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Bodyweight Pistol Squat issue

Whey

Whey

Level 1 Valued Member
Hi, I want some advice on this specific exercise. I'll give you some infos about me.
I'm 29 years old, male, 174 cm per 66 kg, around 9-10% bf.
I broke my left elbow and my right wrist but I recovered. I can raise my arms overhead without any problem. I have chron's disease. I lost a lot of weight but i got back most of them, need the last 4 kgs to be in my usual shape.
I do move well, I don't have many issues with movement in general, I guess I'm not the most flexible person on my hamstring but I'm kinda ok.
The point of this post is I used to pistol squat without any issues. I was used to do 5 pistol squat per leg without my not working foot to ever touch the ground. After I recovered some of my weight and I got stronger I couldnt do a single pistol squat. When I try for one I just "sit down". I tried with a counterbalance (a light kettlebell, 4kgs) and I'm able to pistol squat without any issues.
I just don't understand why I can't weightless anymore.

By the way my dream is to attend all Strongfirst certification.
 
Welcome..

Work the counter balance for now and keep getting stronger

Where are you from?
 
Did you try to do box pistol squat with gradually lowering the box's height? The progression is nicely described in the book named Naked warrior.

Also, the material provided by kneesovertoes guy helped my to achieve my first full cossack squat (not pistol) after years after my bad knee injury, so you may try some ATG split squats as well.
 
jozko said:
Did you try to do box pistol squat with gradually lowering the box's height? The progression is nicely described in the book named Naked warrior.

Also, the material provided by kneesovertoes guy helped my to achieve my first full cossack squat (not pistol) after years after my bad knee injury, so you may try some ATG split squats as weIl.
Click to expand...
I tried with a box and I could pistol squat, but I can't train with a box because I don't have one neither in my place nor in my gym.

I can try ATG split squat to see if it helps, never tried an ATG split squat actually
 
Whey said:
When I try for one I just "sit down". I tried with a counterbalance (a light kettlebell, 4kgs) and I'm able to pistol squat without any issues.
I just don't understand why I can't weightless anymore.
Click to expand...
Welcome to the StrongFirst forum, @Whey.

When I first learned to do a bodyweight-only pistol, I used progressively lighter counterbalance weights to work my way down to bodyweight-only. After using kettlebells, I switched to holding a 5 lb (2.5 kg) plate in each hand, and I bought dumbbells in progressively smaller sizes - 2 kg, 1.5 kg, 1 kg, .5 kg, roughly 4, 3, 2 an 1 lb. It was a successful strategy for me, and I used the 5-4-3-2-1 rep arrangement in training, e.g., when I could manage 5 reps with 2.5 kg in each hand, I added a single rep with 2 kg and built up until I could to 2.5 kg x 5, and 2.0 kg x 4, and just continued that way.

-S-
 
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Whey said:
Hi, I want some advice on this specific exercise. I'll give you some infos about me.
I'm 29 years old, male, 174 cm per 66 kg, around 9-10% bf.
I broke my left elbow and my right wrist but I recovered. I can raise my arms overhead without any problem. I have chron's disease. I lost a lot of weight but i got back most of them, need the last 4 kgs to be in my usual shape.
I do move well, I don't have many issues with movement in general, I guess I'm not the most flexible person on my hamstring but I'm kinda ok.
The point of this post is I used to pistol squat without any issues. I was used to do 5 pistol squat per leg without my not working foot to ever touch the ground. After I recovered some of my weight and I got stronger I couldnt do a single pistol squat. When I try for one I just "sit down". I tried with a counterbalance (a light kettlebell, 4kgs) and I'm able to pistol squat without any issues.
I just don't understand why I can't weightless anymore.

By the way my dream is to attend all Strongfirst certification.
Click to expand...
Don't be disheartened, a non-weighted pistol squat is something I would like to do. For me, ankle mobility - especially the calf is the issue. However, you do can do a pistol squat with a counter-weight at the SFB :)
 
Pistols are hard as ballz. I can BB squat twice BW (550))-yes I am a fat guy) but a.pistol is really hard and i have yet to achieve. I did find offsetting the weight helps and it is much better with weight than without (I guess a balance issue).
 
Steve Freides said:
Welcome to the StrongFirst forum, @Whey.

When I first learned to do a bodyweight-only pistol, I used progressively lighter counterbalance weights to work my way down to bodyweight-only. After using kettlebells, I switched to holding a 5 lb (2.5 kg) plate in each hand, and I bought dumbbells in progressively smaller sizes - 2 kg, 1.5 kg, 1 kg, .5 kg, roughly 4, 3, 2 an 1 lb. It was a successful strategy for me, and I used the 5-4-3-2-1 rep arrangement in training, e.g., when I could manage 5 reps with 2.5 kg in each hand, I added a single rep with 2 kg and built up until I could to 2.5 kg x 5, and 2.0 kg x 4, and just continued that way.

-S-
Click to expand...
I'll try that aswell, thank you. I never tought about using a plate actually.
Inky said:
Don't be disheartened, a non-weighted pistol squat is something I would like to do. For me, ankle mobility - especially the calf is the issue. However, you do can do a pistol squat with a counter-weight at the SFB :)
Click to expand...
Thank you, I really appreciate. You hit the point.
DocMike said:
Pistols are hard as ballz. I can BB squat twice BW (550))-yes I am a fat guy) but a.pistol is really hard and i have yet to achieve. I did find offsetting the weight helps and it is much better with weight than without (I guess a balance issue).
Click to expand...
You are super strong tho, congratulation man! Thank you so much for the kind words!
 
Whey said:
Thank you

I live in Italy! So you suggest to not force the weightless pistol squat, right? At the moment my best rep was with a 20 kg kettlebell
Click to expand...
Si.

Work on your strength and ankle,hip mobility. Over time you may find that you can now access your unloaded pistol squat
 
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