Shrimp Squat

The shrimp squat is often considered harder than a pistol squat — not because it requires more strength, but because it demands more flexibility and balance. You stand on one leg, reach behind you to grab the opposite foot (like a quad stretch), and squat down on your standing leg until your free knee taps the ground. Then you stand back up without letting go of the foot.

The shrimp trains a different side of single-leg strength than the pistol: it loads the quad heavily, demands an upright torso, and punishes any slop in balance. It also stretches the hip flexors and quad of the free leg at the bottom, which many people find more challenging than the pistol's hamstring-heavy depth.

How to do it

Stand tall, then lift one foot behind you and grab it with the same-side hand (so right hand holds right foot). Keep your torso as upright as you can and squat down on the standing leg, letting your free knee travel toward the floor behind you. Touch the free knee gently to the ground, then drive through the standing foot to stand back up while still holding the foot.

Target

3 sets of 5 reps per leg with back knee touching the ground.

Key tips

• Start with the beginner version — don't grab your foot, just bend the back leg and reach the back knee to the floor
• Keep your torso upright, don't fold forward at the waist
• Touch your back knee gently, don't slam it
• Ankle dorsiflexion and quad/hip-flexor flexibility matter a lot; stretch both regularly
• Use a wall or post for balance with your free hand while learning

Progression

Before this: own 3×5 clean Pistol Squats per leg first. Also drill the couch stretch (quad/hip-flexor stretch with the back foot elevated) daily to build the flexibility.

Next step: once 3×5 per leg is owned, start loading — shrimp squats with a weighted vest or holding a dumbbell — or explore harder single-leg variations like the Cossack squat, airborne lunge, or advanced shrimp with the non-working hand overhead.