Legs · Bodyweight
Pistol Squats
How to do the pistol squats, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Expert
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand on one leg with the other leg extended in front of you. Squat down on the standing leg as low as possible, keeping your chest up and core tight. Push back up to standing.
- 1Feel your quad, glute, and core working to lower and raise on a single leg
- 2Keep your non-working leg extended and your chest upright
- 3Balance through the center of your foot and control the descent
Common mistakes
- Avoid collapsing your knee inward or letting your heel lift
- Don't rush; use controlled, shallow range if needed
- Avoid rounding your back; hinge at your hips slightly
Muscles worked
The pistol squats mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, lower back, and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
Kovo programs the pistol squats for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More quads exercises
- How to do the resistance band squat
- How to do the resistance band squat to press
- How to do the resistance band thruster
- How to do the resistance band squat walk
- How to do the barbell squat
- How to do the barbell bulgarian split squat
Last reviewed April 2026.