Options for squats with dumbbells for men and girls

Everyone is hearing about barbell squats. Firstly, this is a basic exercise, and secondly, it is an opportunity to lift heavy weights. Accordingly, barbell squats are designed to increase volume, but can barbell squats work the muscles as well as the same exercise with dumbbells does? No! This is because squats with dumbbells are several different exercises: holding dumbbells on the sides of the body, holding one dumbbell between the legs (plie), and also behind the back.

Benefits of Dumbbell Squats

Dumbbell squats will never completely replace barbell squats, but, nevertheless, this exercise can work the muscles to the maximum and should be considered as an addition to leg muscle training.

There are many benefits to this exercise:

Less axial load due to weight held in hands. Thus, the spine is not compressed, as happens with a barbell. Therefore, exercise with moderate weight can be performed if compression load is prohibited.
A more stable position, because the weight is located below the waist throughout the entire exercise.
Choosing this particular exercise will be the best option for beginners, since squats with dumbbells are easier to master and this type is less traumatic.
Dumbbell squats are great for women. Moreover, by performing different types of this exercise, you can focus on certain leg muscles.

Bulgarian lunge technique in Smith

Bulgarian lunges in the Smith machine allow you to focus on one or another muscle group.

To train the front of the thigh, the foot should be placed strictly under the bar. Moreover, the load will be focused directly on the teardrop-shaped bundle of the quadriceps. The elevation for the auxiliary leg should be installed approximately half a meter from the machine.

To effectively work the gluteal muscles, the front (working) leg should be placed as far as possible, and the bench closer to the bar. This way the amplitude of movement will be much shorter, the distance between the legs will also be shorter, but this will create a maximum load on the gluteal muscles, they will be in tension all the time. Naturally, when performing this exercise you will not be able to maintain your posture, since you will have to shift your body towards the bar.

Should you perform Bulgarian lunges in Smith in such a way that the knee angle is too sharp and the body is tilted?

Of course, this is not the best option for training legs. There are many more excellent machines and exercises in the gym, thanks to which the athlete will simply achieve results in the development of leg muscles.

What muscles work

Due to the fact that the classic technique of squats with dumbbells involves placing the legs narrowly (this is due to the fact that the weight is located on the sides of the hips), the main load during squats falls on the quadriceps muscle.

In addition to the quadriceps femoris muscle, the following also work:

gluteal muscles;
back extensors;
abdominal muscles.

The trapezius and middle deltoid muscles are indirectly involved

Interesting Facts

Interesting records in squats with weights, which are part of powerlifting, are impressive - they amount to more than 300 kilograms for women and over 500 for men, for example:

V. Alkhazov set a world record with a weight of 567 kilograms (in the equipped version);
D. Reinhodt was able to perform squats without equipment with a weight of 423 and a half kilos.

Surprisingly, earlier the technique of performing squats was different - until the 1920s, the exercises were performed while standing on the toes, and only later Henry “Milo” Steinborn introduced the option of performing the exercise while standing on a full foot.

Roger Eells' research marked the beginning of athletes learning proper breathing techniques. It was thanks to him that the motto appeared: breathe correctly, squat and grow.

Squats with dumbbells are quite complex strength exercises that require a lot of effort from the athlete.

However, if the correct technique is followed, the exercise algorithm is not violated and the permissible number of squats is not exceeded, this is the most effective way to pump up your hips, legs, tighten your tummy and train your back.

Technique for performing squats with dumbbells

The exercise is performed as follows:

Stand up straight with your back straight.
Place your feet shoulder width apart.
It is very important to monitor your posture. The back should not lean forward, the shoulder blades should be brought together and the shoulders should be straightened. By the way, the more vertical the back, the more the quadriceps are loaded.
Please note that the range of squats with dumbbells should be deep. Dumbbells can be lowered almost to the floor. The heels should not leave the floor throughout the entire movement. It is also important to ensure that the center of gravity is on your heels and not your toes.
Inhalation should be done while lowering the pelvis until it is parallel to the floor, without pushing the knees forward beyond the toes.
It is important to exhale during the effort, that is, when extending the torso.

Basic errors during execution

Using dumbbells that are too heavy

It is very difficult to make this mistake at home, since most athletes simply do not have such dumbbells at home. But when it comes to the gym, there is already room to roam. Especially when you see that everyone around you is lifting large weights, and you are working with small dumbbells. And in pursuit of quick results, you begin to use weights that are too heavy for your level of development. This approach will not help speed up muscle growth. But you can get injured very easily. So take your time, focus on technique and gradually increase the weight. And you won’t notice how quickly you will achieve results.

