In order to keep up with the times, a person must first of all be in excellent physical shape. Moreover, not everyone manages to allocate enough time for training, and therefore visiting gyms can often be replaced as an alternative option for training at home. This type of exercise is the "pistol", which got its name because of the characteristic position of the body when it is performed.
"Pistol" is a rather complex and ambiguous physical exercise, despite the seeming simplicity of its execution. For many, it is well known since school time, when all students easily performed it in physical education lessons. However, many adults have difficulty preparing to perform it correctly.
If you try to assess the strengths and weaknesses of this exercise, then of the obvious "contraindications", only weakness of the joints and muscles of the legs can be noted, while its correct implementation has in many ways only a positive effect, very seriously strengthening, including the vast muscle mass of the legs and buttocks. The obvious preferences of the "pistol" include the absence of the need to use sports equipment, since the performance of physical exercise is based solely on working with one's own body.
Moreover, according to experts, the "pistol" loads the lower body no less than during athletic exercises with a barbell, the weight of which is comparable to the body weight of a training person. However, in the case of a heavy projectile that directly affects the back, it is necessary to guarantee the absence of pathological conditions of the spine and back muscles. In this context, the "pistol" is a more accessible type of physical exercise, since it does not load this part of the body. In addition, squats on one leg, in addition to gaining muscle mass in the lower extremities, are aimed at improving body coordination.
Effects on muscles and knee joint
Pistol exercise can be safely attributed to an element of comprehensive training for gymnasts, skaters and crossfit athletes, as it develops a lot of muscles. When it is performed, the main load falls on the quadriceps and gluteal muscles. However, when the body moves, the muscles of the supporting leg are additionally connected and those that stabilize the position of the body. This category of muscles includes the muscles of the thigh and lower leg, adductors, as well as the abs and back muscles.
In addition, one should not forget about the leg that does not participate in the active phase of the exercise, because it also receives its share of physical activity as a stabilizer. Therefore, she turns on the sartorian and comb muscles, the quadriceps, as well as the fascia lata tensor.
In addition to developed muscles and coordination of movements, the "pistol" exercise implies sufficient elasticity of the ligaments and flexibility of the hip, knee and ankle joints. Moreover, the implementation restrictions, as a rule, are associated with their insufficient functionality. It is important to take into account that the main load is on the knee joint, because the exercise involves bending the knee at an acute angle until the back of the thigh is in full contact with the gastrocnemius muscle.
Therefore, potential performers of this exercise need to carefully assess their capabilities in terms of the condition of the knee joint. And if problems with it are identified, it is necessary to abandon the "pistol" to avoid serious damage. If your health condition allows you to do squats on one leg, then before doing the exercise, you must thoroughly warm up and stretch. It should be clearly understood that the "pistol" does not "forgive" negligence in this type of training.
In addition, it is important to remember that the exercise is performed in a consistent strength rhythm, excluding sudden movements. And until the muscles, ligaments and joints get stronger and become accustomed to the given loads and range of motion, training should be carried out using a support. This additional element of the exercise will initially promote smooth and confident squats and stands without jerking.
Exercise technique
The pistol exercise should be started with the correct stance, which implies an even vertical position of the body, in which the legs are shoulder-width apart. And then the following manipulations with the body should be performed.
All weight must be transferred to one leg on which the squat will be carried out. In this case, the other lower limb should come off the floor. Hands in this case will play the role of a balancer. They can be pulled out to the sides or forward.
Next, you need to smoothly and with very concentrated squatting on the supporting leg. Simultaneously with this movement, you should raise the other leg straight in front of you. It should not bend, and at the same time the pelvis is retracted. The back remains as straight as possible.
The lower point is characterized by the position of the body in which the free leg is parallel to the floor surface, the back of the thigh of the working leg is pressed against the calf muscle, and the bent knee protrudes beyond the toe.
After reaching the bottom point, you should push off the floor with the heel of the bent leg with maximum force. This action must be performed after the buttocks and all the muscles of the supporting leg have been very tense. For the correct execution of this movement, it is necessary to remember that it is very important to exclude jerks.
Simultaneously with lifting the body, it is necessary to smoothly lower the free leg. After extending the knee of the working leg and lifting the pelvis, there will be a feeling of careful study of the leg muscles.
The practice of doing the pistol exercise involves several approaches. Moreover, each time you need to do as many squats-ups as possible, eliminating excessive overstrain. Usually, among the performers, there are few such "pistols" who would be able to complete more than ten repetitions in one approach. Well, in the case when a physical cultured can do the pistol exercise more than 20 times, the load should already be increased due to additional weight or more complex manipulations with muscles.
Preparatory exercises
Usually, not every person can perform the pistol exercise on the first try. For beginners, it is precisely that phase of it when you need to get up from the bottom point is especially difficult. This is not even due to muscle weakness, but solely because of the load that is unusual for many. Therefore, it is necessary to start preparatory physical activity before performing this exercise.
The most effective exercises for preparing for the "pistol" can be considered the following two.
The first is to simply stand on one leg for 30 seconds. Despite the seeming ease, this training is not at all such in practice.
The second exercise is based on one-legged squats. Moreover, the free leg should be on the floor without loading it. It is advisable to train at first, using a solid support.
The next step is to carry out the "pistol" in full, but again with the use of support. In this case, one or both hands are held by it. The handle of an open door can be used as a suitable support, for example. The most convenient option can be considered the position when at the lowest point the door is between the legs. In the process of training, the role of support should gradually decrease. So, after holding it with your hand (s), you should proceed to the next stage, when the wall will already act in its role, on which you need to lean with your shoulder.
In this case, a convenient position will be considered when the athlete is sideways to her. Then the loss of balance during the exercise "pistol" will be eliminated by simply touching the wall with the shoulder. At this stage of preparation, the wall, as a rule, begins to play more of a psychological role.
Recommendations
To strengthen the strength of the legs and gluteal muscles, exercises with a barbell or dumbbells, which are designed for squats, can be used as preparatory measures for performing the pistol exercise.
In addition, the Smith machine is ideal in this context, on which you can also perform squats on one leg. At the same time, we must not forget about the necessary warm-up and stretching, which will increase the elasticity of the tendons and joints, which is of paramount importance when performing this kind of load.
Summarizing all of the above, it should be said that the "pistol" is a worthy exercise that allows you to pump the muscles of the legs and buttocks quite well. And to improve its effectiveness, it is necessary to take a deliberate approach to training, observing the correct execution technique and regularity of training. It is important to constantly monitor the condition of the joints, and if you feel even the slightest discomfort, you should immediately reduce the load.
