Dumbbell Cossack Squat

What you'll gain

• 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.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Hold a dumbbell by its handle in each hand with your arms extended down between your legs.

2. 2

   Stand with your feet well outside shoulder width and toes angled outward.

3. 3

   Brace your abdominals and keep your ribs pulled down.

4. 4

   Shift your weight over one leg and sit the hips back and down over that foot.

5. 5

   Keep the other leg straight with the foot rolled onto its heel and the toes up.

6. 6

   Push through the bent leg to return to center, then repeat on the other side.

Common Mistakes

• Letting the dumbbells 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.

About This Exercise

The dumbbell Cossack squat is the loaded version of the wide stance lateral squat. Holding two dumbbells down between your legs with your arms extended adds resistance as you sit back into the hip. 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. For an asset library this is the loaded frontal plane clip that pairs with the bodyweight Cossack squat as its progression. It fits dumbbell filters, athletic prep and mobility blocks, and content showing how a counterbalance improves depth in a lateral squat.

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