One leg squat will help you to develop incredible power and strength in your legs, flexibility and balance. This exercise is one of my favorite ones because there are more varieties of the one leg squats that are even more difficult. I still haven’t perfectly mastered the basic one, because as you can see in the video, my leg is not fully extended in front of me. It is not a big mistake, you can start by having the leg bent and closer to your body and as you get stronger, your posture will get better. Start by standing on one leg, heel planted into the floor and have the other leg and both arms extended in front of you. Before you start to squat down, contract your hip flexors, glutes, abs and basically tighten your whole body. Start to squat down until the back of your legs touches your calf. Once down in this position pause and then drive back up. Be carefull not to have your knee extended forward too much
If this exercise is too hard for you, start squating with your feet together – place most of your weight on one leg. Once you develop more strength you can start taking more and more of your body weight on one leg until you are strong enough to complete this exercise. You can also squat with a box behind you that you can sit on. As you get stronger you can do it without the box and slowly increase the depth of your one leg squat. This is a power move, but it also is excellent for developing balance and stability.
Best,
Zuzana
hey zuzana! I just wanted to know how you keep yourself motivated and how you keep going with your workouts?
Hi Isabella, I am just really enjoying it and I like to be active. I am kind of addicted to it.
incredible!! i just tried to do that n i can’t!
Zuzana,
I don’t know if people realize how well put together this new program is! I was in a bit of a workout slump- not feeling that motivated to keep pushing hard- but when I visit your site you re-spark my imagination again. The best part about what you are doing is giving both fit and unfit people options. The options you gave for one- legged squats was just brilliant!
This site is such a good resource for anyone interested in being the best they can be- athleticly and otherwise.
You are the real deal… Thanks.
omg.,,thanks .,,i just tried to do it but i can’t…i really want to get reall flexible and learn how to do a split .i just started trying today and all i can say is it isnt easy…what u just did was super difficult btw:)
nope….i can’t do it! :(
And we’re getting addicted to you!!! I’m!
Whe are you gonna release a DVD with all your vids so far?!
But in HD, so I’ll be able to watch you in my 50 inch LCD !
I am absolutely loving the Summer Fitness workouts, and am actually starting to workout alot to get in good shape for summer. I just want to know, out of all of the many videos you have posted which series do you think is the most affective. Or which one has given you the best results?
Wow thats amazing! Just found your website, its fantastic – well done. I’ve been doing the gym thing for 2 years now with mediocre results. How can I get ripped, toned muscle like you?
Hi i just want to ask you why can t i manege to do this exercises i have a large sport history what muscle group i need to develop and exercises to do to finaly do this one leg squat?
In order to do this squat, you have to practice this squat. There are no other exercises that will help you to do this squat. Try the easier varieties that I have described above and practice frequently.
Zuzana! you are sooo strong, it’s unbelievable! I’ve been trying to do this exercise and I just can’t go down so low like you. I thought my legs were pretty strong ‘cuz I’ve been doing squats for 2 months. What a disappointment :(
Hi Zuzana, how much activity or working out do you do in a day? Or how much should I do burn as much fat as possible.
wow! how do you keep the heel of your bent leg flat as you go down!?
OMG Zuzana, that is impossible for me to do!!! I just tried it and I fell over! Lol…
Wow! Although I wouldn’t even try to do that. I think I’ll subsitute something easier on the knees
Hi Zuzana, I’m not trying to demerit your work or anything, I think your workouts are great and I do a lot of them myself, but in the gym my instructor told me that it’s not good for your knees to bend them further than a 90 degrees angle. Thanks for the workout it’s real hard and it helps a lot
Alberto, that is not truth, bending your knees down as far as possible is actually less strain on your knees than stopping the movement at 90 degree angle.
Great job Zuzana!!! Thanks for the variety in the workouts i luv it. :)
I almost fell over! I can get up but I can´t get down, I felt like a a giraff trying to sit down… (they can´t) I guess I’ll use a large pillow before try it again :p
i tried it but i cannot bend the knees all the way down i just manage to slightly bend them. :(
I can do 1one and a half then I fall over. But this week I’ve learnt to skip without planting my face firmly into the floor, so I expect that this is just a few practices away :o)
Really looking forwaard to seeing what torture you have waiting for us in the next installment…
Hi Zuzana,
Thanks for great excercise!!
I have tried to do this one and i can do 3 with my right leg but only 1 with my left lol!
How can it be that my right leg that much stronger?
Actually since finding your website i have lost 4 kilos and nearly 5% of body fat..Thanks and keep up with good work!!
Hi Tanya, it may seem that your right leg is stronger but it is not about the muscles really. Your right side is just more coordinated. Strength is never about muscle size. Simply put – you have muscles that are already strong enough, you just have to learn how to use them.
