Written by Sam Coleman | Co-founder
Fact checked by Tyler DiGiovanni, BSBM
FACT CHECKED
When you think of "leg day", thoughts often turn to the barbell or big machines like the leg press and hack squat. Dumbbells are probably not top of mind and that is understandable. If you want to build serious mass and strength, heavy lifts are vital, and it's just hard to do that with anything other than machines, barbells and trap bars. However, if we are talking accessory exercises to strengthen imbalances or to add more volume to your training for better muscle development of your legs, dumbbells are an excellent tool full of versatility. They most certainly should not be overlooked.
Here we’ll discuss what benefits dumbbells can provide your lower body workouts and the 12 best dumbbell leg exercises that you should start incorporating into your routine.
THE BENEFITS OF TRAINING LEGS WITH DUMBBELLS
When it comes to building lower body strength and muscle, machines, barbells and trap bars will allow you to move the most weight. But that doesn’t mean there are no benefits to working with dumbbells. Here are a couple of important benefits of using dumbbells when training your legs.
- Strength Imbalances & Balance: Training legs unilaterally with one dumbbell will help strengthen imbalances between sides if any exist. When training with barbells and trap bars, sometimes one side can take over for another creating strength and muscle imbalances.
- Dumbbells Are Easier to Use: Dumbbells are generally safer and easier to use. At the end of your workout, when your energy is low but you need to add some more volume to your leg work, dumbbells make the most sense. You just pick them up and go.
- More Freedom of Movement & Training Variables: Barbells and trap bars will lock you into a certain range of motion but this is not so with dumbbells.You have a lot of training variables to play with when it comes to dumbbells, such as load position and body position. For example, you can place the load to your sides, between your legs, or up near your chest. This will alter the stimulus placed on your leg muscles, leading to great development.
- Easier Learning Curve: If you want to attempt new exercises, it's far easier to learn them with dumbbells than a barbell. With front squats as an example, all you'd have to do is grab the dumbbells in a front racked position (up near your shoulders) or goblet position, both of which are easier for beginners to do. With a loaded barbell, it's a lot harder to nail down the grip. That said, it's worth learning how to do an exercise like a front squat with a barbell, but using the dumbbell as a precursor will speed up the process. And, make note that we used the front squat as an example, but this applies to nearly every exercise.
- More Volume: Dumbbells will allow you to increase your volume without so much strain or stress on your spine and joints. This means you can hone in on certain muscle groups to better develop them. For example, after you do barbell squats, you could do dumbbell lunges or goblet squats to hone in on your quads and give them the extra volume they need to grow.
All in all, dumbbells are versatile, safe, and easy to use. And make no mistake, as a beginner, you can get really strong and build a lot of muscle using just dumbbells; and for more advanced trainees, dumbbells are the perfect way to increase targeted volume for better muscle growth.
A SHORT NOTE ON HOLDING THE DUMBBELLS FOR LEG EXERCISES
There are a few ways to hold one or two dumbbells to make your leg exercises harder or easier to meet your goals and needs.
At Your Sides:
Holding two dumbbells by your side with squats, lunges, and deadlifts allows you to use more weight as it's easier on your upper body and grip.
In-Between Your Legs:
You can hold the dumbbell at your center down below your hips for certain exercises and this is also easier to grip and can allow you to do a heavier single dumbbell leg exercise.
Goblet Position:
The goblet position (at your center in front of your chest) makes things a little harder as your core needs to do more work to keep your body upright, and your arms to hold the kettlebell in position. However, it'll give you more freedom of movement both for range of motion (ROM), exercise selection and leg position.
Racked Position:
The racked position means up by your anterior shoulder. This is the hardest position, with exception to the overhead grip position which is more of a speciality grip. The racked position also provides you freedom of movement, ROM and exercise selection, and you can do it with two dumbbells (or one if you want to challenge your core more), which means heavier loads.
Unilateral:
You can also train your legs with a unilateral grip. You can hold one dumbbell at your side or in a front racked position to train balance, coordination and core stability at the same time you train your legs.
These positions all have their advantages. It just depends on your routine and what you want to get out of your training at that specific time. For example, if you want to train heavy, then using two dumbbells either at your sides or in a front racked position is best OR if you want to hone in on your quads and glutes with just one dumbbell, then go for a goblet hold.
12 BEST DUMBBELL LEG EXERCISES
Here are the 12 best dumbbell leg exercises for building muscle, strengthening imbalances, and getting your legs ready for swim season.
1. Dumbbell Split Squat
Dumbbell split squats are a unilateral exercise so they will strengthen imbalances between legs which will help your all around performance, and especially your squats. Being quad-dominant, split squats help improve leg drive which is important when squatting up from the ‘hole'. This is one exercise you need to do if you’re serious about squatting or deadlifting more weight OR you simply want better thigh and glute development.
Muscles emphasized: Quads, adductors, and glutes.
How to:
- Hold one or two dumbbells in your preferred position and keep your chest up and shoulders down.
- Get into the half-kneeling position ankle in line with the knee and knee in line with the hip.
- Push your front foot through the floor to return and stand up straight.
