Pistol squat compared to barbell squat - with calculator

 When you don’t have access to a squat rack and weights what would be the best way to train your legs?

This is a tough question that no one seems to have a clear answer. In this article I’m going to teach you different bodyweight and weighted single leg exercises and find out how the loading parameters compare to the regular back squat.

A while ago I wrote an extensive article “Guide to single leg training”. Link here:

https://twoworkouts.blogspot.com/2020/08/guide-to-bodyweight-and-weighted-single.html

It was a bit too long and detailed so I thought I would rephrase it and also write a guide to all the single leg squat progression.

Single leg squats compared to back squat

There are two ways to estimate the load being lifted for the single leg squats. Simple method to estimate the equal back squat load is to estimate that the whole bodyweight is lifted and not take into account rotating forces. A more accurate way to calculate the actual load takes rotating forces into account and the fact that you're not lifting the weight of the calves and thighs. [5] There is a slight difference in the load numbers for these methods. The simple method produces a 5% higher load for the equal back squat. 

Split squat loads the front leg with about 75% of the bodyweight which equals to about 0.61xBodyweight actual load. Bulgarian split squat loads the front leg with about 85% of bodyweight actual load being around 0.71xBodyweight. Actual load on the full squat is around 0.77xBodyweight since you are not lifting your calves or thighs. So the actual load per working leg is 0.39xBodyweight for bodyweight squat. 

Note that these are just average values so depending on the weight distribution the real world numbers are different. This is just to give you some reference on the actual load being lifted compared to back squat, give you an estimate on your strength levels and create a base for the progression model. 

ATG pistol squats require a good ankle mobility. If I was more flexible I could do this with better form.

Actual load on the working leg

Full Squat         0.39xBodyweight

Split Squat         0.61xBodyweight

Bulgarian split squat 0.71xBodyweight

Single leg squat         0.86xBodyweight

Equal back squat load

Split Squat         0.45xBodyweight

Bulgarian split squat 0.65xBodyweight

Single leg squats         0.95xBodyweight

As you can see the equal back squat load for single leg squats is not much. So if you are working with bodyweight only you will reach a high rep count fast. Adding a moderate amount of weight will help you to mitigate this issue or adjusting time under tension to make workouts more time efficient.

If you wish to calculate equal back squat on your own use equation:

Weight = 2x Actual load multiplier x Bodyweight - 0.77xBodyweight

So for example single leg squat (with actual load being 0.86xBodyweight) this would be:

Weight = 2x0.86xBodyweight-0.77xBodyweight = 0.95xBodyweight

Here is a table for single leg squats with various bodyweights so you don’t have to count:

Bodyweight    Equal back squat (95% Bodyweight)

60kg 57kg

65kg 62kg

70kg 67kg

75kg 71kg

80kg 76kg

85kg 81kg

90kg 86kg

Table 1. Bodyweight and equal back squat when squatting with single leg

Loading the single leg squats

If you load the single leg squats you need to double the weight you are using when calculating the equal back squat load. For split squats use the weight distribution multiplier (0.5..0.8) also for the added weight since the addtional load is divided between back and front leg. The heavier the weight gets the more weight distribution multiplier will change towards a lower number since the back leg will naturally start to assist more.

Equal back squat load with added weight:

Split Squat         0.45xBodyweight + 2x(0.5..0.6)xWeight

Bulgarian split squat 0.65xBodyweight + 2x(0.7..0.8)xWeight

Single leg squat         0.95xBodyweight + 2xWeight

For lighter loads use the larger multiplier and for heavier loads use the smaller multiplier. Let say you want to work with a weight that is equal to 1.5xBodyweight back squat. You should use around:

1.05xBodyweight added weight to Split squat 

0.6xBodyweight added weight to Bulgarian split squat 

0.28xBodyweight added weight to Single leg squat 

So for example for 70kg athlete this would be:

73.5kg for Split squat

42kg for Bulgarian split squat

20kg for Single leg squat

In order to calculate equal back squat:

Weight = Equal back squat multiplier x Bodyweight + 2x(0.5..1.0)xWeight

For our 70kg example the Single leg squat is with 21kg added weight:

Weight = 0.95x70 + 2x20 = 106.5kg ~ 1.5 x 70kg

As you can see with the Bulgarian split squat and Single leg squats you will reach an equal load of 1.5x Bodyweight squat with moderate weights.

