Assisted pistol squat

A single-leg squat with light hand support on a wall, building the strength and balance for a full pistol squat.

How to do it

1. 01Stand side-on to a wall with one hand lightly on it, balance on one leg and extend the other leg forward.
2. 02Sit your hips back and bend the standing knee to lower slowly, knee tracking over your toes.
3. 03Go as deep as you can with your heel down and back straight, keeping the free leg off the floor.
4. 04Drive through the standing foot to rise, using the wall only as needed; do all reps on one side, then switch.

Common mistakes

• Pulling hard on the wall — keep the touch light and let your leg do the work.
• Standing knee caving in — keep it in line with your toes.
• Dropping into the bottom — lower slowly and stay in control the whole way.

In the Squat progression

1. 1Wall sit
2. 2Squat
3. 3Reverse lunge
4. 4Split squat
5. 5Cossack squat
6. 6Assisted pistol squat
7. 7Pistol squat