Pistol Squats
Mummyadams
Posts: 1,125 Member
Ok - so I've blown out my shoulder and am now doing only lower body movements until I'm healed. My coach has my practicing pistol squats and am really struggling with them. I find it easier to attempt them without holding on to a wall strangely enough but just cannot get the depth - is this a flexibility issue and if so, what can I do to help myself? I just feel like I'm keeling forward on every attempt.
Or is it just a practive..practice .. practice thing?
Or is it just a practive..practice .. practice thing?
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Replies
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The other adaptation I've seen and used with pistol squats is the bands. You can wrap the band around an overhead bar to assist you. You can use different bands to adjust the resistance level.0
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You could hold on to rings or a trx strap which i prefer over bands. Or you can hold a light dumbell or KB out in front of you to counter balance. Or just go as low as you can to a box for awhile, then slowly work your way down.0
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You can try the candlestick progression....youtube an example, but basicly from standing squat and roll back onto your shoulders and point your feet and legs in the air (like a candlestick) bring your feet back down and plant them at your butt and stand back up....if you can do that, work on coming back up on one foot by shooting the other out in front as you roll up. I'm sure youtube would help, but I can't get there right now.0
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Something else that helps a lot is to stand on a 5lb metal plate. That raises your heel a bit and can help with added depth.
Another option is stand at the edge of a box and lower one leg as far as you can to get the right depth and then stand up. It's essentially a pistol but you're bringing your leg down instead of forward. For those with mobility issues, this is a good alternative.
Pistols take a lot of time. I noticed that until I was able to back squat at least my body weight, I was unable to do unassisted pistols.0 -
Something else that helps a lot is to stand on a 5lb metal plate. That raises your heel a bit and can help with added depth.
Another option is stand at the edge of a box and lower one leg as far as you can to get the right depth and then stand up. It's essentially a pistol but you're bringing your leg down instead of forward. For those with mobility issues, this is a good alternative.
Pistols take a lot of time. I noticed that until I was able to back squat at least my body weight, I was unable to do unassisted pistols.
+1 to all of this. The edge of a box method really helped me. As far as backsquatting your body weight, I found for me I needed to be able to backsquat my bodyweight for at least 5x5 before I could do pistols. I still have to do them in Oly shoes and grabbing my toe to help counter balance. Ankle mobility is my limiting factor0 -
I used a box for a while. Once I got to a low enough box I switched to using a 10lb plate under my heel....if I use the plate and grab my foot with one hand, it's easier for me to balance myself out...I tried using the bands but I found myself using my arms too much to get back up. Practice, practice, practice....you get better/faster the more you do them.0
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Thanks for the feedback - in regards to standing on the box - so I stand on the box? On the edge, facing out and lower myself down with my leg out? Seems scary for someone as unco-ordinated like me ....0
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Yeah, too uncoordinated for that. I didn't stand on the box-although I've seen it done. I think I googled it and found tutorial videos of people doing it that way.
I used a box for my butt to land on behind me until I could get comfortable with balance and depth. I started with a 20 inch box and gradually worked my way down to a smaller box and now I use the plate under my heels.0 -
Good luck with these. i could probably come close with my left leg, but my right leg is much weaker. Working on getting it back up to snuff.0
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Just wanted to say I practiced this morning with a 10lb plate under my heel and it was so much better! I got good depth and didn't feel like I was going to tumble forward.
Thanks guys.0 -
So glad to hear that standing on the plate worked!!
If you ever want to try the box method, you stand on a box (at 20" or 24") and with one foot off the box, lower into a squat. Your leg that is not on the box will be lowering towards the floor, more vertically than it would if you were doing this on the floor. This should help build the strength in your legs as well.0 -
Just wanted to say I practiced this morning with a 10lb plate under my heel and it was so much better! I got good depth and didn't feel like I was going to tumble forward.
Thanks guys.
Time to buy some weightlifting shoes
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I'll try the box as well to see hw that goes.
I do have Nano's but they don't quite help with pistol squats but they have been great for my running strangely.0 -
Just wanted to say I practiced this morning with a 10lb plate under my heel and it was so much better! I got good depth and didn't feel like I was going to tumble forward.
Thanks guys.
Yay! That's wonderful!!0