I made a calculator for single leg squats on google drive which you can use:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sY4UJXt7HUuY5z4JAqx7kldinDf9VTpQOC5wBxxYXQE/edit?usp=sharing

Save a copy to your own Drive to enable editing.

Now that we have a rough estimate on the actual load we can make recommendations on the exercise progressions. The following progression is based on the actual load of the exercises. 

Single leg squat progressions

Here are the bodyweight and weighted single leg squat progressions. I recommend you work your way up to the single leg squats and then pick two single leg squat variations you wish to work on. If you have good balance and mobility you could choose Pistol Squats and Elevated skater squats. If you don’t have the mobility for the pistol squats work your way up using the Step Up, Elevated pistol squat or the Ring supported pistol squat.

In case you really have difficulties doing any form of single leg squats work your way up to the Elevated bulgarian split squat and then start adding weight to that exercise.

1. Supported Squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O934_wamlGk

Actual load ~0.3xBodyweight

Use a table, backrest of a seat or door handle to perform this exercise. Assist with your arms to maintain balance.

2. Full Squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlBiYwfhz0M

Actual load ~ 0.39xBodyweight

Pre-requirement: 12 reps of supported squat to get 6 reps

Go as low as you can comfortably go. Try to squat down to parallel or lower. When you run out of mobility you will start to fall back.

3. Split squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGHnCftrZkA

Actual load ~ 0.61xBodyweight

Pre-requirement: 12 reps of full squat to get 5 reps

Use controlled movement and pause at the bottom on each rep. This will ensure that you are not cheating through reps. Start this exercise from the bottom position.

4. Bulgarian split squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Aqeb8UHl4k

Actual load ~0.71xBodyweight

Pre-requirement: 12 reps of split squat to get 6 reps

Make sure you are comfortable in the bottom position. One of the most common mistakes is to use too much elevation for the back leg. Standard gym benches or chairs are too high for most. Knee of the back leg should easily touch the ground in the starting position. Start from the bottom and make sure you pause at the bottom of each rep and let your knee slightly touch the ground.

5. Skater squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRnLZadW5Q0

Actual load ~0.86xBodyweight

Pre-requirement: 12 reps of Bulgarian split squat to get 5 reps

This is the first unsupported single leg squat in this progression. Start from the bottom position. Place your non working leg closer to your body than in the split squat. Put your arms straight in front of you and lean forward. When you feel the weight shift towards the ball of your feet press up. If the weight is mostly on the heel you will have difficulties maintaining balance. You can use small weight plates or dumbbells of 1-2kg/lbs in your hands that will work as counterbalance in the beginning. This will make the exercise easier. 

Single leg squats with increased range of motion

Actual load ~0.86xBodyweight

Pre-requirement: 10 reps of Skater squat to get 5 reps

Not all single leg squats are the same. Depending on how deep you go will determine how many reps you will get. For example deep step up or elevated pistol squats done with full range of motion are much harder than elevated skater squats on low elevation. Also the emphasis between quads, glutes and hamstrings changes depending on the exercise. Counterbalance weights can be used for all single leg exercises if needed.

6.1 Elevated skater squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i-h84fZkXo

Use slight elevation depending on your mobility. You need to be comfortable in the bottom position with the knee touching the ground. Start from the bottom position. Place your non working leg closer to your body than in the split squat. Put your arms straight in front of you and lean forward. When you feel the weight shift towards the ball of your feet press up. If the weight is mostly on the heel you will have difficulties maintaining balance.

6.2 Step up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qam8p1aTxRQ

Start from the bottom position. Lean forward to find balance. When you feel the weight shift towards the ball of your foot press up. On the way down let your toes or heel touch the floor slightly on each rep.

6.3 Elevated pistol squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRpTaPKE8-w

This is an easier version of the pistol squat and highly recommended. This is like the step up but the non working leg is in front of you. Let your heel touch the ground on each rep depending on the height of the elevation.

6.4 Pistol Squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1mxpLzYgxM

Pistol squat requires good mobility and balance. That's why it's recommended to learn other easier variations first such as the Elevated pistol squat, Step up or elevated Skater squat.

6.5 Ring supported pistol squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ATZsRwrTiU

Use straight arms to eliminate assistance from the upper body and lean backwards. Use long straps so that your arms are facing forward instead of upwards. You can adjust the knee angle in the bottom position depending on how far you stand from the anchor point. In order to find the right distance do this squat first with two legs before attempting the single leg version. 

