Pistol Squat

These notes combine advice from 29 reviewed passages across 9 workouts.

Overview

The pistol squat is a full-depth squat performed on one planted leg while the free leg stays off the floor and extends forward. The planted heel remains grounded throughout the movement. [1] [13] [27]

Technique

Keep the planted heel fully grounded and direct the load through the working leg. Raise the free leg, extend it forward as straight as possible, and descend all the way to the bottom. [1] [4] [13] [14] [21] [24] [26] [27]

Establish balance before trying to hold the position. Keep the torso relatively upright early in the descent because leaning forward too soon can interfere with standing back up. Allow more forward lean near the bottom, using the hands and extended leg as counterbalance. [6] [7] [16] [17]

Move without rushing and open the knee slightly during the squat. Reach full depth before holding the end position, and keep attention on the complete movement rather than fixating on the hold. [14] [15]

A side that appears weaker may also be less flexible, so differences between sides do not always reflect strength alone. [5]

Assisted practice

Use assistance when the open-space version exceeds current leg strength. Begin with a small amount of weight on a chair to learn the movement, progress to a band anchored to a bar, and then practice without support. [2] [8] [9] [10]

Rings can replace side support when side support causes unwanted leaning. Use them only for balance, keeping the load on the planted leg and avoiding any strong pull through the arms. Keep the free leg straight and resist leaning to either side. [19] [20] [21] [22]

Adjust ring height so the rings remain useful for balance during the descent. Different setups used both lower and higher positions, so choose the height for the athlete and drill rather than treating one height as universal. [22] [23]

When rings are unavailable, assistance can come through one hand, both hands, or a partner. [25]

Programming and progressions

Pistol squat practice can be placed in the warm-up, including alongside handstand work. For continuous ring-assisted repetitions, take as little help as possible from the rings and begin the next repetition soon after standing. [12] [24]

The pistol squat also serves as an initial progression toward the movement called the dragon. [3]

Safety considerations

Coach’s claim

Bottom-up pistol practice may be used instead of dropping or throwing the body into the descent. [18]

Coach’s claim

When changing to the other side during this drill, it may be appropriate to avoid loading that side heavily at once. [28]

Coach’s claim

A transition performed after a pistol may sometimes cause mild hand discomfort. [11]

Sources

1. 2025-03-05, 4717.1-4728.0s

Workout: workout:2025-03-05

Passage: passage:2025-03-05:001775-001778

2. 2025-03-05, 4763.3-4778.3s

Workout: workout:2025-03-05

Passage: passage:2025-03-05:001798-001803

3. 2025-03-05, 4860.9-4866.2s

Workout: workout:2025-03-05

Passage: passage:2025-03-05:001827-001828

4. 2025-03-05, 4899.8-4908.1s

Workout: workout:2025-03-05

Passage: passage:2025-03-05:001845-001849

5. 2025-03-05, 4917.8-4920.9s

Workout: workout:2025-03-05

Passage: passage:2025-03-05:001857-001858

6. 2025-03-05, 4923.9-4933.6s

Workout: workout:2025-03-05

Passage: passage:2025-03-05:001859-001865

7. 2025-03-05, 4953.0-4956.9s

Workout: workout:2025-03-05

Passage: passage:2025-03-05:001877-001878

8. 2025-03-05, 5012.3-5025.0s

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Passage: passage:2025-03-05:001910-001918

9. 2025-03-05, 5029.3-5042.5s

Workout: workout:2025-03-05

Passage: passage:2025-03-05:001920-001928

10. 2025-03-05, 5047.8-5059.4s

Workout: workout:2025-03-05

Passage: passage:2025-03-05:001934-001942

11. 2025-03-07, 3116.0-3121.1s

Workout: workout:2025-03-07

Passage: passage:2025-03-07:001019-001019

12. 2025-03-07, 3650.3-3659.6s

Workout: workout:2025-03-07

Passage: passage:2025-03-07:001225-001228

13. 2025-03-07, 3667.9-3671.4s

Workout: workout:2025-03-07

Passage: passage:2025-03-07:001230-001232

14. 2025-03-18, 3664.1-3680.5s

Workout: workout:2025-03-18

Passage: passage:2025-03-18:001060-001067

15. 2025-03-18, 3707.1-3722.1s

Workout: workout:2025-03-18

Passage: passage:2025-03-18:001078-001086

16. 2025-03-18, 3767.2-3783.9s

Workout: workout:2025-03-18

Passage: passage:2025-03-18:001102-001107

17. 2025-03-18, 3848.5-3852.5s

Workout: workout:2025-03-18

Passage: passage:2025-03-18:001125-001126

18. 2025-07-18, 3014.6-3018.4s

Workout: workout:2025-07-18

Passage: passage:2025-07-18:000635-000636

19. 2025-08-07, 2104.8-2126.4s

Workout: workout:2025-08-07

Passage: passage:2025-08-07:000583-000590

20. 2025-08-07, 2129.6-2142.9s

Workout: workout:2025-08-07

Passage: passage:2025-08-07:000592-000600

21. 2025-08-07, 2151.9-2169.2s

Workout: workout:2025-08-07

Passage: passage:2025-08-07:000606-000612

22. 2025-08-10, 1806.9-1842.1s

Workout: workout:2025-08-10

Passage: passage:2025-08-10:000428-000441

23. 2025-08-10, 1909.9-1935.1s

Workout: workout:2025-08-10

Passage: passage:2025-08-10:000446-000446

24. 2025-08-10, 1951.7-1975.2s

Workout: workout:2025-08-10

Passage: passage:2025-08-10:000449-000458

25. 2025-08-15, 2432.9-2445.2s

Workout: workout:2025-08-15

Passage: passage:2025-08-15:000628-000632

26. 2025-08-18, 1864.8-1890.4s

Workout: workout:2025-08-18

Passage: passage:2025-08-18:000434-000442

27. 2026-02-03, 2810.3-2821.1s

Workout: workout:2026-02-03

Passage: passage:2026-02-03:000661-000667

28. 2026-02-03, 2859.4-2861.7s

Workout: workout:2026-02-03

Passage: passage:2026-02-03:000690-000691