Exercise Profile
- Target Muscle Group
- Exercise TypeStrength
- Equipment RequiredDumbbell
- MechanicsCompound
- Force TypePush
- Experience LevelIntermediate
- Secondary Muscles
Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings
Target Muscle Group
Quads
Dumbbell Pistol Squat (On Bench) Instructions
- Choose a dumbbell and place a flat bench near a Smith Machine or something that you can hold on to for stability.
- With the dumbbell in one hand, stand securely on the bench and grab hold of the support beam with your other hand.
- Your working leg will be the leg opposite to the hand that's holding the dumbbell.
- Hold the dumbbell by your side with your arm fully extended and descend by flexing the knee of the working leg and continue until your hamstring touches your calf.
- Using your heel to drive into the bench, push your body back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for desired reps and then repeat while holding the dumbbell in the opposite hand and using your opposite leg.
Dumbbell Pistol Squat (On Bench) Tips
- This exercise requires a good deal of balance and is not recommended for those with balance issues. Be sure to learn the movement using very lightweight or your body weight.
- Do not use the arm holding on for support to aid in lifting your body. Focus on pushing your weight with your quads and hamstrings.
1 Comment
The person demonstrating the exercise should keep his heel on the bench and stick out his glutes more while going down. Going up onto his toes like he his doing shifts the weight through his knees, which can cause pain, especially for someone who already has weak knees.