Dumbbell Cossack Squat
A deep sideways squat on one leg holding a dumbbell at the chest as a counterbalance and a load.
How to do it
- Hold one dumbbell at chest height with both hands under the top plate.
- Stand with your feet well outside shoulder width and toes pointing forward.
- Brace your abdominals and keep your ribs pulled down.
- Shift your weight over one leg and sit the hips back and down over that foot.
- Keep the other leg straight with the foot rolled onto its heel and the toes up.
- Push through the bent leg to return to center, then repeat on the other side.
Key technique cue
Keep the dumbbell tight to the chest, upper back flat; heel of the squatting leg stays down.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Letting the dumbbell pull the chest down, which rounds the upper back at depth.
- ✕ Arching the lower back to reach depth instead of respecting available hip range.
- ✕ Lifting the heel of the squatting leg, which signals an ankle mobility limit.
- ✕ Bending the extended leg, which removes the adductor and hamstring stretch.
Benefits
- ✓ Adds load to a frontal plane pattern that most leg exercises never train.
- ✓ The front held dumbbell counterbalances the body and allows more depth.
- ✓ Builds adductor strength and hip range at the same time.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 -
Step 2 You are here - Dumbbell Cossack Squat
About the exercise
The dumbbell Cossack squat is the loaded version of the wide stance lateral squat. Holding a dumbbell at chest height adds resistance and acts as a counterweight that lets you sit further back into the hip without falling backward. One leg takes deep hip, knee and ankle flexion while the other stays straight with the foot rolled onto its heel, loading the inner thigh and hamstring of the extended side. The abdominals hold the ribs down so the extra front load does not pull the lower back into extension.
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