The Squat Progression Builder is a free online tool that shows your place on a step-by-step ladder and what it takes to climb higher. Pick the level you can do today, and the tool prints every level from there to the top, with the hold time or rep target for each step and the test you must pass to move up. There is no account, no download, and no sign-up. It runs right in your browser, on a phone or a computer.
The pistol squat looks like magic until you see the steps behind it. Assisted squats teach the pattern, bodyweight squats build the base, split squats build single-leg strength, and box pistols teach balance. This builder lays out every step and the test you must pass before moving on.
Using the tool takes two steps. First, find the level that matches what you can do right now: be honest, because starting too high is the fastest way to stall. Second, press the button. The tool prints your ladder from your current level to the top, so you can see the whole path at once instead of guessing what comes next.
The builder orders the levels so each one prepares the next. Skipping steps is how knees get angry: the single-leg strength and ankle mobility for a pistol take time to build. The move-up test at each level makes sure the base is real before the difficulty rises.
The full ladder looks like this: 1. Assisted squat (3 sets of 10 reps); 2. Bodyweight squat (3 sets of 15 reps); 3. Split squat (3 sets of 10 reps per leg); 4. Bulgarian split squat (3 sets of 10 reps per leg); 5. Pistol squat to box (3 sets of 5 reps per leg); 6. Full pistol squat (3 sets of 5 reps per leg). Each level is a small jump from the one before it, never a leap. That is deliberate. Small jumps let your joints, tendons, and balance adapt along with your muscles, which is what makes progress stick instead of breaking down after two weeks.
How fast should you climb? A good rule is two to four weeks per level, training the move two or three times a week. Some levels will feel easy and pass in a week; others, especially the last two, can take a month or more. That is normal. The move-up test at each level is your permission slip: pass it twice on different days before you claim the next level.
Form comes before numbers at every level. A rep only counts if it looks like the level describes: full range of motion, steady control, and no pain. Half reps with a sagging body do not build the strength the next level needs, and they teach bad habits that are hard to undo. Film yourself from the side once a week; the camera shows what mirrors hide.
Three mistakes slow climbers down. The first is skipping levels because an early one feels boring; easy levels build the base the hard ones stand on. The second is testing the top level every session instead of training the current one. The third is training through sharp pain; soreness is normal, sharp pain is a stop sign, and a week of rest now saves a month of injury later.
This tool gives general fitness information for education only. It is not medical advice, and it cannot diagnose or treat any condition. If you have pain, an injury, or a health condition, talk to a doctor or a qualified trainer before starting a new progression. Stop any exercise that causes sharp pain, and build up slowly: a ladder you climb steadily beats a ladder you fall off.
Spanish version: Constructor de Progresion de Sentadilla