Pistol Proficiency

Unfortunately, by pistol proficiency, I am not talking about single handedly clearing an entire hotel like John Wick - I am talking about the far less impressive but far more realistic and achievable skill of the single leg squat… I really like the pistol squat: - It develops unilateral strength (addresses muscle imbalances)

- It improves core stability and joint mobility (handy for injury prevention and efficient movement) - Training pistols enhances your day to day life (makes climbing stairs and getting up off the floor easier, joints don’t hurt as much, etc)

With a lot of skills, frequency is more important than intensity; pick a skill - piano, archery, whatever - and ask yourself would you be better off practicing for 5-10 minutes a day, every day, or would you be better off practicing for 60 minutes once a week? 4 times out of 5 you’d probably pick the 5-10 minutes a day option… So there’s a clue there how you can build your pistol proficiency; frequency is important. Here’s how I do / did it. Frequency Get out of bed (or whenever suits), set a timer for 5-10 minutes and warm up. I like to do a few: - Hindu push ups - Deep lunges with a rotation - Cossack squats - Table with a reach / bridge - Anything else I feel like I need to do After that, I can do pretty much whatever I want to work on… For the purpose of this blog, it’s pistols and pistol progressions: - Controlled reps to a chair - Squats with my feet together - Slow eccentrics with a roll back (make sure you have enough space) - Full reps - Etc I don’t do anything hard or painful - it’s like 06.00 - all I’m doing is making sure my whole body feels good, supple, lubed up and primed for the day, while getting some practice in on a skill I want to develop… I’m not adding weight or anything weird like that… This can also work for things like handstands too, by the way… Intensity Once a week, we do a little more of the “deep work”… This will look different, depending on your ability, so here’s some sample plans / ideas: Beginner: - 3 Sets: 10-20x modified deadbugs, 5x walk outs w/ pause in the stretch position - 3 Sets: 10-20x alternating assisted pistol squats to a box / chair - 3 Sets: 10x bottom position pistol leg raises on each leg (helps if you sit on something) Intermediate: - 3 Sets: 10-20x modified deadbugs, 5x walk outs w/ pause in the stretch position - 3 Sets: 10-20x alternating assisted pistol squats to a box / chair - 3 Sets: 10x bottom position pistol leg raises on each leg - 3 Sets: 5x box / chair pistols on each leg Advanced: - 3 Sets: 5-10x single leg deadlift with knee raise each leg - 3 Sets: 8-12x goblet squat with feet (more or less) together - 3 Sets: 5x box / chair pistols on each leg - 10-20 Reps total: slow eccentric pistols * Please don’t get hung up on the above labels… Tips: - Breathe through your nose - Do these barefoot - Stay consistent - Obviously you adjust the height of the box / chair as you go… Don’t just pick a high box and bounce up and down on it for 3 months… As always, if you need help, come find me! Cheers, ~ Collins

Neil Collins is a personal trainer and movement specialist based in Haywards Heath. With over 15 years of experience, he helps people overcome pain, improve the way they move, and build functional strength and impressive skills.