Cossack Squat Race
Quick Intro
Cossack Squat Race uses the Cossack squat, a lower-body exercise where you shift your weight deep to one side, bending that knee into a full squat while the other leg stays straight. You stand facing each other in a wide stance and race to complete an agreed number of reps on each side. Whoever finishes both sides first wins a stake chosen in line with your agreed forfeit style. Inner thighs, glutes and the front of the thigh work hard for both of you, so the effort is the same in each lane.
Depth cues, mobility preparation and progressions for the squat are at Cossack Squat.
What You’ll Need
Floor space for a wide stance, and enough room to stand opposite each other without swinging into one another.
How to Do It Together
- Pick the stake. Before you start, choose it together in line with your agreed forfeit style.
- Agree the depth standard. Decide what counts as a full rep, and who calls a rep short.
- Race. Both of you work through the agreed target on each side, for example ten reps on each side.
- Finish first. Whoever completes the full target on both sides first wins the wager.
Breathe out as you sink into each side and in as you push back to center.
Why Depth Has to Be Policed in a Race
In a race, the quickest rep is a shallow one, so the incentive always runs toward cutting depth. The Cossack squat is a movement where depth is the whole point, and a rushed shallow rep gives up the benefit while winning the race. That’s why a shallow rep should never count toward the target.
The partner facing you is best placed to judge. Agree a visible standard before you start, for example hips down to a set height or the bent-knee thigh reaching a marker you both agree on, and let each of you call a short rep on the other. Stating it at the start makes the call feel like a rule you both made instead of an accusation in the middle of a race.
There’s a second problem, and it’s easy to miss: the Cossack squat depends on hip mobility as well as effort. A partner with tighter hips takes longer for each full rep through no lack of trying, so an unadjusted race quietly rewards flexibility. If one of you is naturally looser, you can win often without working harder, and the other may feel it even if nothing is said.
The fix is a personal standard. Each of you uses your own best clean depth, with a rep target scaled to your own typical pace, so the race measures effort and the clock stays fair. Keep the bent-knee heel flat as far as your ankle allows, and slow down the moment your balance wavers, because a fall ends the race for both of you. For more on keeping a bet fair when your bodies differ, see Working Out Together.
The stake comes from your agreed forfeit style and is never fixed by the exercise. If you’d like a version with no wager at all, Cossack Squat Fist Bump runs the same movement with a quick touch of fists, and Bear Crawl Race is another race on a different exercise.
If You’re at Different Fitness Levels
A shallower depth and a smaller rep target suit a couple who are both newer to the movement, with the same race mechanic. Where one of you is stronger or looser, each of you uses your own depth and a rep target scaled to your own pace, so the race stays contested instead of being decided by hip flexibility before either of you starts.
Safety and Consent
Keep the heel of the bent knee flat where you can, and keep your knee tracking over your toes. Slow down instead of risking a loss of balance just to win. Stop if knee discomfort develops, since no rep is worth it.
Every connection moment in these exercises is something either partner can skip or scale back at any point, including this one, no explanation needed. When a contest isn’t appealing, work through the Cossack squats side by side with nothing at stake.
FAQ
What counts as a full rep? Agree this before you start. A visible marker, such as hips down to a set height, makes it easy for each of you to call a short rep.
Who decides if a rep was too shallow? Your partner, since they’re facing you. Decide before the race that either of you can call it.
What if one of us is much more flexible? Use a personal depth standard and scale each rep target to your own typical pace, so the race measures effort.
Who sets the stake? Your agreed forfeit style does, and the exercise never fixes it.
How many reps should we race to? Ten on each side is only an example. Any agreed target works.
Can we just do Cossack squats without a race? Yes. Cossack Squat on its own gives you the plain movement, and Cossack Squat Fist Bump adds a gentler connection.
Built on Cossack Squat. Cossack Squat Fist Bump runs the same movement without a wager, and Cossack Squat Reach has you hold hands through each squat.