Pistol Squat

Muscles worked by the Pistol Squat

Primary

GlutesGluteus MaximusQuadsQuadriceps Femoris

Secondary

Glute MediusGluteus MediusHamstringsHamstring MusclesHip FlexorsHip Flexor Muscles

Also called: glute, glutes, gluteus maximus, buttocks, butt, quad.

Equipment

No equipment — this is a bodyweight exercise.

How to do the Pistol Squat

1. Stand on one leg with the other extended forward, arms out for balance.
2. Hinge at the hips and bend the standing knee, keeping the chest up.
3. Descend slowly until the back of the thigh touches the calf.
4. Drive through the standing heel to return to standing.
5. Complete reps per side, then switch legs.

Form tips

• Hold a light counterweight at the chest if balance is hard.
• Build the strength with box-assisted pistols first.
• Keep the working heel flat on the floor.

At a glance

Pistol Squat in German & Spanish

Descriptions, instructions and tips ship in all three languages in the JSON.

Related exercises

• Banded Squat
• Barbell Back Squat
• Bodyweight Squat
• Box Squat
• Bulgarian Split Squat
• Dumbbell Front Squat
• Dumbbell Pistol Squat
• Dumbbell Split Squat

Exercise data (JSON)

The record below is exactly what exercises.json ships for this exercise — names, descriptions, instructions and tips in English, German and Spanish.

{
  "id": "pistol-squat",
  "name_en": "Pistol Squat",
  "name_de": "Pistol Squat",
  "name_es": "Sentadilla a una Pierna (Pistol)",
  "description_en": "A single-leg squat performed with the non-working leg extended forward, demanding strength and balance.",
  "description_de": "Eine einbeinige Kniebeuge, bei der das andere Bein nach vorn gestreckt ist und Kraft sowie Balance fordert.",
  "description_es": "Una sentadilla a una pierna con la pierna libre extendida adelante, que exige fuerza y equilibrio.",
  "category": "strength",
  "force_type": "push",
  "mechanic": "compound",
  "difficulty": "advanced",
  "body_part": "upper_legs",
  "primary_muscles": [
    "gluteus_maximus",
    "quadriceps"
  ],
  "secondary_muscles": [
    "gluteus_medius",
    "hamstrings",
    "hip_flexors"
  ],
  "goals": [
    "strength"
  ],
  "tags": [
    "leg_day",
    "calisthenics"
  ],
  "variation_group": "squat",
  "is_unilateral": true,
  "is_bodyweight": true,
  "instructions_en": [
    "Stand on one leg with the other extended forward, arms out for balance.",
    "Hinge at the hips and bend the standing knee, keeping the chest up.",
    "Descend slowly until the back of the thigh touches the calf.",
    "Drive through the standing heel to return to standing.",
    "Complete reps per side, then switch legs."
  ],
  "instructions_de": [
    "Stehe auf einem Bein, das andere nach vorn gestreckt, Arme zur Balance.",
    "Beuge dich an der Hüfte und winkle das Standknie, Brust offen.",
    "Senke langsam ab, bis die Rückseite des Oberschenkels die Wade berührt.",
    "Drücke über die Standferse zurück nach oben.",
    "Wiederholungen pro Seite, dann Bein wechseln."
  ],
  "instructions_es": [
    "Mantente sobre una pierna, la otra extendida al frente, brazos al lado para equilibrio.",
    "Flexiona la cadera y la rodilla de apoyo, manteniendo el pecho arriba.",
    "Baja lentamente hasta que la parte posterior del muslo toque la pantorrilla.",
    "Empuja con el talón de apoyo para volver a subir.",
    "Repeticiones por lado, luego cambia de pierna."
  ],
  "tips_en": [
    "Hold a light counterweight at the chest if balance is hard.",
    "Build the strength with box-assisted pistols first.",
    "Keep the working heel flat on the floor."
  ],
  "tips_de": [
    "Halte ein leichtes Gegengewicht vor der Brust, falls die Balance schwierig ist.",
    "Baue Kraft zuerst mit Box-assistierten Pistols auf.",
    "Halte die Arbeitsferse flach am Boden."
  ],
  "tips_es": [
    "Sostén un contrapeso ligero al pecho si te cuesta el equilibrio.",
    "Construye la fuerza primero con pistol asistido sobre cajón.",
    "Mantén el talón de trabajo plano en el suelo."
  ],
  "met": 6.0,
  "images": {
    "flat": {
      "start": "images/flat/pistol-squat-start.webp",
      "peak": "images/flat/pistol-squat-peak.webp"
    }
  }
}

Fetch just this exercise

const { exercises } = await fetch(
  "https://exercise-dataset.com/exercises.json"
).then(r => r.json());
const ex = exercises.find(e => e.id === "pistol-squat");

Free for personal and commercial in-app use with attribution (“Exercise data by RepDB”) — see the license and ready-made attribution snippets. Redistributing the data as a dataset or API is not permitted.