This is my step by step guide to teach you how to do pistol squats for beginners.
Hey, you guys.
A lot of people always ask “How in the world do you do a pistol squat?”
I know they seem super tough, but if you work at them, and spend the time doing the step
by step guide, you guys can get there.
don’t expect to get there overnight, or even in a couple of weeks.
These can take sometimes months to build the strength, flexibility to be able to go right
down into a full pistol squat.
Why don’t we start from the beginning?
Pistol squats require a lot of mobility and warmup is critical.
Anytime you’re going to be doing any kind of pistol squat, or even just trying to get
ready for this, I recommend that you’ve done a 10 or 15 minute warmup.
Really think about especially getting the ankles warmed up.
That’s really critical.
Many of us actually lack the proper ankle, knee, or hip mobility to actually go all the
way down into a pistol squat.
So since this is really going to force your body into a deep, untrained range of motion
that you’re not used to.
Poor mechanics is really going to be a critical piece to get rid of.
We want to improve that before you actually start going down into that super deep range
of motion.
It’s really important that the body gets acclimated.
That’s why we take these tiny steps of teaching the body how to do proper form.
The first thing I usually tell people is: start with a chair.
I actually have this thick pillow here because a lot of times chairs can actually be kind
of low.
If you’re not used to standing on one leg and lowering down, that can seem really far.
Especially if you don’t, once again, have that ankle mobility, or the strength in your
leg.
So add a cushion.
What that’s going to do is give you a few inches to work with to begin the process.
So what you’re going to do is stand in front of your chair, you’re going to be as close
to the back of the chair – actually, the front of the chair as possible.
You’re going to lift one leg.
Think about engaging your abs because there is some balance involved here, and I want
you to think about pinching your hips back, and lowering down gently onto the pillow.
Then you’re just going to push through your heel, and stand straight up.
It makes a huge difference having this extra amount here because I’m not dropping back
super far.
Especially if you’re not used to doing it.
It can feel a little discombobulating.
This is something you can work into your workouts.
Whether you’re at home, or in the gym.
I would recommend doing 10 or 15 on each leg, a couple sets.
This is something you need to do for a couple of weeks, or even longer if you really don’t
have that strength, or mobility.
Once again, you’re just dropping down.
Let’s say you’ve been doing that for a while and you’re like “Gosh, this has
actually gotten pretty easy.
I’m feeling like I’m popping up, I feel myself pushing through my heel.
I’m feeling really good about this.
I’m feeling stronger.”
Then eventually, you’re going to get rid of the pillow.
So we’ll get rid of that guy because we don’t need him anymore.
So now we’ve lost about – I don’t know, quite a bit here.
So we’re going to do that same thing.
we’re going to stand, my abs are engaged.
I’m going to hinge at my hip, I’m going to sit back, and then I’m going to push
through the backs of my heels as I come back up, straight.
So now my range of motion has gotten a little bit deeper than it was before.
Now this is making me work a little harder.
I’m strengthening other muscles, maybe in a bit of a deeper range of motion that I wasn’t
doing before because I was up a little higher with that pillow being here.
Once again, 10 to 15 reps, anywhere from two, to three rounds.
Once again, this could take a while for the beginners.
That’s something you may need to work on for maybe a month or two, to really get that
strength.
Once we’ve done that for a while and you’re like “Okay, I’m popping up.
I’m feeling stronger.
I’ve built that mobility there, that strength that I really needed”, we’re going to
get rid of the chair.
So there is our other step.
The other thing – now we’re going to move into more of an assisted pistol squat.
These are great.
You can either use a TRX, you can use bands; anything to hold on that’s going to give
you a good grip.
Ropes, whatever you may have.
The first thing we’re going to start with is an assisted pistol squat, and I’m going
to bring a box in.
The reason for the box is because a lot of times people don’t have the ankle mobility,
and flexion to get down into that deep range of motion.
What this is going to do is allow you to begin to feel what it feels like to start going
down lower, but it’s also going to allow me to maybe not have the flexibility to go
all the way down.
See how it’s allowing my foot to droop?
When you’re on the floor you don’t have that because you’re going to be hitting
the floor.
You have to be able to have the flexibility to lift your foot up to clear the floor.
So what this is going to do is going to let me bypass that a little bit.
It’s kind of letting me cheat with my flexibility if you don’t have it.
But it’s also going to help me continue to build that strength in the glutes, the
quads, the hamstrings; all the places I need it, and that ankle flexion.
For a while I would say go midway down, make it to almost a 90 degree angle, and stand.
I’m releasing.
What’s great is I’m using – you can use your arms for a lot of this.
It’s not all your legs yet.
So you’re dropping down.
As you come up you can use your arms right now.
think about assisting yourself up with your arms.
I’m really feeling that through my legs, but it’s getting me into that deeper range
of motion.
So once you’ve done that and acclimated your body to that, you’re building up that
strength, that’s when you can go even deeper.
So now we’re going to go all the way down on the box because, once again, if you don’t
have the flexibility to lift this leg up and clear it, maybe you’re here, it’s still
going to help you work the full range of motion.
You’re still using your arms to help you up.
Once I get here I can use my arms to help pull me up, but then it’s teaching me how
to press through the backs of my legs.
Through my heels, through my quads, through my glutes.
So this is another thing you’re going to work on for a while.
Let’s say you’ve done that for a while.
Once again, this could be weeks to months to feel more acclimated with that.
Now we’re just going to go to the floor.
Now we’re going to grab whatever we have.
TRX, or something.
We’re going to stabilize our feet strong into the ground, we’re going to have a nice,
tight core.
This time I’m going to think about trying not to use my arms as much.
That’s the next step: losing the use of my arms.
Now I’m going to drop all the way down, and think about really pushing with my legs.
I’m not concentrating on my arms pulling me up as much.
I’m lowering, and then I’m pushing – as you can see – I’m really concentrating
on my legs doing the work now.
And up.
Great way, once again, you’re really going to have to build that strength.
You’re building that flexion through your ankles, you’re getting that hip strength
you need.
So finally, at the very end when you’ve done that, and you feel like you’re actually
lifting yourself up, out of that squat without really using your arms – maybe 10% of your
arms are helping you up – then it’s time to progress to using a dumbbell.
This is going to work as a counterweight.
So when you first start, and you lower down, you’re going to think about bringing the
weight out because if you don’t have any weight in your hand you’re probably going
to go backward.
You’re going to fall back because you have to learn to be able to push and keep yourself
balanced.
So this is a really good way to start.
It’s just by holding the weight out.
You’re going to lower down and press up.
This is really going to help me balance out.
This is great for beginners.
Hold your weight out, lower down.
This is helping me stay balanced.
Pressing up, through my heels, and standing straight up.
And up.
So there’s a lot of mechanics with this.
I guarantee, if you follow all of these steps, you take your time – once again, this isn’t
something you’re going to learn in a week.
This could take a long time.
It could take months and months to make sure that you have that strength, you have that
mobility to really do all of these properly.
It’s really about proper mechanics and going into it with everything in place before you
really start throwing them down, without having all of that built in.
All right, you guys.
I hope this was helpful.
I do love pistol squats.
They are great.
Super great for toning, and strengthening the back of your legs.
Just make sure you go through the steps to get the proper mechanics.
Thanks for joining me today.
Check out ATHLEANXXforWomen.com and I’ll work out with you guys soon.