Pistol — Heavy Counterweight + Heel Flat

Squat · reps · unilateral Same heavy counterweight, wedge removed — now the ankle does it on its own.

The movement

The full-depth pistol with the heavy counterweight (~5–8 kg) still held forward, but no heel wedge — the foot is flat on the floor. This is where full ankle mobility is required: the heel must stay anchored through the whole descent with no wedge to help. The counterweight still handles balance.

Set-up — and what each part is for

  • Foot flat on the floor, no wedge. → feel the heel stay planted through the deepest point — this is the level’s test.
  • Counterweight ~5–8 kg, arms extended forward.
  • Free leg forward, off the floor; torso upright.

The rep — rehearse it before you do it

  • Descend in 2–3 s: knee bends, hips back, torso leans forward, counterweight reaches out. → feel the ankle bend deeply with the heel staying down; quadriceps and glute control the descent.
  • Bottom: hamstring near/on calf, 1 s hold, heel planted.
  • Drive up through the whole foot; torso returns vertical.
  • Switch sides after all reps on one side.

Breathing

Inhale on the descent, exhale on the drive up; brief brace at the bottom is fine.

Watch for

  • Heel lifting at the bottom → the defining test; if it rises, ankle range is the limiter, not strength — keep the wedge level (6) as your working level and do ankle drills, re-testing this monthly.
  • Severe forward collapse → some lean is needed; a collapse can mean the ankle is being compensated for by over-leaning.
  • Bouncing → controlled pause.
  • Free leg dropping → hip flexor fatigue; set over.

Within the level

  • Harder: lighter counterweight (toward the next level); slower descent; pause.
  • Easier: re-introduce a small heel wedge (back to level 6); a fingertip for balance.

Dose

Test a clean max per side, then practice at half of the weaker side rounded down, capped at 5 reps per set, same count both sides, weaker side first, spread through the day. If this stalls for weeks, the cause is almost always ankle mobility — hold level 6 as the strength level and work the ankle in parallel.