There are a multitude of squat variations, including barbell and dumbbell squats. Barbell squats are one of the best strength builders for your legs. Stand with your feet shoulder-wide, flat on the floor. Popular ones include back squats, high bar squats, low bar squats, front squats, Zercher squats, and overhead squats, along with others. The barbell squat is one of the oldest exercises in the books with a rich history among bodybuilders, powerlifters, and fitness enthusiasts alike. With the hands supporting the bar on each side, you’ll keep your feet shoulder-width apart and begin to drop into a position where your knees are at about a 90-degree angle. In addition to the typical barbell squat, there are several other variations that you can take advantage of depending on your goals and preferences. Free-Weight Substitute/Alternative To: Seated Cable Rows, One-Arm Cable Rows, Chest-Supported T-bar Rows, machine rows (ex. Your legs are an extremely important part of your body. Though dumbbell and barbell squats can both prove to be incredibly effective when it comes to building lower-body strength and power, one provides substantially more benefits than the other. None of … Though effective, you may grow weary of performing the same exercise all of the time. Dumbbell squats are made up of some exercises that are designed to strengthen the lower body. To perform this type of squat, you need a weighted barbell and a squat rack. Barbell squats are a highly effective exercise, as the movement "activates the body’s biggest muscles" and is the best overall exercise, according to kinesiology professor Stuart Phillips, Ph.D. There are two main variations of barbell squats (and lots of offshoots) – back squats and front squats. Replace Barbell Squats With Goblet Squats. It’s significantly more likely that a person already has a dumbbell set at home (as opposed to a barbell and rack), making this the perfect exercise to perform in the comfort of your own home. We won’t spam you and only send emails when we have important news. Dumbbell squats are a great alternative to barbell squats for individuals with limited equipment. Dumbbell squats do have some advantages over barbell squats. With a wider assortment of barbell-based squats that you can perform, you can keep your workouts interesting and swap exercises as you please. Barbell hack squats. What is meant to be a squat ends up looking rather cringeworthy. Alternative 6: Gakk-squat with a barbell Arguments in favor of replacement. But with great reward comes great risk, and back squats are not always an option if someone is unable to perform them properly and safely. That means you can swap exercises in and out to keep your workouts more interesting. Empty cart. If your lower back or legs begin to give out mid-squat, you might end up falling to the ground beneath the weight of a heavy barbell, which could cause severe injury. Because it’s the same movement, the dumbbell squat primarily works the quads while also developing the glutes, calves, hamstrings and lower back. Some of the best lower body exercises include squats. To fully understand why dumbbell squats can be dangerous at heavier weights, you need to think about where the hands and weights are positioned. They’re extremely effective in boosting fitness levels, strength, and power. Whether it’s skipping leg day all together or replacing squats with leg presses, there really is no reason that you shouldn’t be doing squats. Here is a breakdown of how to do dumbbell squats: Perhaps the greatest benefit of dumbbell squats is the fact that they’re an easy exercise for beginners to learn. Split squats are another great option since you can load more weight on just one leg at a time. 2 Reasons Against Dumbbell Squats. Fixed bars (ranging from 10lb usually up to 120lb) you can find on weight trees in the middle of most commercial gyms near the dumbbells. 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