Weighted Cossack Squats

Description

How to Do Weighted Cossack Squats

1. 1
   Setup

   Stand with your feet wide, approximately 1.5-2 times shoulder-width apart, with your toes pointed slightly outward. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell with both hands at chest height, close to your body.

2. 2
   Setup

   Engage your core, maintain a tall, upright torso, and keep your chest lifted with your shoulders pulled back and down.

3. 3

   Shift your weight to one leg, bending that knee deeply as you squat down while keeping the other leg extended straight out to the side.

4. 4

   Descend until the squatting thigh is parallel to the floor or lower, allowing the foot of your straight leg to pivot onto its heel with the toes pointing upward.

5. 5

   Drive powerfully through the heel of your squatting foot to return to the starting wide stance, maintaining control throughout the ascent.

Tips

• To improve depth and stability, actively push your squatting knee outwards, tracking it over your midfoot as you descend.
• Keep your chest up and core engaged throughout the movement to prevent rounding your back and ensure spinal stability.
• Don't rush the transition; control the movement as you shift weight from one side to the other, focusing on the stretch in the inner thigh of the extended leg.

Common Mistakes

• ×Allowing the squatting knee to cave inward can strain the knee joint; instead, actively drive your knee out, aligning it with your toes.
• ×Leaning too far forward or rounding the back places undue stress on the spine; keep your chest proud and maintain a neutral spine by engaging your core.
• ×Not achieving sufficient depth limits the stretch and activation of the adductors and glutes; focus on lowering until your squatting thigh is at least parallel to the floor, or deeper if mobility allows.