Zuzana
Very impressive muscle control you have. I notice your obliques are looking more defined than before … great core control also helps majorly in this exercise.
If I may suggest for those who try this but find their legs ‘give out’ past 90 degrees, try using the back of a chair as support, but only lightly touch it – don’t make it a full support, but as a spotter, and as you improve your strength and technique you will find it isn’t really required.
Excellent site, brilliant information and very inspirational Zuzana. As a Sports Massage Therapist strong core and good physical strength are essential to me, your routines are helping me to remove the boredom from the rigidity of the usual training schedule – though I must admit, you do put me to shame on so many exercises.
And congratulations on your ISSA training. I’m sure the future holds many good things for you and your husband in this industry. Keep it up.
:o)
love it, not for beginners… next level stuff for sure. Thanks for the great workouts!!! Coach George
This is impressive, Zuzana! I got ways to go before I can do this one but at least started practicing it. Can’t do even one but, hopefully, after integrating the advice from the people in this forum, I can soon brag about my coordination and powerful legs :)
i’m surprised! i can actually do this one, i just don’t go down as low as you do :D thanks!
i want every exercisese video
Hi Zuzana?
Where are you teach in Canada? Vancouver?
you are unbelievably unbelievable. i cant even go half way down.
Hey there Zuzana, Im Sabrina. I just wanted to know how long it took you to get the body that you have now?
My whole life :)
I love this website, and all the trainings.
I really love your website Zuzana. I am new to working out but I saw something on Fit tv a while back which might help people master this move. It was about a man trying to get in shape and he chose karate as his exercise. In one of the clips he is shown trying to master side kicks and his instructor has him hold the pose for a bit. So that’s it. Work on building up your time holding your leg extended while you stand still as one part of your workout. I’m still trying to master regular lunges so I’m going to work on this later. Also anyone remember the story about the two guys in a bar one big and muscular and the other one is skinny. The skinny one bets the big one that he can’t hold a glass in his arm extended for five minutes continuously. The big guy scoffs and takes the challenge and after a very short time he starts to sweat and his arm begins to tremble. The big man does not last the whole five minutes. The big man then challenges the little guy to do the same and the skinny guy easily hold a glass in his hand with his arm extended. Obviously the skinny guy had been practicing that one move but nothing else. Hope somebody finds this useful.
Hi Zuzana,
Your site is great and videos are great to follow. I just have 1 small problem with them. You are obviuosly in great shape and can do most of these exercises easily, however, I and I’m sure lots of other people watching your videos, aren’t in such great shape. Is there a way that you could show an alternate way of doing a hard exercise, say, if you’re a beginner, do it this way, and once you are a bit stronger, do it this other way. I don’t know if you get what I’m saying, but it would be very helpful. I find that sometimes, if I can’t do a certain exercise that you do easily, I get frustrated, and tired and then I just quit. Starting with an easier pose may help.
HI Francesca,
some of the workouts are for more advanced people, but a lot of them are also for complete beginners. You just have to start with a workout that suits your own fitness level and gradually progress to more advanced workouts. 40 minute workout, or Rock your body workout for example is for all levels and you can always decrease or increase the intensity by varying the weights, sets, or reps.
Hi Zuzana, thanks for your great website and workouts, I really enjoy them.
There are some exercise that I can’t do exactly yet, like this one for example.
So my question is: what’s better
to help myself with a chair and do full one leg squat
or to go as far as I can without using a chair?
Looking forward to hear from you soon!
Hi Natalia, you can use the chair or a box if you need to. Don’t push yourself too hard, make a slow steady progress. You can actually use a box that you sit on and then try to get up using one leg. If you can try to sit down again on the box or a chair, standing on one leg. You can increase the depth of your one leg squat slowly progressively as you get stronger.
cool! I CAN do it using a chair, thanks for your advise.
Natalia
I know this position well! It’s a variation of “shoot the duck” or sit-spin in figure skating. :o) Zuzana is right, it develops incredible strength and balance. Thanks so much for including this in the circuit!
I’m so sad now…
This is the third excercise I can’t do it.
Hi Zuzana! Can you please post the rep count for all the exercises in this summer circuit?
Thank you very much.
By the way, fantastic clips by a great instructor with amazing form.
Hey !
im new to this and i was wondering wats the best exercise to tone my whole body also to lose fat. U have too many i cant choose. I cant do weights though. I want to wear a bikini without showing flubber. I am 15 yrs old so i no i should be careful for wat i do. Also the 6 week summer fit how come u only do for 6 weeks or can u continue with the workout after those weeks are over
pls reply, THANKS
Thanks I really needed this.