- EquipmentBodyweight
- PatternSquat
- Reps5 to 15 reps
- Joint loadKnee
- One side at a time
Stand with your feet very wide, toes turned slightly out, hands in front for balance.
First cueKeep the bent leg's heel down.
How to do the Cossack Squat
Set up. Stand with your feet very wide, toes turned slightly out, hands in front for balance.
- Shift your weight to one side and squat down on that leg.
- Keep the other leg straight with its toes pointing up.
- Push back up to the middle.
- Alternate sides.
Form cues
- Keep the bent leg's heel down.
- Keep the chest up.
- Go only as deep as you control.
Common mistakes
- Letting the bent knee cave inward.
- Rounding the back to get lower.
Muscles worked
Main target: Adductors. The adductors line the inner thigh. They draw the leg in toward the body and help hold the hip and knee steady in a squat.
Its other side: Abductors, in the inner and outer hip pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Cossack Squat, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Monster Walk Superset partner: it trains the other side of the inner and outer hip pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Nordic Curl Same legs session: it trains the hamstrings.
- Single-Leg Calf Raise Same legs session: it trains the calves.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Cossack Squat first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Cossack Squat 3 × 5 to 15 reps
- Monster Walk 3 × 10 to 25 reps
- Nordic Curl 3 × 3 to 10 reps
- Single-Leg Calf Raise 3 × 8 to 25 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Lateral Lunge
Dumbbell
Gym or cable swap
Cable Hip Adduction
Cable
Less load on the knee
Cable Hip Adduction
The Cossack Squat loads the knee by the catalog's joint rule, the one the app's workaround mode uses; this one does not.
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: Lateral Lunge.
Do before it: Lateral Lunge (same movement, lighter), 90/90 Hip Switch (hip range), Deep Squat Hold (same movement, lighter) and Couch Stretch (hip range).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Cossack Squat is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Cossack Squat?
Set up: Stand with your feet very wide, toes turned slightly out, hands in front for balance. Steps: 1. Shift your weight to one side and squat down on that leg. 2. Keep the other leg straight with its toes pointing up. 3. Push back up to the middle. 4. Alternate sides. Form cues: Keep the bent leg's heel down. Keep the chest up. Go only as deep as you control. Common mistakes: Letting the bent knee cave inward. Rounding the back to get lower.
What muscles does the Cossack Squat work?
It trains the adductors as its main target and works the quads and glutes on the way.
What can I do instead of the Cossack Squat?
At home: Lateral Lunge. In a gym: Cable Hip Adduction. With less load on the knee: Cable Hip Adduction. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Cossack Squat with?
Good partners in the same workout are Monster Walk, Nordic Curl and Single-Leg Calf Raise.