single leg squats ? useful ?

[Bill]

Do many folk use single legs squats as a leg exercise ? Are they considered to be useful ? Or is one better off simply doing heavy pushes on the erg ?

With the lockdowns and lack of gym access and lack of gear at home I thought they might be a way of making the legs work a bit harder.

I don't mean the pistol squats but rather standing on a box / step / platform and letting the free leg dangle in space.

I find that if I go down to full depth something seems to switch off completely and leg simply will not move at all when brain send the signal to push up again, absolutely nothing there, so currently doing progressions ie step ups & step downs to fix that - don't really notice this switching off with two legged squats and the rowing stroke.

Bill

[jamesg]

seems to switch off completely

That's the lack of leverage due to the knee angle. Best keep it open, to about 45°to avoid risk. See cycling and deadlift knee angles for the opposite extremes of speed and force.

This on the rowerg too: keep the slide well away from your heels (50cm), if necessary with a frontstop, so that you can push hard and fast with the legs.

Using ergdata you can see the estimated average and peak handle forces as well as power and pace, so apply the force you think adequate to the need.

[Dangerscouse]

Single leg squats, and lunges, are really good exercises to do. Also doing prisoner squats will be helpful as you won't be going past a right angle, and they are also adding a different challenge for the core muscles

[Ombrax]

I've been doing goblet squats for a few years and find that they can really be killers.

[hjs]

The good thing about 1 legged squats is they are backfriendly. When you get stronger you can load them with a weight.

When you are a beginner, you can start on a higher box, and slowly it untill you are below horizontal.

[Bill]

Thanks for the answers, helped me to see things differently, will keep on with the progressions.

[T_M]

I cycle them in with back and front squats. I can't do full pistols due to lack of mobility in my hips and knee but I can go as low as a 17 inch box. I will go a bit higher to a 20 inch box and do those while holding a 45 lb kettlebell. As Henry said, they are back friendly and will train any muscular or strength imbalances you might have. Also excellent for overall balance as we age.

[mict450]

I think jumping squats would be more useful for erging/rowing, if you can tolerate them. Probably no more than once, twice per week.