9mm Sig Sauer Firearms Expertise
Performing a perfect pistol is a skill. It is the essence of Hardstyle...by combining strength, mobility, and internal focus the master of the pistol creates a movement that looks effortless and crisp. Like kettlebell drills, the pistol is athletic and powerful. It is a must have for anyone who wish to be ultimately capable, Sig Sauer resilient, and have strength which is matched by mobility. Pistols are a perfect blend of balance, raw strength, and discipline. With in spite of this, they has to be earned.
Just like more advanced kettlebell drills, for example bent presses and windmills, pistols that can be simply done to "see if I can do it" are dangerous and sloppy at best. As Pavel put so eloquently, most American's bodies, including athletes, are pretty "jacked up" to start with. There's absolutely no question that the person that will perform a perfect, smooth pistol without the need for a counter-weight has an advanced group of physical and mental skills. This is exactly the rationale why we take the time for you to master this movement.
After talking to Pavel at RKC II, I realized that my preparation for the Beast Tamer Challenge lead me to a unique and simple protocol to master the mechanics essential to knock off a clean body weight pistol, especially the eccentric portion of the lift. Simply, a "naked" pistol is becoming so easy and my joints feel so strong that pistols feel more effortless than pushups. Weighted pistols are even easier until a particular point. Perfecting the subtle difficulties of the pistol by being patient and having discipline leads to an uncommon combination of assets that directly translate into highly functional movement. Let me explain.
To begin with, the obvious stuff. Don't even attempt a pistol if you don't routinely practice goblet/front squats. Without standard corrections for example creating space and length within the spinal cord and hips at the bottom of your squat, stepping up to the pistol too soon will almost definitely lead to back and knee injuries. You will need to feel comfortable, very strong, and confident you can get your butt to your calves and keep an engaged lumbar spinal cord with a wide stance and two legs before even considering trying a to squat down on one leg without the luxury of a wide knee to hip angle. Disciplined breath and cadence also play a big role. Spend a great deal of time perfecting front squats. I cannot emphasize this enough.
Next, switch over to body weight, narrow stance front squats to work on the bottom position and also the concentric portion of the pistol. Start with your feet touching and descend with straight arms until your butt touches your calves. Hold for a full second, and then come back up without rocking forward. This exercise will definitely let you know in the event that you are anywhere near ready to be safe within the bottom position of the pistol.
If you can't keep your balance at the bottom, spend a couple weeks using a wedge under your feet and hold a light kettlebell or med ball while descending as far as possible. The wedge and counter-weight should help you feel comfortable and engaged within the bottom position. Hold downward dog position (yoga pose) or possibly a supine hamstring stretch with a straight spinal cord for 10 breaths/30 seconds before your next set. Never let your lower/mid back disengage to get down lower. Should you have rock forward to get out of the hole, you went too low. You could possibly get there with practice and patience. Developing the mobility needed within this position may take months, but these improvements will translate beautifully to injury prevention and athletic movements.
As soon as you feel good and comfortable with this exercise, alternate kicking one leg straight at the bottom of each rep without jumping. Work up to practicing a couple one leg concentric reps, but save the descent for the next step.
Lastly, work on the eccentric portion of the pistol (the descent). The largest mistake a trainee may make when attempting the full pistol is recklessly dropping to the bottom position, destroying the knee during the process. Trust me; your knees will rebel in the event that you don't take the period to gain control and strength.
