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Kettlebell exercises

Box Pistol: The Single-Leg Squat to a Box

Stand on one leg in front of a low box and lower yourself for three seconds until you touch it. Stand back up without sitting. It builds the strength and control of a pistol squat.

Strength · 2 min read

Why it works: Chapter 13, Why stretching your hamstrings will not loosen them

How to do it

  1. 1

    Find a low box

    A box, step or low chair about knee height. Stand with your back to it, one foot in the middle, close enough that you sit straight down onto its edge.

  2. 2

    Lift the other foot

    Hold the other foot just off the floor in front of you. Arms reach forward to balance you.

  3. 3

    Down for three

    Bend the standing knee and send your hips back, taking three seconds to lower. The knee travels over your toes and the heel stays down.

  4. 4

    Touch, don't sit

    Touch the box lightly with your bottom. Keep your weight on your foot. Do not rest or rock.

  5. 5

    Stand tall

    Push through the whole foot and stand all the way up on one leg. That is one rep. Do 5, then switch legs.

  6. 6

    The test

    Every rep is slow on the way down and you stand up without rocking or pushing off the box. When you can't, the set is over.

Watch for

  • Dropping onto the box. The slow lowering is the work.
  • The knee caving in. Keep it over your middle toes.
  • The heel lifting. Keep your whole foot on the floor.
  • Rocking to get up. If you need a swing, use a higher box.

Questions

How high should the box be?

High enough that you can stand up from it on one leg without rocking. Start around knee height. Go lower as you get stronger, until you reach the full pistol squat.

Is the box pistol a real strength exercise?

Yes. All of your weight goes through one leg, slowly, in a deep bend. That is a heavy load for the thigh and the hip, with nothing in your hands.