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Isaac Callihan

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July 30, 2024

All About the Cossack Squat

A variation of the squats, Cossack squats is an advanced bodyweight training exercise. While in the standard version of a squat, the load is placed equally between both the legs, this exercise is done using a single leg while the other leg is kept straight out. Here's a video demo!

Though the Cossack squats may look like a simple exercise, it poses quite a challenge and needs you to have a minimum level of coordination and balance. This is because, in a Cossack squats exercise, your knees and hips travel through a larger joint angle.

It is quite different from other squat variations such as split squats, pistol squats, or lunges 

The muscles worked in the Cossack workout include:

  • Adductor Magnus
  • Quads
  • Glutes
  • Hamstrings
  • Obliques
  • Calves

A Cossack’s workout is much more than just a bodyweight exercise. Doing this exercise regularly has surprising benefits for your strength, fitness, and health. 

This is an excellent exercise to develop flexibility and range of motion by working your hamstrings and adductors. This helps in preventing injuries such as groin or hamstring pulls. 

One of the best Cossack squats benefits is that it promotes healthy and strong joints and bones. This is achieved by giving your leg a significant stretch especially at the ankle, knee, and hips. Regularly doing this exercise is a good way to enhance your bone density. This is essential to prevent injuries such as fractures. 

Cossack squats is a great way to strengthen the lower back. This is beneficial for those people who sit for long hours in front of the screen or those who drive for extended periods. This exercise reduces pain, stiffness, and tension in the lower back.

Since dumbbell Cossack squats and other variations of this exercise require you to move your muscles from side to side, it is a good way to target muscles from a different angle.

Weighted Cossack squats, by adding more resistance and tension, help burn more calories. This makes it a superb workout for weight loss, which not just gives you a toned body but also prevents obesity-related health problems. 

One of the most important Cossack squats benefits is that it doesn’t require any investment in equipment or gym memberships. This exercise can be done practically anywhere. 

An advantage of this exercise is that with its progressive variations such as alternating Cossack squats and DB Cossack squats, anyone with any level of fitness can do this exercise. 

Next time you think of squatting try out the Cossack squat!

  • Coach Isaac Callihan

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