One leg, straps to spot, squat it down.
Let the standing leg do the work, the straps just keep you balanced.
Squatting on one leg with the straps taut in front of you loads that quad with your full bodyweight through whatever depth you can control, while the glutes keep the pelvis level over a single foot. This is strictly one side at a time, so every set tells you exactly which leg is carrying the other in your two-legged lifts. It earns its place as the honest strength audit, building single-leg capacity with a built-in safety line you can gradually stop using.
The free leg. The pistol demands you hold it straight out in front, adding a big flexibility and hip flexor demand, while the single-leg squat just asks it to stay off the floor. Master this first.
As deep as you can lower with control and stand back up from, per the steps. Depth grows fast with practice, chasing it early just teaches you to collapse into the straps.
It is the most common fault and worth fixing. Slow the rep, push the knee out over your toes, and use slightly more strap tension until the track cleans up.
