all posts post new thread

Old Forum Any tips for mastering the pistol squat?

Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
josephtd8421

josephtd8421

Level 5 Valued Member
Hey everyone,

Ive been working on my pistol squats for a couple weeks now ive been able to get down to the bottom of the squat but the hard part is getting back up. In the past I have tried to get these down but my knees always start bothering me. Im making sure my hips go back and my knee stays behind my toes but still seem to have the issue.  Im going to keep GTG but I was wondering if anyone had any tricks that have worked them, maybe a muscle I need to tighten more, or something I should be making sure I dont do haha.

 

Joe Dymnioski
 
Most people who I’ve taught pistols to that were having trouble had an ankle issue holding them back. Try it with a shoe that has a heel. If it works in the shoe, keep doing it. But also do calf raises from an elevated platform to strengthen the calf through it’s (for lack of a better word, linear?) range of motion. Then pistols should be a piece of cake. A strong, balanced, non fattening piece of cake.
 
progressively lower box pistols. and flexing the muscles on the front of your shin can help with the ankle mobility issue kenny mentioned (if that's an issue for you)
 
Thanks for your advice I appreciate you taking the time to respond, but I feel my main issues are my hips its really hard for me to get all the way to the bottom of the squat unless im holding on to something, and when I do get to the bottom I lose all power and cant get back up with out leaning backwards and holding on to something. Ive been doing goblet squats so I could work on what ever is keeping me from getting all the way down And back up but so far no success.



Joe Dymnioski
 
"cant get back up with out leaning backwards and holding on to something"

sounds like your problem is lack of strength and/or inefficiency in the movement, both of which can be addressed via progressively lower box pistols. starting from the bottom position helps to "figure out" the movement.
 
Get a 53 or 70 pound kb and put it on the floor in front of your foot while standing.

Put your foot through the handle and lift the KB off the ground for about 10 seconds. One of my customers lifted her couch off the ground because she didn’t have a KB.

You just strengthened your tibia – the muscle that dorsiflexes the ankle. You have also strengthened your hip flexor – the muscle that pulls you down into a deep squat/pistol.

Enjoy the the automatic mobility gain through strengthening some subtle muscle groups.
 
Awesome , thanks for the ideas everyone im going to implement them into my training regimen. Also i watched this video by Pavel which showed me everything all of you have suggested so now I get a full grasp on what I need to do.

Anyone else reading this that has the same issue this was an amazing video http://youtu.be/GLY1z4Znzuo
Joe Dymnioski
 
Hi Sean,

I'm having a hard time getting a visual on this:

"Get a 53 or 70 pound kb and put it on the floor in front of your foot while standing.

Put your foot through the handle and lift the KB off the ground for about 10 seconds. One of my customers lifted her couch off the ground because she didn’t have a KB."

Is the kettebell facing down, and you kind of do a toe raise with the handle (leaving the heel on the ground)?

Or is the kettlebell upright and you put your foot through the handle and use your legs to lift it off the ground? Your description sounds like this one, but just want to make sure.

Been trying to GTG Pistols on my RoP variety days, but keep falling back at the bottom :s

 
 
Joe, I recommend you find someone local to work with in person.  In lieu of that, please post a video link here so we can actually see what's happening in your pistol.

-S-
 
I'm no expert, but getting down is the easy part! Getting up is where strength really comes into it. The stronger you get, the easier it is to get up.

When I first tried pistol squats I was doing CrossFit (I couldn't get down or up and needed serious band/bar assistance). After doing some powerlifting and a lot of squats, I tested my pistol squats and discovered I could do them (okay on the right, not so well on the left).

After getting busy with work and not doing so much lifting... my pistol squats also suffered and I couldn't do them anymore! (I'm back up to being pretty competent with the right and struggling somewhat with the left).

I discovered that if I hold a 12kg kettlebell while attempting a pistol squat on the right, I can get down but not up. I can't get down at all on the left! So I guess the thing is just about building more strength. To work on my left side, I'm doing pistols with slight assistance (from a chair that gives a bit of added balance).
 
This is great resource from Karen Smith, Master SFG:

http://www.girlsgonestrong.com/exercise-spotlight-pistol-squats/
 
Joe - I could do pistols a couple of years ago. I started from the bottom up, all worked fine. Holding a deep narrow squat, sticking one leg out and balancing, to going back up. And then full. Although I didn't know it then but I guess I gtg'd them. I did singles often. Built upto 5 each leg. At the time I was fine with that. I tried to do them recently and couldn't manage even to balance!! I have had knee issues but I'm really surprised that I've lost the ability completely. I'm working on some ankle and hip mobility but I tend to think I'm more mobile and stronger generally than I was when I could do them. I've lost stability in that position for some knee reason, maybe we have similar issues! It is something that I feel awkward about investigating as a doctor will just say, 'so you can't go down on one leg to rock bottom and come back up again.....why on earth would you do that?'.......we are talking quite extreme ranges here, well as compared to the general population. It is something I would like to do but I'll wait until I can do a deep narrow and stable squat. Mine isn't there just yet, not solid anyway. And as that very helpful post said too maybe single leg deadlifts would be a good compliment. Good luck with them.
 
Hey Everyone,

Just realized that this thread from over a year ago became active again, Thanks for all of the tips I appreciate it.

Since this post unfortunately I had to take a break off trying to get these pistol squats down. I went to a Physical Therapist which said I had a case of ITB Syndrome on my left leg, which is the leg I was having an issue with and had the clicking in my knee. The Therapist said I needed to strengthening and stretch my glute med to start to correct this issue. I had worked on this for quite some time and made no progress knee still clicks to this day. It then turned into a risk reward situation and I decided to work on other goals until I can get this issue under wraps.

I am trying to find a good Physical Therapist that is familiar with the FMS and Strongfirst in New Jersey. Unfortunately I have not been able to find any. If any of you know of any in my area please let me know.
 
Joe, if your doctor is OK with a trainer helping you stretch your gluteus medius, I'm happy to assist (I am in NJ) but check with your doctor.   There are some movements we do that will help with that, and of course, you can Google "gluteus medius stretch" and find many if you wish to try on your own.

-S-
 
Steve,

That would be amazing I would love to be able to work with you, My doctor has cleared me for any work he said it was minor, where in New Jersey are you located?
 
Joe, email me, please, using the link at the bottom of the main page at

http://www.kbnj.com

and we can continue the conversation that way.

-S-
 
I very highly recommend here, http://fflmarlboro.com/

Tom Phillips, Charlie Weingroff, Steve Puciarelli.  All three are great guys, very smart and great at what they do!
 
I'm so close to the pistol.  I can't wait.

Pistols are a movement we've really been working hard at the gym for the past seven weeks.  For me, it's just been a lot of reps, starting with pistols to a chair.  Initially I was very unstable and had terrible balance.  Now the stability is there at that depth and I'm going lower to stacks of yoga blocks in the gym, or the couch at home.  Stability is again the issue at the lower depths.  I also do full depth pistols with TRX bands, just using them as much as I need, or keeping a light touch on the wall.

Practice, practice, practice.  At least, for me.
 
Get evaluated and see what you might have work restrictions etc.

Also, have you tried training the airborne lunge?
 
Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
Back
Top Bottom