Round back

Rounding your back can cause serious spinal injuries. In addition, you can easily lose your balance and the consequences of a fall can be very dire. So don't be hunched over. The main reason for this is the direction of view. If you look at your feet, you will involuntarily begin to slouch. Therefore, the gaze should be directed upward.

Lifting your heels off the floor

When you lift your heels off the floor, your body will automatically begin to move forward. As a result, you can lose your balance and fall. In addition, we will break one of the main rules in squats. Namely, your knees should not go beyond your toes. This creates a large load on the knee joint.

Squat technique with dumbbells on shoulders

This version of squats with dumbbells is an analogue of the same exercise with a barbell, but with this type of squats an increased load is created on the shoulders, as well as the upper and middle sections of the spine. This is a very traumatic exercise that uses many stabilizer muscles. In fact, when performing such squats, the load on the spine is maximized, while the efficiency of the muscles remains the same. By the way, when doing this, your hands get tired faster than with the standard technique.

Precautionary measures

Squats with dumbbells between your legs at home are fraught with various injuries and sprains. To avoid trouble, first of all, do not use equipment that is too heavy. Start training with light dumbbells or no dumbbells at all. And only when you feel that you have developed your muscles sufficiently, increase the weight. And also adhere to the following rules:

Do not lean on your toes while squatting. This will cause you to lose your balance. Therefore, place your center of gravity on your heels and the outer parts of your feet.
During squats, make sure that your knees do not extend beyond your toes. In this case, the load on the joints will increase, which will lead to their abrasion.
Keep your body straight and never slouch. Otherwise you will damage your spine.
To avoid problems with balancing, do not point your toes out more than 30 degrees.
Look straight ahead or slightly up. Then your back will be kept in the correct position.
When performing squats with dumbbells between your legs, be sure to perform the exercise smoothly. Remember, sharp lunges lead to sprains and even torn ligaments.
During exercise, keep your core muscles in static tension. Thanks to this approach, your position will become more stable, in addition, you will reduce the load on the spine and prevent injury.

Weighted squats are a great exercise to help you achieve noticeable results.

But it is important that the technique of performing the exercise is correct. In addition, do not forget that a visible effect is achieved only by regular training and alternating classes.

Recommendations for squats with dumbbells for girls

Several variations of this exercise are suitable for women.

Plie squats with dumbbell

This exercise should be done from an elevated position, for example, with your feet on platforms or benches. It is very important to perform deep squats - the pelvis is below the knees. This squat emphasizes the load on the adductor surface of the thigh and gluteal muscles.

Classic squats with one dumbbell

This type of squats has already been described in the article. This type of exercise is aimed at working the quadriceps and gluteal muscles. The lower the pelvis, the more the gluteal muscles are stretched and loaded.

For girls, it will be important to increase the number of approaches and reduce the weight, for example, perform any of these exercises in circuit training. If you choose a two-day training scheme, you can include a new exercise in each workout. The optimal number would be 20-25 repetitions of 3-4 sets.

Benefits and disadvantages of Bulgarian squats

An obvious advantage of split lunges is that this type of exercise is physically and technically difficult. Firstly, due to the elevation of the auxiliary leg, you need to maintain balance, and secondly, due to the lack of help from additional muscles. In this position, the athlete is deprived of the opportunity to help with the second leg.

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This type of lunge uses the maximum number of muscles, compared to other lunge options, due to the position of the second leg, making it impossible to distribute the load.

The disadvantage of the exercise can be considered the technical difficulty of execution. Finding a comfortable position to perform the movement and maintaining balance is extremely difficult, which can lead to falls and injuries.

A person may also experience discomfort in the ligaments. People with ankle or foot injuries may find it impossible to perform this exercise due to severe discomfort or pain in the ligaments.

Recommendations for squats with dumbbells for men

For men, the types of squats do not change. Ideally, the main load on the muscles should be carried out using squats with a barbell, leg press in the simulator and a hack machine, however, if this is not possible, then leg training should be structured as follows:

The number of approaches in each exercise is from 3 to 5 (together with the warm-up), and the number of repetitions is from 8 to 14.
The training program should begin with a warm-up.
Classic squats, with dumbbells at your sides, should be performed at the beginning of the workout, then perform plie squats.
After this complex, it is best to do lunges and exercises on the lower leg muscles.

