Plie squats: what muscles work, correct exercise technique

Benefits of plie squats

Plie squats with dumbbells or kettlebells are very popular among girls, as this exercise allows you to give the buttocks a rounded shape without working with heavy weights and serious stress on the knee joints and spine.
But don’t label it a “female exercise.” Many professional bodybuilders use this exercise to increase the size and depth of their inner thighs, and powerlifters use it as one of their lead-up exercises before heavy squats.
Another undeniable advantage of plie squats is the ability to train at home, since dumbbells or kettlebells do not require much storage space.

Squat Efficiency

This type of squat is very effective in its own way. That is why so many girls and women who dream of tightening their upper thighs use this exercise. Many men who go to the gym believe that such an exercise is completely useless. But if you follow the correct plie squat technique, it can be effectively used as a basic exercise to increase muscle mass. Or you can make the plie isolated and create an emphasis on the inner thigh. This area is very important for any woman, as it is the most problematic.

If a woman performs this exercise, she will be able to achieve the following results:

Will tighten the inner thighs.
Rounds the buttocks.
It will work several muscle groups at once.
Will help relieve stress on the knee joints.
Improves the coordination of your movements.
Will get the opportunity to unload your spine.
He will be able to study at home.
Absolutely any type of equipment will be used during training.

The plie exercise can also be suitable for men. If you perform the exercise correctly, you can significantly develop the large muscles of the lower body, which is what many male athletes try to achieve.

Plie squat technique

At first glance, the plie squat seems simple, but just like any other exercise, it has several important features and rules of execution technique, failure to comply with which can lead to negative consequences, including injuries.

The dumbbell must be taken at the base (by the weight plate) with both hands, slightly bending them at the elbow joints;
Feet wider than shoulder-width apart (similar to the sumo style of deadlift), slightly bent at the knees, toes pointing outward;
As you inhale, perform a smooth, slow, controlled squat until you reach parallelism between your hips and the floor line, in this position you need to fixate for 1-2 seconds to feel the muscles, then, as you exhale, return to the starting position;
When performing a squat, the back should be straight, slightly arched in the lower back, the arms should remain motionless, the head should not tilt, and the gaze should always be directed forward.

Exercise technique

To achieve positive results with the plie squat, you need to fulfill only one condition - perform the correct exercise technique.

Place your feet shoulder-width apart.
We turn the socks 120 degrees.
The back should be absolutely straight and slightly arched in the lumbar region.
We maintain the position of our back and do not tilt our head forward, and then slowly begin to squat, taking a deep breath.
At the lowest point, the thighs should be parallel to the floor.
We hold this for a few seconds and exhale, and then return to the starting position, but do not straighten your legs completely.

The number of repetitions and approaches will depend only on the specific goals of the person. If you need to perform this exercise for weight loss, then the training should be carried out with a large number of repetitions. 15-20 times of 5 approaches will be enough. If you want to gain muscle mass, wide squats should be performed for eight repetitions.

It should be noted that the exercise technique is not simple. Moreover, it is very unique. Therefore, you need to do some preparation. To practice all the movements, it is advisable to start without weights. And when certain skills are acquired, and a person feels how his muscles tense, then he can already take additional weight equipment. To begin with, you can try performing this exercise near a mirror to accurately monitor the position of your back.

Execution options

The most common plie variation is the plie squat with a dumbbell, as it allows you to vary the weight over a wide range.

Plie technique with kettlebell

Also quite common is the option of plie squats with a kettlebell, primarily due to the convenience of the grip.

Plie in the Smith machine

In addition, there is a variant of plie squats in the Smith machine, which is more suitable for beginners who do not know how to control their body. The Smith machine is rightfully considered a safe alternative to free weights. It’s not for nothing that many professional fitness trainers recommend performing basic movements (deadlift, bench press, squats) on this machine in the first weeks of training, as it allows a beginner to concentrate on movement technique without being distracted by constant control of balance. However, you should not opt only for plie squats in the Smith machine, since exercises with free weights allow you to use more muscle fibers, therefore, work out the target muscle group in more volume and detail.

Variant of plie with a barbell

Another version of the “plie” is the squat with a barbell, which is a more advanced exercise that requires a good level of training and the ability to control your body in all phases of movement, since this is the only variation of performing this exercise when the apparatus (we are talking about free weights), is located on the athlete’s shoulders, thereby increasing the axial load on the spine.

The technique of performing the exercise in all the above options remains unchanged.

Squats with dumbbells between legs on platforms

Plie squats can be performed standing on the floor or on some kind of height, which is usually used as weight plates from a barbell, step platform or cabinet.

Being on a hill allows you to perform a deeper squat, since in this case the floor will not limit the range of movement.

It is important to understand that this version of plie squats is best performed with a dumbbell or kettlebell, so that you can release the projectile at any time, for example, if pain suddenly occurs.

Plie squats are recommended to be performed at the beginning or end of a leg workout.

At the beginning of a workout, it can act as a kind of warm-up movement;
and at the end of the workout it allows you to stretch your leg muscles well, thanks to its range of motion.

Plie squats. What muscles are involved?

We can say that this exercise belongs to the category of those that develop strength. Many athletes mistakenly believe that such squats work only the legs, and do not include the exercise in training, considering it to be insufficiently effective. But in fact, the plie squat affects the muscles of the back, lower legs, thighs, abs and, of course, buttocks.

The gluteus maximus muscle controls the action of the hips during the squat. The quadriceps are included in the work along with the knee joints, and the calves are tense when the ankle is connected. In addition, the erector spinae muscles contribute to correct posture throughout the exercise. The adductor muscle of the inner thigh is most actively involved in this process, receiving a powerful load and being in good shape both during the ascent and during the descent.

Common Mistake

The most common mistake in plie squats is leaning forward , which is especially common when performing this exercise with a barbell. In this case, part of the load moves from the legs (from the target muscle group) to the back. To correct this error, you must either use a dumbbell or kettlebell as an alternative to a barbell, or work with a lighter weight. Both options will help you understand the correct movement technique and focus specifically on the leg muscles.

Exercise effectiveness

This type of squats is one of the most effective exercises of its kind. That is why it is successfully used both by girls who dream of tightening the inner surface of the thigh, and by men, who sometimes completely in vain consider the plie squat to be useless. Depending on the technique of execution, it can be made basic and used to increase mass, or it can be isolated, creating accents on the inner thighs. This area is very important for women and, as a rule, it is the most problematic.

So, “plie” (squats). For girls it is:

toned inner thighs.
Rounded buttocks.
Simultaneously working several muscles at once.
Unloading the knee joints.
Improved coordination of movements.
Possibility to unload the spine.
Possibility to train at home.
Ability to use different types of equipment.

A squat program for men can also include “plie” - squats, the technique of which allows you to develop the strength of all large muscles of the lower body.

Difficulty levels of the plie exercise

Squats with a heavy weight between the legs are a complicated modification, biomechanically no different from the classical technique. To make it heavier, take a projectile. Principle:

Take IP, tense your abs.
Take the dumbbell with an overhand grip with both hands at the base and lower it down.
Gently bending your knees, slowly squat until the adductor muscles are strongly stretched.
As you exhale, use pushing movements of your heels to stand up.

When working with two apparatuses, the hands are brought to the chest and held perpendicular to the floor. Start with 1 kg and gradually progress in load.

Plie squats with a kettlebell are more often used by men who prefer to lift heavy weights. They additionally train the arms and back. Athletes hold it at arm's length and follow the technique described above. Initial weight – 16 kg. The exercise is recommended for anyone who can freely press a kettlebell overhead more than ten times.