Legs · Bodyweight
Pistol Single Leg Squat
How to do the pistol single leg squat, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand on one leg with the other extended straight out in front of you. Push your hips back and bend your standing knee to lower into a full squat, keeping your chest up, then drive through your heel to stand back up.
- 1Feel the quad, glute, and hamstring of the working leg drive you down and
- 2up
- 3Keep your extended leg off the floor and your chest tall
- 4Track your knee over your toes through the full range
Common mistakes
- Avoid collapsing at the knee or letting it cave inward
- Don't crash to the bottom; control the descent
- Avoid rounding your back as you reach the bottom
Muscles worked
The pistol single leg squat mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, lower back, upper abs, and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Lower AbsMinor
- ObliquesMinor
- AdductorsMinor
- Hip FlexorsMinor
- Tibialis AnteriorMinor
Kovo programs the pistol single leg squat 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 June 2026.