Movement Inc. Official Home Page
Picture the same person doing a single leg squat twice.
Once on a 2 inch high mat.
Once on an 8 inch high box.
The 8 inch box allows her to lift more weight and move more freely.
Why?
It has to do with what’s happening in the non-working leg.
While on an 8 inch box, the non-working leg is relaxed. The leg has enough room to remain partially extended or even move around as you descend and come back up. There’s no forced rotation or flexion of the non-working hip. All of this allows your hip of the working leg to rotate more freely. This allows you to maintain a stable center of mass without rounding your upper back. And a hip that rotates more freely lets the knee track more freely and the ankle dorsiflexion happens with a lot less struggle.
On a 2 inch mat or on the floor, the non-working hip has to flex as you go lower. Nothing wrong with this.
But the working hip rotates less freely now. So you round (flex) your back more to accommodate a deeper position. If you’re holding a weight, this is much less convenient than when you’re nice and upright.
I explain all of this to make a simple point: pistols look cool. But it’s not the most optimal single leg squat. Unless you have very lax or mobile joints, then it makes no difference.
But for most people, a mild elevation of 6-36 inches allows for a much better single leg squat. And you stay more upright allowing you to load the move and be more stable while you’re at it.
If you’re mobility constrained or working your ankle mobility, the height gives you more options on how you can move your hips. You can sit back more or let your knees track more. You can work more gradually towards tracking or greater dorsiflexion angles. It’s your choice. And that’s the key. Nuance in choosing the right exercises that you are comfortable performing to achieve specific adaptations and outcomes.
The lifter is Pavithra Reddy.