- Slowly lower to the half-kneeling position again and repeat.
Form tips: Using a pad underneath your knee will provide a reference point for your split squat position.
Best rep range: 8-16
2. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
The dumbbell Romanian deadlift is similar to the barbell variation but with less weight and more options for holding the dumbbells. By shifting the position of where you hold the dumbbells, you can hit the targeted muscles differently. A dumbbell deadlift is a great option if there is no barbell around or you’re looking for more variety.
Muscles emphasized: Hamstrings and glutes
How to:
- Stand upright with your feet hip-distance apart, toes pointed forward, and grip one or two dumbbells in front of your quads.
- With your knees slightly bent, keep your chest up and shoulders down, then hinge until the dumbbells are just below your knees.
- Pause for and engage your hamstrings and glutes to hinge back to a standing position.
- Reset and repeat for reps.
Form tips: Try to keep the dumbbells moving in a straight path, just in front of your legs. Feel your hamstrings stretching each rep on the eccentric (downward) phase.
Best rep range: 12-16
3. Dumbbell Single-Leg RDL
The dumbbell single-leg RDL is one of the harder dumbbell leg exercises to do. So, start with bodyweight and progress slowly with dumbbells.
When performing these with good form, they provides you with many benefits, making them one of our favorite moves to include in at home glutes workouts. These include reducing muscle imbalances, hamstring strains, better balance, and glute hypertrophy.
Muscles emphasized: Hamstrings, glutes and calves
How to:
- Hold one or two dumbbells in front or beside your quads.
- Put on toes on the floor, balance one foot, and soften your working knee.
- With your chest up and shoulders down, hinge back trying, and don’t rotate the working hip upwards.
- Hinge until your belly button is parallel with the floor while feeling a stretch in your working hamstring.
- Return to the starting position and reset and repeat.
Form tips: Really grip the floor with your feet to help with your stability. You can place your foot down each rep as well. If you use one dumbbell at a time, you can also hold onto something with your hand for balance and to hone in on the hamstrings, but ideally you want to try not to as that will work more stabilizer muscles and improve your balance.
Best rep range: 6-12 reps per side
4. Dumbbell Goblet Squat
Goblet squat is a great option for nailing squat form, improving hip mobility, and improving your anterior core strength. With the weight being front-loaded, it encourages your torso to stay upright, allowing you to squat better and deeper. The hip mobility benefits of the dumbbell goblet squat will help your barbell squats and deadlifts. Also, it's simply a great quad focused movement, which is why even pros like to use it for extra volume on leg day.
Muscles emphasized: Quads
How to:
- Set your feet in your preferred stance (likely with your toes pointed slightly outward as seen in the illustration above) and hold a dumbbell goblet style.
- With your chest up and shoulders down squat between your knees until your elbows are almost touching the inside of your knees.
- Pause and then drive your feet through the floor, stand straight up and finish by squeezing your glutes.
- Reset and repeat for reps.
Form tip: Keep your chest up, shoulders down and upper back engaged to keep a neutral spine.
Best rep range: 8 to 20
5. Dumbbell Side Lunge
Side lunges will strengthen your glutes in a different plane of motion and involve the smaller muscles of the hip, the gluteus medius and minimus. The side lunge strengthens and mobilizes your adductors (groin) muscles at the same time. This helps improve your hip mobility and reduce your chances of groin strains. Side lunges are also great because they improve your ability to go side to side against resistance, which helps your agility.
Muscles emphasized: Glutes, adductors, and quads.
How to:
- Stand upright with your feet together, holding one or two dumbbells in your preferred position. Goblet or in-between legs is typically the best.
- Then take a big step to the side with your left leg.
- Hinge your left hip back and keep your right leg straight with toes pointed forward. You should feel a stretch in your right adductor muscle as you lower towards your left knee.
- Push your left foot into the ground and return to the starting position.
- Reset and repeat for reps.
- Then repeat on the other side. You can also do alternating sides each rep.
Form tips: Only hinge into your working hip as much as your adductor allows. No need to strain a groin muscle here.
Best rep range: 8-16 reps
6. Dumbbell Reverse Lunge
Reverse lunges are a hip dominant exercise making it easier on your knees than other lunge variations or single-leg exercises. The reverse lunge is a great exercise if and when you’re suffering from knee pain. Being hip dominant helps to improve hip mobility which has direct carry over to your bi-lateral squats and deadlifts.
Muscles emphasized: Hamstrings, quads, and glutes
How to:
- Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart holding one or two dumbbells in your preferred position.
- Take a small (quads) or large (glutes) step back with your left foot and lower your hips until your right leg is parallel with the floor. Your front and back knee should be parallel with each other, pointing directly forward.
- Make sure to keep your chest up and shoulders down. Try to keep your shoulder blades retracted throughout the movement too.
- Then push your right foot through the floor and return to the starting position.
- You can either alternate sides or do all reps on one side and then switch.
Form tip: Taking a larger step back will increase the tension on your glutes. Taking a smaller step back gives your quads a little more love.
