least 90 degrees. Advanced athletes can go as low as possible without fully touching the butt on the ground.
- Pause briefly in this lowered position.
- Press powerfully through your right heel to stand back up.
- Complete all of your reps and then switch legs.
What Do Pistol Squats Work?
The primary muscles worked by pistol squats are the glutes, quads, hip flexors, hamstrings and calves. That said, the unilateral nature of this exercise means that you will also strengthen your core muscles, abductors in the inner thighs and the smaller stabilizing muscles around the ankles and hips.
Here is a more detailed explanation of the muscles strengthened by pistol squats:
Quads
Of all of the muscle groups worked by pistol squats the “primary movers” for the exercise are the quadriceps, also known as the “quads.”
The quads are the group of four muscles on the front of the thighs. These are biarticular muscles, which means that they are responsible for movement at two different joints:
- The quads extend the knee (straighten the knee)
- The quads flex the hip (lift the thigh up towards the trunk)
When you perform a pistol squat, the quads have to contract eccentrically (lengthening under tension) to prevent your knee from rapidly buckling by controlling your body's gradual movement working
with gravity. The quads also contract concentrically (shortening) to straighten your knee as you stand back up.
Glutes
The glutes are the strong, powerful muscles in your buttocks. This muscle group is composed of the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles. The glutes are involved in the hip extension portion of the pistol squat, at the end of the movement when you stand back up and extend the leg at the hip.
Studies have found that the single-leg squat (which is essentially a pistol squat) is one of the best bodyweight exercises for strengthening the glutes. Researchers have concluded that as such, this exercise can be essential for preventing and recovering from injuries in the lower back and knees.
The smaller muscles in the gluteal area, such as the piriformis, obturator muscles and gemellus muscles aid in controlling and stabilizing the hips during pistol squats. This is because, in the pistol squat position, you have such a narrow base of support. Therefore, the muscles in the hips and pelvis must engage to keep your hips level and stable.
Hamstrings
The hamstrings are the muscles at the back of the thigh. This group of three muscles helps extend the hip (along with the glutes) and flex the knee.
Therefore, during pistol squats, the hamstrings assist the glutes in extending the hip at the very end of the movement just as you are standing back up to the erect position.
The hamstrings also flex the knee when you squat down. However, gravity and your body weight naturally push your knees into the flexed position, so the quads are actually more active to counteract and control this flexion.
Calves and Shins
There are several small muscles in the lower legs, but the primary lower leg muscles strengthened by pistol squats are the muscles in the calves (gastrocnemius and soleus) and the tibialis anterior muscle on the front of the shin.
The soleus helps stabilize your tibia and the gastrocnemius powers the ankle plantarflexion portion of the
triple extension movement when you press through your heel to stand back up.
This helps strengthen the calves in a
functional movement pattern—one that replicates
unilateral movement patterns of everyday life such as climbing stairs, running, jumping or stepping off curbs.
To this end, because you have to balance on only one leg, pistol squats are one of the best exercises to strengthen the smaller stability muscles around the ankle and foot that support the arch and ankle.
Core muscles
Any exercise that involves balancing and bracing your core to support your spine will also work your core muscles.
How to Modify the Pistol Squat
Beginners may not be able to do unassisted pistol squats. This exercise requires a tremendous amount of lower body strength and stability as well as core stability.
Beginners can work up to full pistol squats by starting with mini single-leg squats.
- Simply bend your knee and hip and lower your body just a few inches before pressing back up to standing.
Another helpful pistol squat modification for beginners is to use suspension straps, such as a TRX.
- Hold one handle in each hand as you face the attachment point of the suspension straps.
- Step back far enough so that there is tension in the straps.
- Then, perform your pistol squat while holding onto the handles.
While you build up your
strength, you may need to rely more on your arms for balance and to assist the movement pattern.
Over time, as your strength improves, think about holding onto the straps just as a backup in case you lose your balance. Instead, focus on using your lower body as you descend and then stand back up from the pistol squat.
Advanced athletes can wear a weighted vest to increase the workload of the lower body.
Incorporating Pistol Squats into Your Workout Routine
The number of reps and sets of pistol squats that you should do will depend on your fitness level and goals. Even sets of 2-5 pistol squats can be very challenging for beginners.
Start with bodyweight pistol squats. Work up to 2-3 sets of 8-13 reps and then gradually increase the resistance by wearing a weighted vest or holding onto dumbbells.
Keep in mind that pistol squats are only one of the many exercises that should be included in your strength training routine. Variety is important to prevent strength plateau and to ensure that you are working all of the major muscle groups.
Pre-workout nutrition for weight training
To maximize the benefits of pistol squats for building muscle and strengthening your legs, make sure that you are supporting your resistance training workouts with a healthy diet.
Before weightlifting, have a carbohydrate-rich snack with some protein and fat for satiety. Carbohydrates are the preferred fuel source for the muscles during high-intensity strength training. Choose pre-workout snacks that digest quickly and easily so that you aren’t trying to perform pistol squats with a bloated belly. Examples include a banana with a handful of
trail mix,
energy bars,
dried fruit, oat bars, an apple with
vegan jerky, organic energy balls,
whole-grain oatmeal,
nut butter and
honey on wraps and
fig bars.
Studies have found that drinking
sports beverages that contain carbs during resistance training workouts can
increase muscle protein synthesis. This is the process that repairs and builds muscle tissue.
Post-Workout Nutrition for Weight Training
After weightlifting, refuel your body with a nutritious post-workout snack.
Sports nutritionists recommend having 20-25 grams of protein in a carbs-to-protein ratio of 3:1 or 4:1 for the post-workout snack. For example, if you want to have 20 grams of protein, you should have 60 to 80 grams of carbohydrates. Because there are approximately 4 calories in every gram of carbohydrates and protein, this works out to a post-workout snack of around 320-400 calories.
Protein shakes made with Greek yogurt,
protein powder, almond milk, fruit, baby spinach,
flax seeds and
nut butter can be great post-workout snacks because they are filling and provide the correct ratio of carbohydrates to protein.
Other good post-workout snacks include
protein bars, a
nut bar with a tuna or turkey wrap,
high-protein cereal with fruit and milk, Greek yogurt with
granola, eggs with
whole-grain bread or
tuna with
crackers.
Working with a registered dietitian can help you find the best diet and
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