
#Trx pistol squat how to
What’s more, pistols are great for strengthening muscular balance.īecause this move is so good at recruiting all sorts of leg muscles, it can help even out muscular imbalances – those places where you’re relying on a preferred muscle more than you should, which can also lead to injuries and pain because it’ll be clearly shown if your muscles are out of balance from a strength or mobility perspective.Īlso check this article on how to train your vestibular system to improve the coordination between movement and balance. You can’t work to correct an imbalance until you know it’s there. You’ll be hit in the face with the info as soon as you try.īut knowledge is power. In pistols, there’s no hiding if one leg has better balance than the other. Plus, pistol squats are a good tool for identifying single leg balance issues. Improving your balance can help protect you from injuries.įor example, one study found that a balance training program reduced the risk of ankle injuries among high school athletes. The pistol squat can be used to improve balance both from a “wobbly” perspective as well as from a muscular balance perspective.īalance in terms of being able to stay stable and steady will improve as you learn to master this move, which requires great control and stability on one leg. With pistols, all your major leg muscles are getting stronger through a big range of motion with one simple move.

This means your iliopsoas, which crosses your hip to run from your spine to your upper leg, and your rectus femoris, the only quadriceps muscle that also crosses your hip, also receive a powerful training stimulus. There simply aren’t many other exercises that require the same level of strength through such an extensive range of motion.Īnd pistol squats not only build squatting muscles, like your glutes, quads, and hamstrings, but they also build strength in the muscles working to lift your leg on the opposite side. In this move, you’re squatting your entire bodyweight on one leg. This might sound like a big claim, but it’s simple. The pistol squat is one of very few lower body bodyweight exercises that will help you build true strength. 3 Key Benefits to Pistol Squats Pistol Squat Benefit #1: Strength There are 3 key areas of pistol squat benefits that we’ll discuss – mobility, balance, and strength. If they can benefit from pistols, why can’t you? In fact, one study found that a program consisting of modified pistol squats and other squat variations helped increase physical independence and create better function in daily living activities in a group of elderly subjects. Pistol squats can be intimidating, but trust me – they’re great for just about everybody. You do what most people do at this point – use momentum and bounce through the bottom half of the range, contorting your body to get back up.Įventually, you get out of there, but it isn’t pretty – neither in looks or in what it’s doing for your body. You’re not really sure how to get out of it and it feels like your muscles just aren’t listening to you. When you get down to the bottom, you start to feel shaky and stuck. You’re feeling confident as you get going, lowering down with control, feeling pretty steady.īut for most people, the trouble arises in the bottom range. Most people can pretty easily start to lower down into the move. The top half of the pistol range of motion is no problem for most.

Pistol squats are basically a squat done on one leg by extending the other leg straight out in front of you and letting it hover off the ground. Lucky for you all you need is a quality pistol squat progression and some patience – let me show you the progression and you just add the patience and you’ll be good to go. Wondering how folks at the gym can drop into pistol squats easily, while you feel you’ll never have the control or balance?
