Pistol Squat

Setup

1. 01Stand on one foot with the whole foot flat on the floor.
2. 02Extend the free leg straight out in front of you, just off the ground.
3. 03Reach both arms forward as a counterbalance.
4. 04Brace the trunk and fix your eyes on a point ahead.

Execution

1. 01Sit down slowly on the standing leg, keeping the free leg extended in front.
2. 02Let the torso lean forward naturally as the hips descend below the knee.
3. 03Pause briefly at the bottom without collapsing onto the calf.
4. 04Drive through the whole foot to stand back up on one leg.

Checkpoints

• -Standing heel stays down through the entire rep.
• -Knee tracks over the toes, not caving inward.
• -The free leg stays off the floor from start to finish.
• -The descent is controlled, not a drop into the bottom.

Common mistakes

• -Letting the heel lift because of limited ankle dorsiflexion.
• -Dropping uncontrolled into the bottom position.
• -Tapping the free foot down to rescue balance.
• -Rounding hard through the lower back to reach depth.