Legs / Beginner / Compound (multi-joint)

Plie Dumbbell Squat

A dumbbell exercise for the quads, with the abs, calves and glutes assisting.

At a glance

Primary

Quads

Secondary

Abs, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings

Equipment

Dumbbells

Movement pattern

Squat

Level

Beginner

Type

Legs, Compound (multi-joint)

Loads the knee. Use a load you can control and skip it if it causes pain.

How to do it

1. Hold a dumbbell at the base with both hands and stand straight up. Move your legs so that they are wider than shoulder width apart from each other with your knees slightly bent.
2. Your toes should be facing out. Note: Your arms should be stationary while performing the exercise. This is the starting position.
3. Slowly bend the knees and lower your legs until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Make sure to inhale as this is the eccentric part of the exercise.
4. Press mainly with the heel of the foot to bring the body back to the starting position while exhaling.
5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Toes turned out further than the knees can follow.

  Why it hurts: The knees collapse inward relative to the feet and twist under load.

  ✓ Instead: Turn the toes out only as far as the knees can track over them, usually 30–45°.

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