A supported single-leg squat that emphasizes the quadriceps while also recruiting the glutes and hamstrings.
How to do the Pistol Squat (Assisted)#
- Face a sturdy support and hold it with one or both hands; extend the non-working leg straight out in front of you.
- Shift your weight onto the working leg, brace your core, and keep your chest upright.
- Bend the hip and knee of the working leg to lower yourself, sending your hips back while keeping the extended leg off the floor.
- Control the descent with the support and keep the working-knee tracking over your toes with the heel planted.
- Press through the heel of the working leg to stand back up while maintaining an upright torso and controlled use of the support.
Muscles worked#
Common mistakes#
- Allowing the working knee to collapse inward.
- Letting the heel lift and shifting weight onto the toes.
- Leaning the torso excessively forward instead of sitting back.
- Pulling yourself up with the arms instead of using the leg to drive the movement.
- Bending or dropping the extended leg, reducing the single-leg demand.
