Cossack Squat
Sit into one hip, keep both heels down. The Cossack squat asks for sideways range that ordinary squatting never touches, loading the adductors, quads and glutes of the bent leg while the other stays straight. Let the straight leg's heel lift and the range is borrowed rather than earned. It is mobility work that happens to build strength.
Setup
- Stand with the feet very wide, toes slightly out.
- Chest tall, arms free in front for balance.
How To Do It
- Sit into one hip, letting that knee bend while the other leg stays straight.
- Keep both heels down and the straight leg's toe up.
- Push back to the middle and switch sides.
Breathing
Inhale down, exhale up.
Common Mistakes
- Letting the straight leg's heel lift off the floor.
- Going deeper than you can control and collapsing at the bottom.
Programming It
Two to three sets of 6-10 per side.
Why This Exercise Works
Squatting to one side loads one leg deeply while the other is held straight in an adductor stretch. It buys hip range that a straight-ahead squat never asks for, and it exposes side-to-side differences immediately, and most people find one side markedly deeper than the other.
Where You Should Feel It
A deep stretch in the inner thigh of the straight leg and hard work in the bent leg's quad and glute. Most people find one side markedly deeper than the other, which is useful information.
Where It Fits in a Program
Deep sideways range that ordinary squatting never asks for. Do it while you are fresh; the quality of these reps sets the session's tone.
Progressing and Regressing It
To progress the cossack squat: hold a weight at the chest as a counterbalance, or sit deeper. To regress it: hold a support, and squat only as deep as the heel stays down.
Who It's For
Anyone who wants hips that move sideways as well as forward. It is as much a mobility exercise as a strength one, and it exposes asymmetry immediately.
Equipment and Substitutions
No equipment needed. When bodyweight stops being a challenge, change the leverage rather than reaching for a dumbbell.
Related Exercises
- Lateral Lunge · Adductors, Glutes, Quads
- Goblet Lateral Lunge · Adductors, Glutes, Quads
- Curtsy Lunge · Glutes (Medius), Quads, Balance
- Jump Squat · Quads, Glutes, Power
- Belt Squat · Quads, Glutes
- Bulgarian Split Squat · Quads, Glutes, Balance
- Sissy Squat · Quads
- Hack Squat · Quads, Glutes
Common Questions
What muscles does the cossack squat work?
The cossack squat primarily trains the adductors, quads, glutes.
How many sets and reps should I do?
Two to three sets of 6-10 per side.
What are the most common cossack squat mistakes?
Most often: letting the straight leg's heel lift off the floor; going deeper than you can control and collapsing at the bottom.
Can I do this without any equipment?
Yes. This version needs no equipment at all. It trains the adductors, quads, glutes using bodyweight alone, which is why it travels well and works as a warm-up, a substitute, or a full session on its own.
Is this safe if I have an existing injury?
The cossack squat loads the knee and ankle, so stiff ankles or an irritable knee will show up early. Sharp pain at a single point is the one to stop for; a general burn is not. Not medical advice.