6.6 Deficit bulgarian split squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehOSns-w3EI

Use a small step to elevate the working leg. Make sure you don't feel too much stretch on the bottom position. Start from the bottom like in the normal bulgarian split squat.

Weighted single leg squats and special techniques for bodyweight only

When you can do at least 12 solid reps of the Single leg squats with increased ROM you can start to add weight. Use a weight vest, dumbbells or kettlebells as load. I made a list of ways to add weight to the single leg squats in the next section. 

In case you don’t have access to weights or just wish to stick to bodyweight only check the exercises in section 7.5 and 7.6 which increase the time under tension for the squats.

7.1 Weighted Elevated skater squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33TmfzRmRSA

7.2 Weighted Step up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0g2kKvYu7k

7.3 Weighted Elevated pistol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wEEsp3uEjY

7.4 Weighted pistol squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN-wQc5dJIY&t=20s

7.5 Weighted ring supported pistol squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHVd554tK_E

7.6 Weighted deficit bulgarian split squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMQi0qA_V-k

7.7 Selected single leg squat 1.5 reps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atQx8k1wEyI

See the section below “What to do when you reach +20 reps” for instructions

7.8 Selected single leg squat with no top lockout

See the section below “What to do when you reach +20 reps” for instructions

Isolation exercises and quad dominant squats

Here are useful quad dominant squats and isolation exercises for the quads. You can use these as the last exercise in your leg routine.

8.1 Heel elevated single or two leg squats  - the quad squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB8QewGsIX4

Use a slant board to elevate your heels. This will shift the focus to the quads. You can do quad squats with weights or do single leg quad squats.

8.2 Natural quad extension

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeH8BVVELis

Use an exercise mat or pillows as cushion. Lean back with controlled movement keeping the upper body straight. Don’t go any further as comfortable. Pause at the bottom part of the movement. If you feel any discomfort in your knees it's recommended not to do this exercise.

8.3 Sissy squat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwcpzy1C6UE

Sissy squat is a controversial exercise since it can cause some knee pain for some athletes. If you feel any discomfort in your knees it's recommended not to do this exercise.

8.4 Banded quad extension

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9x_pvhSGaA

If you have resistance bands available you can do these as quad finishers in your leg training session. Use some cushion between your ankle and the band such as a small towel or pad.

Ways to load single leg squats

The best way to load your single leg squats is using adjustable dumbbells by hanging dumbbells in front of you. It is a safe and versatile way to load your squat and you don’t have to go up in weight in big jumps. Hang the weights in front of you like you do in a bulgarian split squat. This way if you fail a rep you are in a better position exit without injury. Zercher or gobbled type holds carry a bigger injury risk. If you lose your balance what do you think will happen?

• Ways to load single leg squats and some key points:
• Adjustable dumbbells - easy to adjust, help with the balance, low risk of injury
• Weight west - expensive compared to dumbbells if you want to go heavy
• Sandbags - hard to adjust to right load
• Barbell with Zercher grip - hard to balance, zercher grip is uncomfortable for most
• Kettlebells - non adjustable
• Dumbbells - adjustable dumbbells are better for this purpose. Small dumbbells work great for counter balance
• Weight plates with handles

Depending on the additional weight available you want to increase the weight once you have reached the top of your selected rep range. If the weights go up in small increments you can use a narrow rep range 5-7, 6-8,7-9 etc. If the weights go up in bigger jumps you might have to work in a wider 6-10rep range for example and add weight when you can get 10reps on your first set.

What to do when you reach +20 reps

With some of the bodyweight exercise progressions you will face limitations if you are unable to use the weighted variations. As you get stronger you will be soon able to perform over 20 reps of some exercises. It's commonly accepted that best strength and muscle gains come from training in the moderate rep range 6-12reps. But it does not mean that higher or lower rep ranges are useless. 

In “Strength and Hypertrophy Adaptations Between Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis” [1] several low-load training studies were collected and analyzed.The researchers found out that:

"The findings indicate that maximal strength benefits are obtained from the use of heavy loads while muscle hypertrophy can be equally achieved across a spectrum of loading ranges."

Which means that you can make muscle gains when working at higher rep ranges. But in order to make the higher rep ranges work you need to train to failure or very close to it on each set to reach full muscle fibre activation.[2] With loads below 20% of the 1RM the muscle gains seem to diminish, producing less and less muscle growth.[3] This means you can still make some muscle gains working up to the 40rep range. But high rep work doesn’t produce maximal strength benefits so don’t expect to gain much strength from low loads.

