Pistol Squats: How to Progress, Benefits, Plus 8 Workouts

Maggie

5 Rounds for Time

• 20 Handstand Push-Ups
• 40 Pull-Ups
• 60 Pistols (Alternating Legs)

Score is time on the clock after finishing the last set of 60 pistols.

Good Times for “Maggie”
– Beginner: 53-61 minutes
– Intermediate: 37-48 minutes
– Advanced: 27-31 minutes
– Elite: 19-24 minutes

You may scale down to intermediate level by performing 3 rounds instead of 5.

Maggie is a CrossFit “girl” benchmark WOD.

Atalanta

This workout was part of 2020 CrossFit Games.

For time:

• 1-mile run
• 100 handstand push-ups
• 200 single-leg squats
• 300 pull-ups
• 1-mile run

Women: 14-lb. Vest

Men: 20-lb. Vest

Perform all reps unpartitioned, meaning finish all handstand push-ups before moving on to pistol squats.

Score is time on the clock after finishing the last 1-mile run.

Tapdance

8 rounds of:

• 20 freestanding shoulder taps
• 10 pistol squats

This is a workout to focus on your skill, rather than time.

Workout by David Scharff.

Open 20.4

For time:

• 30 box jumps
• 15 clean and jerks, 65 | 95 lb.
• 30 box jumps
• 15 clean and jerks, 85 | 135 lb.
• 30 box jumps
• 10 clean and jerks, 115 | 185 lb.
• 30 single-leg squats
• 10 clean and jerks, 145 | 225 lb.
• 30 single-leg squats
• 5 clean and jerks, 175 | 275 lb.
• 30 single-leg squats
• 5 clean and jerks, 205 | 315 lb.

Women: 20 inch box

Men: 24 inch box

Time cap: 20 minutes

Mary

AMRAP in 20 minutes

• 5 Handstand Push-Ups
• 10 Pistols (alternating legs)
• 15 Pull-Ups

On a 20-minute clock, complete as many rounds and repetitions as possible of the prescribed work in the order written: 5 Handstand Push-Ups followed by 10 Pistols followed by 15 Pull-Ups.

Score is the total number of rounds and repetitions completed before the 20-minute clock stops.

Good Scores for “Mary”
– Beginner: 7-8 rounds
– Intermediate: 9-12 rounds
– Advanced: 13-16 rounds
– Elite: 17+ rounds

Mary is a WOD that requires above-average gymnastics skills. It is possible to scale down by reducing the number of reps in each round.

Intermediate

20 minute AMRAP

• 2 handstand push-ups
• 6 pistols (alternating legs)
• 10 pull-ups