Kettlebell Pistol Squats for leg development and functional strength
Posted Aug 24 2008 5:48pm
Training at home with kettlebells kicks ass! It really does. I mean think about. You workout in the privacy of your own how home without having to waste time travelling to and from the gym. It is free. You don't have all the losers and weirdos doing curls in the squat rack or screaming while lifting one hundred pounds off their chest. You don't have to listen to muzac, or easy listening while trying to train like a maniac. Training at home is the best. But....
Training your legs at home without a barbell is pretty darn tough. I know, my legs shrank when I left the gym for a while in favour of home gym, kettlebell only training. The key to training your legs without going to the gym are Hill Sprints, and Pistols. Hills Sprints are great for fat loss, leg strength and improving speed and explosiveness. Check out my Hill Sprints article here .
Pistols are a different beast. First off, I suck at them. And by suck at them I mean I can't do them. It is not that I am too weak, but I am too darn tight and inflexible! They frustrate the hell out of me to be honest because I really want to be able to do them. I have tried and tired and the best I can manage is Pistol Box Squats to just below 90 degrees. I will keep working them but the fact is I will have to keep barbell squatting instead. Anyways, if you don't know what a Pistol Squat is, watch the video below.
Pistol Squats will build leg strength, correct muscle imbalances in and around the knees, promote mobility in the hips and ankles, and improve core strength. I suck at them, but it doesn't mean you will, so give them a try and your legs will thank me later!
Training at home with kettlebells kicks ass! It really does. I mean think about. You workout in the privacy of your own how home without having to waste time travelling to and from the gym. It is free. You don't have all the losers and weirdos doing curls in the squat rack or screaming while lifting one hundred pounds off their chest. You don't have to listen to muzac, or easy listening while trying to train like a maniac. Training at home is the best. But....
Training your legs at home without a barbell is pretty darn tough. I know, my legs shrank when I left the gym for a while in favour of home gym, kettlebell only training. The key to training your legs without going to the gym are Hill Sprints, and Pistols. Hills Sprints are great for fat loss, leg strength and improving speed and explosiveness. Check out my Hill Sprints article here .
Pistols are a different beast. First off, I suck at them. And by suck at them I mean I can't do them. It is not that I am too weak, but I am too darn tight and inflexible! They frustrate the hell out of me to be honest because I really want to be able to do them. I have tried and tired and the best I can manage is Pistol Box Squats to just below 90 degrees. I will keep working them but the fact is I will have to keep barbell squatting instead. Anyways, if you don't know what a Pistol Squat is, watch the video below.
Pistol Squats will build leg strength, correct muscle imbalances in and around the knees, promote mobility in the hips and ankles, and improve core strength. I suck at them, but it doesn't mean you will, so give them a try and your legs will thank me later!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tQYww3hFTLM