How to make high rep training time efficient

In order to make your high rep training more productive and less time consuming I recommend you use the following strategy to reach failure faster on your high rep sets.

Keep constant tension on the muscles through your set by reducing the range of motion a bit. Avoid top lockout since in this position the tension in the working muscle is lost. And in the bottom position avoid resting the weight so that you don't lose tension on the bottom.

For example with push-ups you would stop the motion before you reach the top and in the bottom position don’t rest your body on the floor.

This will mimic the occlusion effect since it limits the blood flow in the muscles. It is used for example in Myo-reps to reach higher muscle fibre activation faster so your activation set does not take too long. Limiting the blood flow to the muscles will make you reach full muscle fibre activation faster. [4]

So if your workouts start to look like this: Set 1 25reps, Set 2 22reps, Set 3 21reps  etc. and your workouts start to resemble a marathon instead of a strength training session, try limiting the range of motion to reach failure and full muscle fibre activation faster.

Of course you can continue to train with normal straight sets to failure but it will take long to finish your workouts and generate more overall fatigue.

For example when I reached 20+ reps for pistol squats I started doing 1.5reps to increase time under tension. I did about 30% less reps for this style of training around 8 reps of 1.5reps which equals to 16 normal reps. By limiting the range of motion I would reach failure with 12 reps which made the training session much faster. So I reached failure with 50% less reps and generated less overall fatigue. It depends on the exercise and individual how much faster you will reach failure compared to the straight sets.

Workout examples:

Here are training examples you can implement on your current routine. There are options for fullbody and split routines. Check out my workout template on google drive to make your own workouts

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tdm2q44E_76uyHKVzAvN4P3-I0ZanqRp4GoB8eUh5Aw/edit#gid=0

 Save a copy to your own Drive to enable editing.

Two leg workouts a week

Example A 8sets per week (one exercise per session)

If you are training with upper lower split or full body where you are training quads 2x week. Workout could be done simply like this 

Workout A

Skater squat 4x to failure or weighted skater squat 4x6-8 rep range

Workout B

Pistol squat 4x to failure or weighted pistol squat 4x8-10 rep range

Example B 10-14sets per week (two exercises per session)

For upper lower style split with 2x lower body sessions a week

Workout A

Pistol squat 3-4x to failure or weighted pistol squat 3-4x8-10 rep range

Step up 2-3x to failure or Weighted step up 2-3x10-12 rep range

Workout B

Deficit skater squat 3-4x to failure or Weighted deficit skater squat 3-4x6-8 rep range

Deficit bulgarian split squat 2-3x to failure or Weighted deficit bulgarian split squat 2-3x10-12 rep range

Example C Bodyweight only using 1.5reps 10 sets per week

For trainees who can do 20+ reps for pistol squats. If you are training with upper lower split or full body where you are training quads 2x week. Workout could be done like this 

Workout A

Elevated pistol squat 1.5reps (or limited ROM) 3x to failure 

Skater squat 3x to failure

Workout B

Deficit skater squat 1.5reps 4x to failure

 

One leg workout a week

Example D One leg workout a week (9-10sets per week)

For Push/Pull/Legs or bodypart split routines where you train legs once a week (9-10sets per session)

Workout

Pistol squat 3-4x to failure or weighted pistol squat 3-4x6-8 rep range

Step up 3x to failure or Weighted step up 3x8-10 rep range

Bulgarian split squat 3x to failure or Weighted bulgarian split squat 3x10-12 rep range or Quad isolation 3x to failure (natural quad extension, sissy squat etc.)

Don't forget the hamstrings

Above examples include only quad centric exercises. For a complete leg workout add 3-4sets of hamstring work of your choice (nordic curl, hamstring curl etc.) and 3-5sets of calf work (single leg or weighted)

That’s all for now. Hope this helps others to make better progress with bodyweight and weighted single leg workouts!

[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28834797/

[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20711498/

[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20618358/

[3] https://www.lts.fi/media/lts_kuntotestaus/ktp19/ktp19_james_krieger_sunnuntai_esitys2_materiaalikansio.pdf

[5] https://exrx.net/WeightTraining/Bodyweight

Interested in Bodyweight Strength Training?

This one is for those who are interested in practical information in one small package.

Get Guide to Bodyweight Strength Training at Amazon.com

I did my best to gather all the information between these covers so that you can make the best progress possible. It is a textbook with some math. But you can skip the math part and read the best parts. I don't mind!