Pistol squat, CrossFit exercises, fitness 5 tips for successfully doing the pistol squat, one of the flagship CrossFit exercises?Image: Instagram/@freeletics
CrossFit offers a wide range of exercises, each one more impressive than the last, but one of the most spectacular is certainly the pistol squat. To put it simply, it is a squat on one leg which allows you to strengthen your entire lower body.
Seeing some CrossFit enthusiasts perform it, the exercise seems childish, but it is quite the opposite since it is in truth one of the most difficult figures to master. The pistol squat requires significant strength in the lower limbs, but also balance and proprioception.
Long story short, the figure involves performing a full squat on one leg while keeping the opposite leg extended forward, which is meant to form the silhouette of a gun. This exercise primarily targets the trunk and lower body, particularly the quadriceps.
So, if your legs are not in great shape, it will be impossible for you to perform a pistol squat properly. In fact, the steps required to complete this complete exercise are already a challenge for many of us. However, if you want to master the pistol squat like a pro, here are exercises that will help you get there.
Before starting the pistol squat, you must master the deep squat throughout the entire range of movement. The pistol squat is a slightly more challenging variation of the deep squat, an exercise that is already difficult to perform.
Not everyone is able to perform it the first time, because hip and ankle mobility play an important role. Some people manage to develop it with little or no exercise, while others need a lot of work.
Once the deep squat has been mastered, you can start practicing the pistol squat using TRX straps or equivalent models. Grasp both handles with your hands shoulder-width apart. Straighten one leg and bend the other until your hip and right leg form a 90-degree angle.
It is very important to go all the way down and not force the curvature of the spine. Holding on to the TRX will not strengthen your balance, but we'll cover that later. The challenge here is to familiarize yourself with the movement and begin to master the technique.
Place a weight bench directly behind you, so that your butt touches it every time you bend all the way down. Stretch your arms out in front of your torso. Straighten one leg and go down while bending the other, as in a “classic” squat. The bench will support you and help you not to fall if you lose your balance.
Same as the previous movement, but holding a dumbbell or (ideally) a kettlebell in both hands, arms extended in front of your torso.
Once your balance has improved, it's time to get on a box. Stand upright, but leave one leg in the air, straight or slightly bent. Come down with the other leg. On each descent, extend your arms in front of your body to gain balance.
The single leg squat is one of the most deceptive CrossFit exercises. We can easily think that we are succeeding, without executing the movement correctly: we must go beyond the parallel (which we ensure by forming a right angle between the hip and the outstretched leg) or wait before placing the foot or hand.
[Via GQ France]
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