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Bodyweight Don't have access to weights... Can Pistol squats replace weighted squats??

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Hwan

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As a South Korean, I have to join the army for 2 years soon, and surprisingly, there won't be enough weights in most of the troops in Korea (American soldiers will never expect this situation but weight training is not really prevalent in Korea unlike in America. Many people do lift weights for aesthetics but true strength training is not really popular. It's all bro science bullshit lol)

So, I will have to rely mainly on bodyweight training. I know that I can build super strong upper body and core without super heavy barbells but I'm not quite sure with my lower body and hip power & strength. I know that I can build quite strong legs with bodyweight training such as pistol squats and sprints but can it perfectly replace weighted squats and deadlifts?

Can I actually put more weight on my weighted squats without doing any weighted squat itself and only doing pistols with bodyweight or with some small weights(dumbbells)??
 
Replace for which specified purpose? Mass, no. Raw-Strength? No. Mobility, Strength etc. YES.
 
Yeah... it all depends on what your goals are. Strong for what purpose? In my small world being able to knock out a handful of solid pistols per side is plenty strong enough for my needs.
 
Buy the (to me) "bible" of BW exercises by M. Lauren..yayog. My favourite, because of clear programme structure, mindful progressions, lots of varieties and well written.
 
@Hwan, the list of "this" that can replace "that" isn't a long one and varies from person to person. I don't think you will be well served by trying to replace your current routine with a different one that will yield the same results - it's pretty much impossible.

Do the things that keep you strong and moving well, and don't worry if it's the same or not. And if you lose some poundage on your max barbell squat, so be it - you'll get it back whenever you have time to train with a barbell again in the future.

-S-
 
Hello,

pistol are an excellent exercise to get strong legs and hip / ankle mobility. It will reinforce your core. You can do sets of 2 3 4 or even 5. Reps will create kind of "virtual charge".

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
Perfectly replace? No. Be an awesome substitute since you have no access to weights? Yes. Do what you can, wherever you are, with what you have. You might not ADD to your eventual return to weighted squat, but you'll build great symmetry & single Leg strength and stabilization. Play with countless varieties, start positions and mix them with other single Leg moves (shrimp squats, SLDL, rear foot elevated squats, explosive power starts) for an amazing practice for years to come.
 
As a South Korean, I have to join the army for 2 years soon, and surprisingly, there won't be enough weights in most of the troops in Korea (American soldiers will never expect this situation but weight training is not really prevalent in Korea unlike in America. Many people do lift weights for aesthetics but true strength training is not really popular. It's all bro science bullshit lol)

So, I will have to rely mainly on bodyweight training. I know that I can build super strong upper body and core without super heavy barbells but I'm not quite sure with my lower body and hip power & strength. I know that I can build quite strong legs with bodyweight training such as pistol squats and sprints but can it perfectly replace weighted squats and deadlifts?

Can I actually put more weight on my weighted squats without doing any weighted squat itself and only doing pistols with bodyweight or with some small weights(dumbbells)??

Something to keep in mind, if you enlist as a KATUSA (Korean Augmentee to US Army) you'd likely work on US bases where there are plenty of weights to use. Given your English is rather solid, it should be an option for you.

This comes from my time in Korea last year with the US Army.
 
If you want to have a great bb squat you will obviously have to do bb squats.
But if this is not an option pistol squats will make for a great substitute.
They will teach you a whole lot about creating tension which will directly transfer to your bb squat. If you have access to some ligth weights you can also load your pistols. 10-30kg is all you need.
You might also try shrimp squats or alternate between the two.
 
Hello,

@Hwan
As @Marc said:
If you have access to some ligth weights you can also load your pistols. 10-30kg is all you need
if you can do some weighted pistol ladders you will get huge strength power in legs. The transfer will be quite easy for other moves.

I only use weighted pistols about my 1RM, on a daily basis. Some folks here also use weighted ladders with great success.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
You might be surprise how much of your current strength you can maintain by working pistols when you are in areas that weights are not an option.
 
Big exercises like pistols, swings, one arm push ups and the like all translate extremely well to other big moves.
For example: I have not done deadlifts for nearly 6 months now. In the meantime I worked up to 100 one arm swings with 40kg.
For christmas I visited my parents and did some deadlifts in the basement. I could easyly do 140kg 2 reps every minute on the minute for 30 minutes on the hex bar. That adds up to 60reps with 140kg in 30mins and it was not too taxing. And all I did was one arm swings and pistol squat progressions. Maybe I could not improve deadlifts but I maintained them without doing it while improving new moves.
Do do not underestimate the power of high tension bodyweight moves ;)
 
Personal experience, weighted pistols have strengthened my legs so much and I am definitely putting on muscle in my legs. Its also incredible how much they help with vertical leap and athleticism.
 
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