Dumbbell Cossack squat

A deep lateral squat with a counterweight: the weight in front lets you go lower while keeping the torso upright. It works the frontal plane and the adductors, which almost nothing else in the catalogue touches.

• Compound
• Dumbbell
• Intermediate

How to do it

• Dumbbell held at chest height as a counterweight
• Wide stance with the feet turned slightly out
• Lower onto one leg while the other stays straight
• Heel of the working leg stays down the whole time

Sets, reps and tempo

Ranges: 8–12 reps · 1–3 RIR

Tempo: Lower for 2–3 s under control, drive up with intent without bouncing out of the bottom

Common mistakes

• Letting the heel of the bending leg lift
• Rounding the back to go deeper
• Adding load before owning the unweighted version

Muscles worked

Primary

• Quads

Secondary

• Glutes
• Hamstrings
• Core / abs

Alternatives

• Cossack Squat
• Dumbbell Lateral Lunge
• Hip Adduction Machine