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Single Leg Squat With Support (Pistol) animation

How to do the Single Leg Squat With Support (Pistol)

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The supported pistol squat is one of the most demanding single-leg strength movements you can perform with just your bodyweight, requiring elite levels of quad strength, hip mobility, and balance working in unison. Master this and you build bulletproof unilateral leg strength that transfers to every athletic demand you face.

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Muscles worked

Primary
Quadriceps
Secondary
GlutesHamstringsCalves

Step-by-step

  1. Stand on one foot near a support, extend the opposite leg forward parallel to the floor, and lightly hold the support with one or both hands for balance only.
  2. Initiate the descent by pushing your hips back slightly and bending the standing knee, keeping your chest tall and your extended leg lifted throughout.
  3. Lower under full control until your standing leg reaches or passes parallel, resisting the urge to collapse inward or shift your weight onto the support.
  4. Drive through your entire standing foot to press back to the top, squeezing the quad hard at lockout before beginning your next rep.

Common mistakes

  • Collapsing the knee inward under load — consciously drive the standing knee out over your pinky toe throughout the entire range of motion.
  • Relying heavily on the support arm to pull yourself up — use the support only for balance, not assistance, or you rob the working leg of its training stimulus.
  • Letting the heel rise off the floor at the bottom — if this happens your ankle mobility is the limiting factor, so elevate the heel slightly on a small plate until mobility improves.

Pro tip — At the deepest point of the squat, pause for a full second and consciously re-engage your glute and quad before driving up, eliminating momentum and exposing any strength gaps that passive descent tends to hide.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 6–10 reps
Get stronger4–5 sets × 3–6 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 10–12 reps

Rest: 2–3 min between sets (60–90s on lighter days).

More Legs exercises

Barbell Bench Front SquatBarbell Bench Front SquatBarbell Front Chest SquatBarbell Front Chest SquatBarbell Full SquatBarbell Full SquatBarbell Good MorningBarbell Good MorningBarbell LungeBarbell LungeBarbell One Leg SquatBarbell One Leg Squat
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