Pulse Squat Guide: How to, Benefits, Alternatives

This is some text inside of a div block.

May 16, 2022

min read

This is some text inside of a div block.

views

Home

/

What is a pulse squat?

A squat is a basic movement that we start doing right from our childhood. This basic move is often used as a strength exercise. This immensely beneficial exercise has several variations such as the pulse squat. This is a simple yet very effective squat exercise that requires you to hold a deep squat and slightly move or pulse- up and down.

This is a full-body exercise that particularly works on these muscles:

Hamstrings
Quadriceps
Glutes
Calves
Obliques
Abdominals
Abductors and adductors
Hip flexors

How is a pulse squat done?

Though it may seem like a simple movement, doing a pulse squat needs you to be mindful of your posture.

Wondering how to do pulse squats with the perfect form? Here is a detailed step-by-step explanation of the pulse squat:

To begin the pulse squat workout, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while bending your knees. Make sure that your shoulders are directly above your hips and your neck and head are neutral.

Your chin must be tucked in throughout the movement.

Create a stable foot position by distributing your weight on your feet from toe to heel.

Engage your core, maintain your alignment, and begin lowering your body by bending your hips, ankles, and knees.

You can keep your arms straight or place your hands on your hips while squatting.

Lower your body until your legs are parallel or slightly below parallel to the ground.

Hold this position and pulse your body up and down by a couple of inches. Do this while keeping your chest high and engaging your core.

Sets and reps of pulse squat: You can start with 3-4 sets of 10-15 repetitions. Gradually build up your practice.

What are some variations of a pulse squat?

Once you have mastered the squat pulses exercise, it is time to rotate the exercise and create more workout progress.

Here are some very effective variations of the pulse squat for you to try:

Weighted pulse squats: As the name suggests, this variation of pulse squat is done using a free weight. You can use a weighted barbell, kettlebell, or a pair of dumbbells. Adding weight to this exercise is a great way to build more muscle and hence strength. Adding resistance in the form of weights also helps you burn more calories.

Banded pulse squats: Using a band is not just a good way to add resistance but also for fixing your form. By using a resistance band, you are making your muscles work under tension, leading to muscle building while keeping your body stabilised and balanced. To do banded pulse squats, you need to position the band slightly above your knees. Your legs must be spread shoulder-width apart.

Pulsing squat jumps: This is an advanced variation of the pulse squats that works as a high-impact cardio exercise and builds muscle strength, activates your lower body, and tones your legs and thighs. To do this exercise, perform a jumping movement between two repetitions of pulse squats.

Sumo pulse squat: This is an excellent exercise to strengthen your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves along with your inner thighs and abductors. To do this exercise, you need to stand in a wider stance and keep your feet pointed at a 45-degree angle.

What are the benefits of pulse squats?

A pulse squat is an amazing compound exercise that works on multiple joints and muscles at the same time. Here are some great reasons to include squat pulses exercise in your workouts:

One of the most important pulse squats benefits is that they allow for more isolated activation of your quadriceps. When practised regularly, this leads to a better balance and stabilisation.

While doing squat pulses exercise, your muscles are under constant tension. This leads to better circulation and more production of lactic acid, which helps build more muscles.

Since pulse squats don’t require you to stretch your hips or knees, the focus is on the larger muscles of the legs, mainly your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. This is an especially great benefit for sprinters as this helps in shortening your stride length and producing more running power.

One of the most important pulse squat benefits is that the extra focus on your glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings improves your jumping power. This lets you do other endurance exercises such as box jumps and lateral hops easily and more efficiently.

One of the most effective pulse squat benefits is that while doing this exercise, your muscles are in constant movement and engagement. This gives them less time to rest and stay active throughout, helping in keeping your heart rate up. An elevated heart rate is a great way to enhance the strength and functioning of your cardiovascular system and keep heart diseases at bay.

Pulse squats are an effective way to lose weight and tone your body. Decreased body weight gives you a toned appearance, improves your functionality, reduces fatigue, and prevents obesity-related health problems.

When done properly, pulse squats are knee-friendly exercises. Since they have a small range of motion, your knees are not subjected to the same wear and tear as in the traditional squats.

Unless you are doing banded pulse squats or with weights, this exercise requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. This makes them ideal for your workouts at home.

How to do pulse squats safely?

Now that you know how to do pulse squats, here are some tips for doing this exercise safely:

If you are a beginner, it will be helpful to learn pulse squats from an experienced trainer to prevent injuries.

Keep your movements controlled and smooth.

Concentrate on creating muscle tension and your lift.

Always incorporate a warm-up and cool-down session.

Takeaway

The great thing about pulse squats is that they are fun, easy to learn, and extremely effective for building overall fitness and wellness. Remember to modify the exercise depending on your conditioning and see it transform your body.

Top Search Terms For Yoga