Have you guys tried to see if you can even do one of these.
I’ve lifted weights and squatted over 250 plus pounds or more for years, when I’ve got a bar on my shoulder.
Yet I can’t do one, one legged squat, with no weights.
It was a humbling discovery. I saw some literature by therapists suggesting this exercise for people with ITB problems and weakness—just to show the athlete “the light” about how weak your system is there.
So I go grab 2 35 pound dumbells, thinking this was going to be cinch. Try it for about, oh, 2 seconds, way too hard…then I grabbed the 20s, nope…too much…then the five pounders…nope not even close. How about 2 pounders. Nope…
Hell, I missed this exercise by 35 pounds!
So, then I just decided, how about no weight, can we do it with no weight?
Nope.
There’s some dude on youtube, doing them holding a 45 pound weight out in front. Amazing.
I started doing a workout twice a week used by Chris Chelios in the summer that involves seven exercises repeated in order (he does it for 60 minutes!) and one of the exercises is one legged squats, which I do easily. Is it a balance issue or strength for you?
Whoops, I suppose they are lunges. Either way I can still do one legged squats. Just did one and my wife is looking at me funny. I went down to 90 degrees, no bounce, nice and smooth like regular squats. Sounds like you need to work on your balance (which will help your cycling and running as well) and on your bio mechanics since your knees are going in.
Can you find the you tube of the one legged squat? I would like to see the person squating. One legged squats aren’t easy if done correctly. Speed and position of knee and foot can make a difference.
I don’t know, maybe these are easy for everyone. They are certainly hard for me.
I think using a rubber ball with the non bending leg laying on the ball is probably an easier way to get into this.
I wouldn’t even try the way he is doing it in the video, for the same reason I would do two legged squats going down that far…it’s a great way to destroy your knees.
When I was finishing up physio treatment for ITBS, that was one of the strength tests she had me do. I was able to do it just like that video (no weight though), squatting practically down to the floor. And you’re right, after a couple of reps, my knee felt like absolute hell.
From what I understand, knees going in is a hip strength issue. You’ll want to work on that, too. My PT has me going down about 4". Stand on a step or a couple of books. When I can do 30 on each leg with no breaks, I’m supposed to increase to a step (6-8").
A good hip exercise is to lie on your side with your shoulders, butt, and legs straight against the wall. Keeping your heel touching the wall, raise the top leg slowly and lower it slowly. If you move the heel away from the wall it makes it much easier, but you don’t target the little muscles that will help you keep your knees pointing forward on your squats.
If your knee is going inwards your abductors or adductors or something are weak. Either way, work on your glute medes and the top muscles of your quads, as well as your hamstrings. Your knee flopping all over the place means you’ve got serious strength imbalances. I’m working through ITBS and I’ve got the same problems.
Have you guys tried to see if you can even do one of these.
I’ve lifted weights and squatted over 250 plus pounds or more for years, when I’ve got a bar on my shoulder.
Yet I can’t do one, one legged squat, with no weights.
It was a humbling discovery. I saw some literature by therapists suggesting this exercise for people with ITB problems and weakness—just to show the athlete “the light” about how weak your system is there.
So I go grab 2 35 pound dumbells, thinking this was going to be cinch. Try it for about, oh, 2 seconds, way too hard…then I grabbed the 20s, nope…too much…then the five pounders…nope not even close. How about 2 pounders. Nope…
Hell, I missed this exercise by 35 pounds!
So, then I just decided, how about no weight, can we do it with no weight?
Nope.
There’s some dude on youtube, doing them holding a 45 pound weight out in front. Amazing.
My PT informed me a year ago that I had some serious differences in the size of my legs, probably 10-15 percent difference, as a result my hips were being thrown way out of wack and as my season got longer and the volume piled up I would get injured or really sore. After this past season I started doing individual leg exercises and like you I was amazed at what I wasn’t able to do with one leg. Seated single leg press, I was having problems pressing 15 pounds, like you I could squat and press a lot more with both legs simulateously. So now, every Monday I work all of my leg exercises as single routines. I use a weight or resistance that is tough for my weaker leg and do not move up for the stronger leg. It has helped me considerably.
Squats like that aren’t easy and the guy has good form. As long as you have good knees and go down as he is, your knees should be okay. Even though his knee is going over the toe, knee is going straight over toe and the heel is staying on the ground.
One legged squats are great although I wouldn’t recommend most going down as far as he is going down. Most people aren’t going to hurt knees by going down too far, but will hurt knee when knee twist as going down. Most people doing these squats easy are doing them wrong.
Doing body weight squats like this are great and require balance and good neuro response between the muscles and brain. My weight training workout consist of mainly body wt stuff. Even the big muscle head/heavy lifter should give this stuff a try once in a while.
This should serve as a wakeup call to the ‘downside’ of training specificity.
The glutes are sadly underworked (as well as the core) in all 3 of the triathlon sports.
I can squat dramatically more than you guys, but only because I sacrifice my triathlon performance by adding 8 hrs per week in the weight room. I don’t know if one-legged ‘squats’ are the same as one-legged ‘lunges’, but I regularly work in lunges with 135lbs on my shoulders. When executing it absolutely strictly (with the off leg suspended in the air) it is very difficult.
a couple of years ago I came dangerously close to being able to do a one-armed pull-up…but alas, it proved out of reach for me.
Great for strength and balance. Works guads, hams, gluts and lower leg muscles. Done at home with body wt. Less eccentric strain on legs and better neuro response. Just from the balance required to do squat - may improve running. Will aid in balance - maybe you are running and getting ready to twist you ankle or knee, better balance may prevent you from twisting body. One legged are more sport specific. Good closed chain exercise that offers less stress on the knee especially if go through limited ROM. Limited(partial) one leg squats are great for rehab for the knee and usually safe and recommended by ortho/PT/trainer for strengthen and balance. Don’t recommend for most going down to deep knee bend, though. Could be part of the cure to assit in muscle imbalance that might be causing overuse injuries I also like one legged squats. they are harder than most would think
I knew someone who was into Karate who could knock loads of these off. From memory it doesn’t take long to build up the primarily balance to do them, but they’re pretty hard to begin with.