Pistols Form Checklist  By Eugene Thong  

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Pistols are more commonly known as one-legged squats. 

 

In fact, that's what they are. 

1) Stand as if you were to do a normal squat - athletic stance, feet shoulder-width apart, arms out in front of you.

2) Lift one leg and point it in front of you, keeping that knee slightly bent.

3) Keeping your foot flat on the floor, bend your other leg until your hamstring is touching your calf.

4) Driving your foot "through the floor",  extend your knee and come back up to starting position.

5) Repeat on that leg until goal reps have been achieved, then switch legs.

Other considerations:

- Keep your squatting foot flat on the floor.  Do not allow your weight to shift to your toes!

- Keep your other leg off of the floor. 

- You should bend forward slightly at the waist as you perform the pistol.

- Don't merely drop down - control your descent.  Perform the movement deliberately.

- Tighten the abs and hold them tight throughout the entire repetition.

- If you're having difficulty with the pistol, you may need to work on your hamstring, calf, or ankle flexibility.

Most people will not be able to perform a full one-legged squat, and that's ok. Here's how you can scale it to make it doable for you:

Easiest: Perform the pistol with a chair behind you; simply squat down to the level of the chair (touch your butt to the seat) and go back up to the start.

Slightly harder: Use a low bench (like a gym bench) instead of a chair.

Moderate: Perform a Negative-only Pistol; begin the exercise as described, but once at the bottom (hamstrings touching the calves) pull yourself up with your hands.  It helps to have a bar, bench, chair, or other sturdy object nearby to grab ahold of - a door frame works great.

Hard: Perform a 3/4 Pistol; go down until your knee is bent slightly more than 90 degrees.

 

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About the Author: Eugene Thong, CSCS, was born a weak, skinny, bespectacled child. Now, thanks to a steady diet of martial arts, scientific inquiry, and heavy compound movements, he's no longer weak.  His scientific bent, Zen-like demeanor, and efficient but intense methods have made him one of New York's most sought-after personal trainers.     When not helping clients cultivate their own inner 6-packs, Eugene can be found arm barring opponents at Renzo Gracie's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy or sailing through the air on his snowboard.  Read Eugene's semi-weekly musings on exercise, fitness, and fat loss at his blog Eugene is Mike's co-author of The Black Book of Secrets.  You can purchase it by clicking here.