Exercise Guide
Cossack Squat
A deep squat over one leg with the other extended straight out to the side. Equal parts strength and hip mobility, and a fine test of both.
IntermediateStrengthPushCompound
Form
Start
Mid
End
Illustrations by Bryl Lim for Workout Guide, after Everkinetic. Used unchanged under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Details
Primary Muscle
Quads
Equipment
Bodyweight
Difficulty
Intermediate
Category
Strength
Force
Push
Mechanic
Compound
Secondary Muscles
GlutesAdductorsCore
How to Perform
- 1
Stand with your feet very wide and your toes pointing slightly out.
- 2
Shift your weight onto one leg and squat down over it, keeping that foot flat.
- 3
Let the other leg straighten with the toes coming off the floor.
- 4
Push back up to the wide standing position and repeat on the other side.
Tips
- ★Hold a light plate at your chest as a counterweight - it makes staying upright far easier.
- ★Heels down. Rising onto the toes means you have gone below your current range.