Plié Squats
How to do Plié Squats?
Plié squats, inspired by ballet, are a lower-body exercise that focuses on the inner thighs (adductors), glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. This variation of the traditional squat uses a wide stance with the toes pointed outward, resembling a plié position in ballet. Plié squats are excellent for increasing strength, improving flexibility in the hips, and targeting muscles that are often underused in standard squats. This exercise also enhances balance and core stability.
Steps to Perform the Exercise:
- Set Your Feet: Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned out at a 45-degree angle. Ensure your stance is wide enough to allow your knees to track over your toes.
- Engage Your Core: Tighten your abdominal muscles and keep your chest lifted and shoulders pulled back.
- Begin the Squat: Push your hips slightly back and bend your knees to lower your body into a squat. Your knees should track over your toes as you descend, and your back should remain straight.
- Lower Until Parallel or Lower: Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor, or as deep as your mobility allows. Keep your knees pointed outward and your heels firmly planted on the ground.
- Stand Back Up: Push through your heels to straighten your legs and return to the starting position. Squeeze your glutes as you come up.
Tips for the proper execution of Plié Squats
Maintain an Upright Posture: Keep your chest lifted and back straight throughout the movement. Avoid leaning forward or arching your lower back.
Knee and Toe Alignment: Make sure your knees track in line with your toes and don’t collapse inward. This helps protect your knee joints and ensures proper engagement of your adductors.
Control the Movement: Move slowly and with control, especially as you lower into the squat. This will engage your muscles fully and prevent injury.
Push Through the Heels: As you stand back up, push through your heels to engage your glutes and hamstrings, and focus on squeezing your inner thighs together.
Breathe Properly: Inhale as you lower into the squat and exhale as you push back up. Proper breathing helps maintain core stability and rhythm.
Muscles worked when doing Plié Squats
- Primary Muscles: Quadriceps, glutes, inner thighs (adductors).
- Secondary Muscles: Hamstrings, calves (gastrocnemius, soleus), core (rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, obliques), lower back (erector spinae).
Primary Muscle(s):
Inner thigh
Quads
Secondary Muscle(s):
Equipment needed for Plié Squats
No equipment needed for this exercise.
Adjust the difficulty of Plié Squats
How to make Plié Squats harder?
How to make Plié Squats easier?
How to make Plié Squats harder?
To make Plié Squats harder:
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Add Weight: Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell at chest height (goblet-style) or use a weighted vest to increase resistance and challenge your muscles further.
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Increase Reps or Sets: Perform more repetitions or additional sets to increase the volume and intensity of your workout, building endurance and strength.
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Slow the Tempo: Slow down the lowering (eccentric) phase of the squat, taking 3-5 seconds to lower yourself. This increases time under tension and makes the movement more challenging.
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Add a Pulse at the Bottom: At the bottom of the squat, add small pulses up and down for 10-15 seconds before standing up. This intensifies the work on your inner thighs and glutes.
How to make Plié Squats easier?
To make Plié Squats easier:
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Reduce Depth: If you struggle with mobility or flexibility, perform a partial squat by lowering only partway down. Gradually increase depth as your strength improves.
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Use a Support: Hold onto a stable surface, such as a chair or barre, for assistance with balance and control during the squat.
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Perform Static Holds: Instead of doing continuous reps, hold the bottom position of the squat for 5-10 seconds. This allows you to build strength and stability over time.
