The Kettlebell Pistol Squat is an impressive exercise. Not only does it look good but the benefits reaped are second to none. It requires great strength, balance, coordination, symmetry, and mobility, and the movement is beneficial for everyone from professional athletes to regular Joes.
The Pistol Squat requires great balance, an often overlooked principle for many athletes and fitness enthusiasts. Improving balance can enhance your performance in many sports, allowing for increases in speed, agility, and also proprioception, decreasing the risk of injury.
The Pistol Squat also sorts out any asymmetries in glute and leg strength. We often develop asymmetries due to posture and uneven use in day to day activities. By incorporating a unilateral exercise like the pistol squat, you will eliminate that variance in time.
The Pistol Squat develops glute strength like few other exercises can. You know you have completed a session with Pistol Squats your glutes radiate with soreness for days. It uncovers movement deficiencies and dysfunction. If the knee caves in and doesn’t follow the line of the big toe, or if the hip shifts upwards and isn’t square, then you have a tell-tale sign of glute dysfunction and possible corrective exercises are necessary.
Since the Pistol Squat is a very demanding exercise, it is important to have a system of progression so you can eventually perform advanced Double Kettlebell Rack and Overhead Pistol Squats in time!
Use the following exercise progression to enhance your ability to perform Pistol Squats:
1. Bodyweight Pistol Squat to Bench with Support
A great starting point is unweighted 1-leg squats with balance support and a reduced range of motion. You can use a suspension trainer or dowel for support and a weight bench as a platform. The key is to control the tempo in the downwards and upwards phases whilst keeping the hips square and knee tracking in the right line.2. Bodyweight Pistol Squat with no Support and Increased Range of Motion
Progress the movement by removing the support and squat to a lower level. A step or plyo box with some weight plates stacked is ideal.3. Bodyweight Single-Leg Deck Squat or Squat to Ball
The next progression involves a greater range of motion and some momentum to assist in the exercise.
Firstly, you can position a basketball, med ball, or wall ball underneath your hips. This means you can squat to a greater depth and get a bit of a bounce in the most difficult portion of the movement.
Secondly, you can perform a Single Leg Deck Squat. The momentum of the roll in the deck squat can help propel you through the hardest part of the movement.
Once you can complete these two progressions you are ready to perform the bodyweight pistol squat to depth, unassisted. The full pistol squat is characterized by the backside making contact with the calf muscle.
4. The Kettlebell Pistol Squat
You now ready to perform a full Kettlebell Pistol Squat. This is not for the faint hearted! The kettlebell can be racked on the side of the lifting or non-lifting leg. It will evoke a different demand and you may have more core engagement by having it on the opposite side. You may feel more gluteal engagement when the kettlebell is racked on the same side.
If you conquer a single kettlebell then you can progress by doubling the load and adding a second kettlebell.5. Pistol Squat with Kettlebells Overhead – 1 or 2 Kettlebells Overhead
Now we are getting to a seriously difficult level of progression. The single or double Overhead Kettlebell Pistol Squat requires great mobility and stability. This will test even the greatest of athletes.6. Plyometric Kettlebell Pistol Squats
This is the last of our progressions and requires an explosive movement to successfully land on boxes of varying heights.
So, there you have the Kettlebell Pistol Squat with a series of regressions and progressions that are suitable for people of all levels. Incorporate them into your training and you will see great results. If you have any knee or joint issues, please consult your physician before attempting any of these movements. If you are unsure of whether or not you are performing them correctly (without a risk of injury), be sure to consult with a certified kettlebell trainer.
ABOUT AUTHOR
Dan Henderson is the owner of The Australian Institute of Kettlebells (AIK). AIK educate trainers and coaches worldwide with accredited courses in kettlebells, battling ropes, powerbags, mobility and MMA conditioning using powerbags and kettlebells. Dan has an honours degree in Human Movement and is IUKL Level 3, IKFF Level 2 and IKSFA Level 1 qualified. He has trained all over the world with many great coaches and specialises in kettlebell and battling ropes training.
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