Best rep range: 8-16
7. Dumbbell Front Squat
The dumbbell front squat has you holding the dumbbells in the front rack position by the shoulders. Because the dumbbells are held anteriorly, there is an increased demand on your upper back, quadriceps, and core. It essentially mimics the barbell front squat. One of the four quad muscles, the vastus medialis (teardrop muscle), is engaged more during the dumbbell front squat too.
Muscles emphasized: Quads, upper back, anterior core, and glutes
How to:
- Curl the dumbbells to the front rack position and keep your chest up and shoulders down.
- Assume your preferred squat position.
- Lower into a squat keeping the spine neutral while minimizing the forward lean of the torso.
- Keep your elbows up.
- When you have reached your squat depth squat back up to the starting position.
- Reset and repeat.
Form tip: Keep your elbows high during the entire exercise
Best rep range: 6-12
8. Dumbbell Elevated Split Squat
If you were to do one exercise to improve your performance with barbell squats and deadlifts and you like pain the dumbbell elevated split squat would be it. With the extra range of motion due to the back foot being elevated the working quad and glute receive extra time under tension to improve hip mobility, leg drive, and muscle-building potential. This is a must for your dumbbell leg workout.
Muscles emphasized: Quads, abductors/adductors, and glutes
How to:
- Clean a pair of dumbbells to the front rack position and stand upright.
- Place your back foot on a weight bench and put a weight plate in front of your foot to minimize time changing sides.
- Drop your back knee towards the floor while maintaining a slight forward lean in your torso.
- Push your front foot through the floor to return to the starting position
- Reset and repeat and then switch sides.
Form tips: Start with lighter dumbbells and higher reps to get into the groove with this exercise.
Best rep range: 6-12
9. Dumbbell Forward Lunge
Forward lunges the knee bears the brunt of the forward step making it a quad-dominant exercise. If you have healthy knees and good hip mobility then forward lunge to your heart’s content. It's a great quad and glute builder. This will also drive your heart rate up. But if it hurts your knees, skip this one as it places more force on the knee.
Muscle emphasized: Quads, glutes, and hamstrings
How to:
- Hold on or two dumbbells in your preferred position and assume an upright stance.
- Take a step forward and let your back knee sink towards the floor until your front thigh is almost parallel to the floor.
- Push through your front foot and bring your feet together.
- Either do all your reps on one side or alternate sides.
- Form tip: It is okay to lean forward but keep a neutral spine at all times
- Best rep range: 10-12 each side
10. Weighted Step Up
Dumbbell step-up is one of the easiest single-leg exercises to do but it is not as easy as it looks. The balance challenge and the large range of motion hit the glutes and the quads. So don’t be deceived. To progress or regress this exercise simply make the box higher or lower. The weighted step up improves explosive leg power which helps you jump higher and run faster.
Muscles emphasized: Glutes and quads
How to:
- Stand facing a box around or above knee height holding one or two dumbbells at arm’s length.
- Put your foot on the elevated surface and step up and make sure you have solid footing.
- Push through your front foot until your knee is fully extended and both legs are together.
- Slowly step down to the floor with the non-working leg.
- Then reset and repeat. Do all your reps on one side before switching to the other.
Form tips: Press up from your heel to activate your glutes more.
Best rep range: 6-15
11. Dumbbell Jump Squat
The dumbbell jump squats is a fantastic exercise to build lower body strength and power but only when you load it right. Use approx. 20% of your body weight for best results. The goal with jump squats is not strength but power and quickness so load accordingly. This exercise is generally safer than the barbell squat because your spine isn't directly loaded.
Muscles emphasized: Calves, quads, glutes, and hamstrings
- Hold approx. 20 % of your body weight (10% each hand). Dumbbells at your sides.
- Squat down with your chest up and shoulders down.
- Jump explosively with your feet leaving the ground and then softly from toe to heel standing straight up.
- Lower back into a squat and repeat for reps.
Form tips: Try to land soft and not make much noise when returning to the ground.
12. Dumbbell Curtsy Lunge
All the moves here are either in the sagittal (left/right) or frontal (side to side) plane. But there is another plane of motion that’s often neglected and that is the rotational transverse plane.
By stepping behind like you’re curtsying to the queen in the curtsy lunge, you train the hips, glutes, and quads muscles in the rotational plane. Training these muscles from a different angle will lead to more even muscle development.
Muscles emphasized: Quads, hip adductors, hip abductors, glutes, hamstrings
How to:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand in your preferred position.
- Step your right foot diagonally behind you and lower your right knee until it almost touches the ground.
- The working leg should be almost parallel to the ground.
- Push through your left foot to stand back up and return to the starting position.
- Complete all your reps on one side and then repeat on the other side.
Form tips: Keep the working leg toes pointed forward to make this exercise more effective
Best rep range: 8-15
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WRAPPING UP:
Dumbbells are a great tool to train legs because they are versatile, safe, and easy to use. If you want to strengthen imbalances or add volume for better muscle growth, start incorporating some of these exercises into your leg workout routine.
And if you only train with dumbbells, creating a dumbbell leg workout with these exercises will certainly be effective for improving strength and muscle mass, not to mention burning a lot of calories.
More Dumbbell Exercise Resources:
Sam Coleman
Author