Side Lunges
Bodyweight Strength - Side Lunges are a phenomenal bodyweight strength exercise and once the bodyweight version is mastered you can easily hold dumbbells in your hands or place a barbell on the front or rear of your shoulders to increase the intensity of the exercise. However, performing this exercise properly simply with bodyweight is actually fairly difficult in and of itself.
The technique of the Side Lunge makes it more like a one-leg squat (a lot like a Pistol Squat) than a lunge, but because of the lunging side stepping movement it is classified as a lunge. To perform he exercise, simply step one leg out to one side (rather than to the front as in a regular stepping lunge) and squat down on that one leg as low as you possible can without rounding your lower back or allowing your heel to lift up. Your other leg will be extended out to the side and you will allow it to tilt towards the inside of the foot, leaving very little weight on it at all.
Because of its similarities to the Pistol Squat and the fact that the other leg is still technically on the ground (rather than raised as in a true Pistol Squat), the Side Lunge is a good predecessor for the Pistol Squat. If you can master the Side Lunge with proper form through its full range of motion (squatting all the way down without rounding your lower back) and begin adding weight with a barbell on the front of the shoulders (as you would on a Front Squat) or by holding dumbbells in your hands (as on a Stepping Dumbbell Lunge) then you should soon be ready to attempt bodyweight Pistol Squats as well.
Disclaimer - We do not recommend performing any exercise without the supervision of a highly qualified bodyweight strength professional present with you. This detailed exercise description is for informational purposes only. Consult your physician before attempting any strength training program or attempting this exercise or any of the other exercises on www.bodyweight-strength.com
The technique of the Side Lunge makes it more like a one-leg squat (a lot like a Pistol Squat) than a lunge, but because of the lunging side stepping movement it is classified as a lunge. To perform he exercise, simply step one leg out to one side (rather than to the front as in a regular stepping lunge) and squat down on that one leg as low as you possible can without rounding your lower back or allowing your heel to lift up. Your other leg will be extended out to the side and you will allow it to tilt towards the inside of the foot, leaving very little weight on it at all.
Because of its similarities to the Pistol Squat and the fact that the other leg is still technically on the ground (rather than raised as in a true Pistol Squat), the Side Lunge is a good predecessor for the Pistol Squat. If you can master the Side Lunge with proper form through its full range of motion (squatting all the way down without rounding your lower back) and begin adding weight with a barbell on the front of the shoulders (as you would on a Front Squat) or by holding dumbbells in your hands (as on a Stepping Dumbbell Lunge) then you should soon be ready to attempt bodyweight Pistol Squats as well.
Disclaimer - We do not recommend performing any exercise without the supervision of a highly qualified bodyweight strength professional present with you. This detailed exercise description is for informational purposes only. Consult your physician before attempting any strength training program or attempting this exercise or any of the other exercises on www.bodyweight-strength.com