In Stirling, every day is Leg Day.
Unless you've been practicing pistol squats as part of your training, you are likely not doing them frequently. Pistol squats are one-legged squats that take some serious mobility, strength and balance to pull off and are often called "the ultimate lower body exercise." We are introducing them today in our workout, but I HIGHLY recommend you practice these often - several times a week if you can fit it in. They look like an innocuous movement that you should be able to nail the first time. I can tell you, from extensive personal experience, you could not be more wrong.
Pistol squats require joint and tendon mobility and muscle strength in order to coordinate the exercise in a repeatable fashion. One workout with these won't be enough, but they are a worthy goal during the Stirling program and they will be in future workouts. If you have bad knees or knee/ankle mobility issues, stick with JUST the Chair Pistols until that resolves.
What gear do I need?
- Ruck
- Sandbag
- Sturdy post/door frame
What exercises do I need to know?
Assisted Pistol Squats You will need a sturdy post, door frame, or a strong door handle for this movement. Begin by gently grasping the post out in front of you with both hands. (For the first reps, do not wear a ruck - if you're solid, you can put it on after a few tries on both legs.) Straighten your left leg, pointing your heel to the ground, about 6" from the floor as you walk your hand down the post. Slowly go down into a squat until your butt is sitting on your bent calf, inches from the ground. Your straight leg should still be hovering above the ground. Then walk your hands back up the post as you rise, pushing into the ground with your squatting leg.
We highly recommend you watch this video guide.
Ruck Pile Drivers Holding your ruck in both hands, begin by squatting and briefly tapping your ruck to the ground. Hop up as your ruck raises up past your chest and arrives overhead.
START HERE
20 x Frog Jumps These are the bottom of a burpee - hop out to a plank, hop in to a squat.
15 x Deep Squats w/ Ruck Hold your ruck out in front, straight arms, feet slightly wider than hip width. Squat low as you can go, feet planted on the ground, NO heel lift, and then stand back up.
We're warming up for a pistol squat progression later in the workout, but you need to do these first, without a ruck:
10 x Pistol Squats into a chair Put a chair behind you (preferably not something soft). Lift both your arms up, parallel to the floor. Lift your left leg up straight about 6", heel pointing to the floor. Carefully and with control, sit back into the chair, let your butt touch the seat, and then stand back up. Repeat reps on the other side.
WORKOUT x 3 Rounds
- 12 x Assisted Pistol Squats (each leg - ruck optional, depending on how you maintain posture)
- 20 x Sandbag Walking Lunges
- 12 x Sandbag Squats
- 12 x Ruck-Only Hand Release Push-Ups
- 20 x Sandbag Front Raises
- 12 x Ruck Pile Drivers
- 12 x Burpee w/ Sandbag Hop Overs (wear your ruck)
- 20 x Ruck Russian Twists (hard count)
- 12 x Sandbag Reverse Lunges (hard count)