Cossack Squat

Move · Resistance Training · Movement, Typed Supps

One leg squats deep while the other stays straight out to the side, which loads the inner thigh in a position almost nothing else in the gym reaches.

Stage by stage

Set-up (Wide stance, heels down): Ankle dorsiflexion on the bent-leg side is usually the true limiter; elevating the heel often unlocks depth that hip work does not.
During the set (Adductors loaded at length): The trailing leg's adductors are held near end range under tension while the working hip loads in deep flexion and abduction.
Immediately after (Position, not force, limits): Loads stay light because the constraint is range rather than strength, so the session cost is low enough for frequent practice.
Months later (Range then unilateral strength): Hip and ankle range improve first; single-leg strength through deep flexion follows more slowly.

Muscles trained

Primary: glutes, quads
Secondary: adductors, hip abductors, hamstrings

Intensity

5 METs (Resistance (weight) training, squats, slow or explosive effort).

Time to effect

Weeks: The first couple of weeks are usually a mobility story more than a strength one — the deep hip and ankle range the movement demands tends to open up noticeably with regular, gentle practice.
Months: Over 2 to 3 months, the deep single-leg loading builds real adductor and glute strength on the working leg, alongside a lasting improvement in hip mobility that tends to outlast the strength gains in visibility.

Related supplements

Creatine Monohydrate

Common myth

"You need to already be flexible to even attempt a Cossack squat." In reality: Most people start with a shallower range, a heel-elevated setup, or holding onto a support, and build depth over weeks of practice rather than needing pre-existing mobility. The exercise is as commonly used to build hip and ankle mobility as it is to train strength once that range is available.