Pistol Squat (Bodyweight)
The Pistol Squat is an advanced single-leg bodyweight exercise that challenges balance, extreme mobility, and unilateral leg strength. It targets the quadriceps and glutes while requiring significant core stability and ankle flexibility to perform correctly.
Because Pistol Squats require high neuromuscular drive and joint integrity, the AI utilizes your recovery and HRV data to determine if you are ready for this high-skill movement or if a regression is safer for the day. By analyzing RPE and rep counts per leg, the app detects specific strength asymmetries and adjusts volume to ensure balanced development between your left and right sides. If knee sensitivity is reported, the system immediately suggests stability-focused alternatives like TRX Pistol Squats or Box Step Downs.
Form Cues
- Keep your weight centered over your heel
- Extend your non-working leg straight out in front
- Keep your chest up and spine neutral
- Engage your core to maintain balance
- Drive hard through the floor to return to standing
- Don't let your heel lift off the ground
- Don't allow your knee to collapse inward
- Don't round your lower back at the bottom of the squat
- Don't drop down quickly without control
Common Mistakes
- Heel lifting off the floor
- Knee caving inward (valgus)
- Rounding the spine (butt wink)
- Using momentum to bounce up
- Lack of ankle mobility
Muscles Worked
This exercise is a powerhouse for the quadriceps and glutes, requiring them to lift your entire body weight without assistance. It also heavily recruits the hamstrings and hip flexors for stability, while the core works overtime to maintain an upright posture on a single base of support.
Primary
Secondary
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