Single Leg Squat

Try out this easy and effective leg workout with or without weights

Muscles Hit

  • Glutes
  • Quadriceps
  • Hamstrings
  • Adductors
  • Core
  • Calves
  • Stabilizer muscles (surrounding knee and ankle)

Benefits

  • Functional strengthening of the core and legs while developing one’s balance
  • Preventative workout patellofemoral pain syndrome, also referred to as “runner’s knee”
  • Develops body awareness (specifically of the hips, knees, and ankle

What Are All These Benefits and Why do They Matter

We have previously discussed the up-sides to functional strengthening, balance, and overall body awareness. Developing these characteristics leads to a more durable and capable body which will be better prepared for a variety of movements. With this preparedness comes a decreased risk of injury. This is a great exercise for anyone who wants to hone their athletic capabilities, but the fact that it helps to keep runner’s knee at bay might be a necessity if you find yourself frequently running or jumping. Patellofemoral pain syndrome is when one experiences pain around the knee cap which is oftentimes caused by overuse, muscular imbalance, or injury to the knee itself. All that being said, correct form is necessary for receiving all the benefits discussed above.

So that leads me into HOW YOU CAN DO IT!

Note: Remember to keep that back straight and core engaged! Complex movements that push you to focus on balancing make it easy to lose track of the fundamentals. The goal is to do the movement CORRECTLY, not having to sacrifice form for a repetition.

Single-Leg Pistol Squat

1. Bring yourself to the point where you are balancing on one leg.

2. Bring your raised foot in front of yourself, making sure it stays above the ground.

3. Arms can be positioned however you would like, but I would recommend keeping them straight in front of yourself. In this position use them as a counter balance.

4. Begin to sit back while keeping the knee from drifting inward as well as keeping it pointed forward. This can be done by really flexing through the glutes and trying to balance a bit more on the outer portion of your foot.

5. As you come down into the squat, feel out any tightness or limiting factors that will keep you from moving closer to the ground. If you think you will need to sacrifice form or control to complete the movement, stop and come back up. This can be the range you work the exercise in as you build towards the flexibility, strength, and awareness necessary to complete the movement.

6. My final note is to continue to flex through your glute as you rise back to the starting position.

Challenge: 3 Sets → 10 squats on each leg

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