One-leg squat

[exter]

Hey,
I can get past parallel in a one leg squat with my right leg (leaning my fingers against the wall for balance) but can only get to 2/3 parallel with my left leg.
Do you know how i can fix that
Thanks

[El Viejo]

Here's an easy exercise to improve your strength in a one leg squat aka 'pistol'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmzRysSj2T4


Edit: There was supposed be a smiley face up there.

[exter]

Hum.
Thank you for deepening the affliction caused by my lack of coordination.
More seriously , I'd really like to know what I should stretch to get past parallel with the left leg (I am a righty by the way).

[Regin Smidur]

Its probably a "strength" issue (strength in parenthesis because how much usable strength a pistol requires is debatable) rather than a mobility issue. I say this because in a pistol you can round your lumbar as much a you desire, so this should allow you plenty of mobility to get to rock bottom. I would perform negatives, timing each second of the descent with a metronome and trying to beat that time each week.

[stonerider]

Hey,
I can get past parallel in a one leg squat with my right leg (leaning my fingers against the wall for balance) but can only get to 2/3 parallel with my left leg.
Do you know how i can fix that
Thanks

go lower

[Kregna]

Here's an easy exercise to improve your strength in a one leg squat aka 'pistol'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmzRysSj2T4


Edit: There was supposed be a smiley face up there.

Lol that can't be good for your knees or safe in general?!

I learnt to do pistol squats in like a week when I wasn't particularly strong. The beastskills website method is what I used, where you hold onto a door frame with 2 hands and lower yourself. When you can do 5 reps with a leg, you hold onto the frame with only 1 hand next time. When you can do 5 one-handed assistance pistol squats you do it with no hands.

I think I did it every day for that week. Anyway just do that with your weaker leg

[exter]

I don't think it is a strength issue. (I squat 200pounds for a triple @ 160lbs roughly)
I have very long legs and a short torso , and I don't do pistols like everybody (I don't keep the non working leg straight out in front of me, but I do bend it and keep it behind my body as I descend) .
I did them with a 22 lbs dumbbell on my shoulder and they helped me get some depth , but i still can't get past parallel no matter how hard i try.
I can't even get to 1/4 depth when keeping my non working leg out in front of me.

[hamburgerfan]

Why do you want to do pistols?

[exter]

I have lower back and upper back and neck pain. I also have knee pain after barbell squats and have gotten a pretty serious hip injury.
Barbell squats just destroyed me , i can't even do them properly because of my morphology (very long legs).
I won't do them , or at least lay off of them for a while. I think pistols are just awesome , I have very sore legs the next day and no knee pain.

[stolpsTDI]

I just screwed up my knee, and this is what my PT is having me do to improve ROM, might work for you?

Wrap the foot of this leg with a towel, and then put a loop of rope/strap/something to pull on around the middle of your foot - holding one end in each hand. Laying on your back, flex your knee as far as you can with your hamstring, and then pull it farther with the rope (pull till it hurts a bit). Count to five and then extend as far as you can with your quad. Repeat 10 times.