Pistol and Shrimp Squats

Legs are where bodyweight training needs the most creativity. My answer is single-leg work: pistols up to 1.2× bodyweight (holding a weight in front), and shrimp squats up to the advanced shrimp. The goals are a 1.35× bodyweight pistol and the two-hand shrimp.

Single-leg strength also makes running and jumping feel better, and exposes left/right differences that bilateral squats hide.

The ladders

Pistol: parallel squat → full squat → side-to-side (Cossack) squat → pistol → weighted pistol at increasing multiples of bodyweight.

Shrimp: lunges → split squat → beginner shrimp (rear knee down, holding nothing) → intermediate → advanced (holding the rear foot) → two-hand shrimp → deficit and weighted versions.

Prerequisites

• Ankle mobility. A pistol needs a lot of dorsiflexion; heel-elevated squats can bridge the gap.
• Knee and foot control: big toe pressed down, knee tracking over the toes.
• Split squats for basic single-leg strength first.

Cues

• Pistol: reach the arms forward as a counterweight; push the knee out over the toes; stay tall rather than folding.
• Shrimp: lean forward to counterbalance; lower slowly; touch the rear knee down without crashing.
• Weighted pistol: a kettlebell held in front actually helps the balance; it’s the leg that has to cope.
• Weaker leg first, every set.

Programming

• Three sets of five per leg, adding a rep per session, then add load or move up the ladder.
• Box pistols (sitting back to a box) to build range gradually.
• Pair with hinge work for the back of the legs: Nordic curls, reverse hyperextensions, single-leg bridges.
• On running-heavy weeks, keep single-leg work to one session.

Common mistakes

• Heel lifting on pistols: an ankle mobility issue, not a strength one.
• Knee caving in under load. Lower the weight.
• Rushing depth. Slow, pain-free range beats deep and rushed.

Sources

• Overcoming Gravity (2nd edition), Steven Low: squat and shrimp squat columns.
• r/bodyweightfitness Recommended Routine: squat progression.
• Zone 2 Training, for how this fits around running.