Pistol squats
4 sets of 3-6 reps per leg, 90 s rest. Use assistance until you can do full reps.
- Slot
- Strength
- Focus
- General strength
- Time
- 10 min
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Injury risk
- Moderate
- Intervals
- 4 rounds, 1:30 rest
- Equipment
- Floor space, Chair support
How to do it
A pistol squat is a squat on one leg, with the other leg held straight out in front. Hold a door frame or pole, or squat down to a box, and lower slowly on one leg with the knee tracking over your toes, then stand back up. Do 3-6 reps per leg, 4 sets, with 90 seconds rest. Reduce the assistance over the weeks until you can do full, controlled pistols.
Who it’s for
High steps, rock-overs and standing up out of deep positions on one leg. Climbers tend to have strong legs in short ranges and nothing at the bottom, which is exactly where a high step lives.
Common mistakes
- Knee falling inward. It tracks over the toes. If it caves, use more assistance and fix the pattern before adding reps.
- Dropping into the bottom. Lower slowly. The controlled descent is where the strength is built.
- Rounding the back to get the free leg up. Hold it as high as you can with a long spine; range in the free leg comes later.
- Dropping the assistance too fast. A wobbly full pistol builds less than a clean assisted one.
How to progress
Squat to a box and lower the box, or hold a door frame with fewer fingers each week. Once you can do six clean reps a side unassisted, hold a light weight in front of you, which acts as a counterweight and lets you sit deeper.
When it fits
The training periods this exercise fits into in Blok Sessions.
- Base Lots of easy climbing, good movement and aerobic fitness.
- Deload Train less, let your fingers recover, keep moving.
Related blocks
Start with a ready-made block
A six-week strength plan with a deload, as a file for the app, and seven short emails on how to run it.