Tips and tricks

One of the most important aspects of correctly performing squats with weights is selecting the optimal weight of dumbbells:

for girls, the ideal weight is 3-5 kilos (you can start with 1) for each dumbbell;
for men - from 8 to 15 (it is recommended to start with 3).

It should be remembered that the closer the legs are to each other, the greater the load they receive. For this reason, beginners should not place them close.

If you tilt your body a little, then most of the load will fall on your back, and a smaller part of it will go to your legs - this trick can be used by those girls who do not want to get overly inflated and masculine legs.

In order not to disturb the rhythm of the respiratory system and receive the load evenly, you should strictly observe the intervals between squats - each moment of rest should not last more than a minute.

When practicing under the supervision of a trainer, it is almost impossible to make a mistake.

If training takes place at home, then it is advisable to practice in front of a mirror in order to independently control the position of the body, the width of the legs and other nuances.

Basic mistakes

The main mistakes made when squats are:

stoop - the body should always be straight, slightly arched;
excessive activity - you should not overwork the body by giving it excessive loads from the first days, otherwise there is a high risk of injury or complete apathy towards training due to overwork;
incorrect execution of exercises - this mistake often occurs among beginners, so you need to train in front of a mirror;
a lowered head - this will cause confusion and breathing problems, so always keep your head level and straight, your chin should be parallel to the floor;
improper breathing - there should be special control over this, squats - only while inhaling, and lifting is done while exhaling;
long breaks - remember, the maximum interval between exercises for girls is no more than a couple of minutes, and for men - a maximum of a minute.

Lunges

Famous exercises aimed at working out and strengthening the muscles of the buttocks and legs can be performed in various ways. They provide sufficient load, so rest between sets should be a minute. Thanks to this, you will be able to get great results in the shortest possible time.

If the technique is followed correctly, serious consequences can definitely be avoided. Today there are two most effective lunge options:

Classic. Having straightened your back and fixed your gaze in front of you, you need to take one leg one and a half to two steps back, and leave the other in place. The dumbbells should be held in outstretched arms. First you need to perform a squat, bending your legs 90 degrees. The knee of the back leg should not touch the floor and relax, and the knee of the front leg should go beyond the toe. After pausing at the bottom point for a second, you should return to the original position.
With a leg push. The second option is performed in the same way as the previous one, but when returning to the starting position, you will need to jerk your back leg forward, as if making a kick.

Each exercise should be performed in 3 sets of 12 repetitions. Both of them can be included in one program and executed one after the other.

Varieties

There are several options for performing squats. All of them are quite effective, so it’s worth familiarizing yourself with each of them. The most popular exercise options:

Front squat. This exercise is a squat with dumbbells on your shoulders. The technique is simple, similar to squats with a barbell. It is necessary to take the starting position, lift the dumbbells, bend your arms at the elbows, and partially transfer the weight to your shoulders. After this, perform a squat, pausing a little at the bottom point, and return to the starting position. Plie. This is a unique type of deep squat with dumbbells, in which the greatest load is placed on the adductor muscles of the thigh. The starting position will differ from the classic version: your feet should be placed wider than your shoulders, your toes should be spread to the sides. In this case, you must hold the dumbbell with both hands in front of you by one of the heads. To perform the plie, stand in the starting position, then squat deeply, keeping your back straight. The legs should be spread as far as possible, the thighs should be parallel to the floor. Return to starting position. Squats with one dumbbell overhead. Starting position - feet shoulder-width apart, sports equipment is held with both hands (usually bent at the elbows). By distributing the load, such a squat with dumbbells overhead helps to effectively work out the buttocks. To perform it correctly, you need to take the starting position, straighten your back, squat, lingering at the extreme point for a few seconds. The back remains straight and the hips should be horizontal. Return to starting position. Scissor squats. Another type of effective leg exercise with dumbbells for men and women. Sometimes they are called “lunges in place” due to the similarity of execution. This exercise works the front and inner thighs. Starting position - standing, one leg extended forward, the other back, arms extended down to the sides. To perform “scissors” with dumbbells, you need to do a squat with your knees bent. In this case, the thigh of the front leg and the shin of the back leg should be parallel to the floor. Squats with press. When training your legs with dumbbells, you can also give a load to your arms (biceps, triceps) and shoulders (deltoids and trapezius muscles). Squats with presses are a great way to combine work on different parts of the body. You need to take the starting position (it is the same as for front squats), squat down, while doing a dumbbell press up

It is important to stay for a few seconds at the extreme point. After this, you can return to the starting position.

"Scissors"

With a bench press

Plie

Frontal

With dumbbells overhead