Weighted Cossack Squats

How to do the Weighted Cossack Squats

1. 1Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and toes turned out roughly 30–45°, holding a dumbbell or kettlebell at your chest in a goblet grip (or a barbell across your upper back).
2. 2Keeping your torso upright and your core braced, shift your weight toward your right foot and begin bending your right knee, pushing your hips back and down into a deep lateral squat.
3. 3Lower yourself until your right thigh is at or below parallel to the floor, letting your right knee track in line with your right toes.
4. 4Keep your left leg straight and fully extended, with your left foot flat on the floor and your left toes pointing up or slightly outward — do not let the heel rise.
5. 5Hold the bottom position for a brief pause, keeping the weight close to your body and your chest tall.
6. 6Drive through your right heel to press yourself back up to the starting position, straightening your right leg fully.
7. 7Repeat on the left side by shifting your weight to your left foot and sinking into a deep lateral squat on that leg.
8. 8Alternate sides for the target number of reps, maintaining a controlled tempo throughout.

Form tips

• Prioritize ankle and hip mobility before loading — if your heel lifts or your torso collapses forward at the bottom, work on ankle dorsiflexion and hip flexor flexibility before adding weight.
• Keep the weight close to your center of gravity throughout the movement; allowing the dumbbell or kettlebell to drift forward shifts stress away from the target muscles and onto your lower back.
• Use a heel elevation (small plate or wedge) under the squatting foot if you lack ankle mobility, gradually reducing it as your range of motion improves.
• Push your squatting knee outward in line with your toes rather than letting it cave inward — this maximizes adductor and glute engagement and protects the knee joint.
• Start with bodyweight or a very light load to groove the movement pattern before progressing to heavier weights.

Common mistakes

• Letting the heel of the squatting foot rise off the floor, which shifts load onto the toes and reduces depth while increasing injury risk — focus on keeping the entire foot grounded.
• Allowing the torso to collapse forward excessively, which reduces adductor and glute engagement and overloads the lower back — brace your core and keep your chest tall throughout the descent.
• Letting the straight leg's knee bend instead of keeping it fully extended, which removes the adductor stretch and shortens the range of motion — actively push that leg into the floor.
• Rushing through reps without controlling the descent, which sacrifices depth and muscle tension — lower yourself under control and pause briefly at the bottom.
• Using too much weight before developing the necessary mobility, which forces compensations like heel rise, forward lean, or knee cave — earn the range of motion before adding load.

Frequently asked questions