The Secret youth athlete Exercise for Success

“The legs feed the wolf!” The largest muscle groups are located in the lower half of the body, so it would seem to be common sense to train the legs. Squats, deadlifts, lunges, leg presses, and leg extensions are often the most popular exercises for working the legs. All are good exercises, as they train and challenge each side of the body. But there’s one exercise that often gets overlooked: The pistol squat. To truly develop healthy power, stability, and range in the lower body, the pistol squat should be incorporated.

Lower Body Athlete Power

Weights are a great tool for training, but athlete development programs often overlook the need for isolated power. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the body, especially for a developing athlete, is essential. Sports often create “imbalances,” and while imbalances are a part of sports life, it’s important to be able to control them. Knowing the strength output of each side can help increase speed, acceleration, and strength in sport.

Lower Body Athlete Stability

Strength and power are important, but without stability, they are less efficient and, therefore, less effective. Many athletic programs focus on building strength and power, but to truly use that power, stability is needed. The ability to balance while squatting on one leg allows the body to identify and develop smaller muscles that sustain the strength and power of the lower body. The pistol squat is a great way to test the stability and power of the lower half.

Lower Body Athlete Range of Motion

The range of motion brings the greatest efficiency of power. It’s like squeezing all the toothpaste out of the tube—range of motion allows the greatest use of muscle as a team. Often, athletes don’t have complete control over their movements and wonder why, despite working their legs, they don’t get faster or more powerful. Pistol squats are a great foundational exercise that, if developed properly, will increase the body’s ability to complete the full range of motion, allowing for better muscle recruitment during athletic movements.

The secret to gain the upper hand!

The pistol squat is an excellent exercise that is often underused in training programs. It’s great for developing power, stability, and full range of motion. Though it’s underrated and advanced, with the proper progression, a developing athlete can gain a significant advantage over the competition.

#unleashthepotential

Written by:
Kirill Vaks
BA, CSCS

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Voorhees Flyers Training center.

The Hollydell ice arena, in the main building.