Strength training is great as an important fitness exercise, but if you want to strengthen your lower body, you may need to add some weight. No barbells or other cumbersome fitness equipment is needed. Just a pair of dumbbells can fully meet the needs of leg muscle training.
When you think about incorporating leg workouts into your daily exercise, most people may think of squat racks, leg presses, and Smith machines. These are all necessary leg workouts equipment that can be used to train your calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, and glutes. But these are not the only options for leg muscle training. If you are working out at home, you can use dumbbells for leg training without them.
Dumbbells can be used directly without other equipment, and dumbbells are also the easiest construction equipment to store in a home gym. Adjustable dumbbells allow you to have a variety of weights, and you can also change them at any time. Dumbbells are the best equipment for resistance training, whether in the gym or at home. Just using this simple fitness equipment, you can create amazing leg workouts.
Don’t think dumbbell leg workouts are only for people who do bodyweight training. Aerobic exercise is also essential for leg muscle training, such as running, swimming, etc. You need to incorporate leg workouts into your daily exercise so that your muscles can support you both aerobically and anaerobically.
Now that you know some basics about leg workouts, here are 10 lower-body dumbbell exercises you can use for leg workouts. Let’s get started!
Related: Build Full-Body Muscle Using The Push Pull Legs Routine
The Benefits of training legs with dumbbells
When doing leg workouts, equipment, and barbells allow you to lift a lot of weight, but that doesn’t mean there are no benefits to using dumbbells for leg workouts. Using dumbbells for leg workouts has the following benefits.
Targeted Muscle Engagement: Dumbbell leg workouts effectively target major muscle groups such as quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. This helps in building balanced lower body strength and muscle development.
Improved Stability and Balance: Using dumbbells for leg workouts requires stabilizing muscles to work harder to maintain balance and control. This enhances overall stability and coordination, which is beneficial for daily activities and sports performance.
Versatility in Exercises: Dumbbells allow for a wide range of leg workouts that can be performed in various positions (standing, seated, lying down) and movement patterns (squats, lunges, deadlifts). This versatility helps in targeting different muscles and adapting workouts to different fitness levels.
Accessible and Convenient: Dumbbells are widely available in gyms and can also be used for home workouts. They are relatively easy to handle and can be adjusted in weight to suit individual strength levels, making them accessible for beginners and advanced trainers alike.
Functional Strength: Many dumbbell leg workouts mimic everyday movements like squatting, bending, and lifting. Strengthening these movements improves functional strength, making daily tasks easier and reducing the risk of injury.
Core Activation: Several dumbbell leg workouts engage the core muscles to stabilize the body during movements. This helps in developing core strength and improving overall posture.
In conclusion, there are many benefits to using dumbbells for leg workouts. There is no doubt that if you are a beginner, using dumbbells alone will allow you to build strong lower-body muscles; if you are a more advanced trainer, dumbbells are the perfect way to help you achieve better muscle growth.
The Dumbbell Leg Workouts
Time: 20 to 30 minutes | Equipment: Dumbbells, mat (optional) | Good for: Legs
Instructions: You can do 5-6 exercises each time, practice each set according to the specified number of times, and complete 3-4 sets.
Goblet Squat
A goblet squat is a variation of the leg workouts that involves holding a weight close to your chest, similar to how you would hold a goblet or a large goblet-shaped cup.
Target muscles: quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes
How to Do It:
1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider.
2. Hold a dumbbell, kettlebell, or a weight plate vertically with both hands close to your chest. Imagine you’re cradling a goblet.
3. Keeping your chest up and core engaged, initiate the squat by pushing your hips back and bending your knees.
4. Lower your body down as far as you can comfortably go, aiming to get your thighs parallel to the ground or slightly below while maintaining a straight back and neutral spine.
5. Your elbows should stay inside your knees as you lower yourself.
6. Push through your heels to stand back up, extending your hips and knees simultaneously.
Set and Reps: 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps
Single Leg Deadlift
The single-leg deadlift challenging leg workouts primarily target the posterior chain—your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back—while also engaging the core for stability.
Target muscles: Hamstrings, gluteus maximus, quadriceps
How to Do It:
1. Stand tall with your feet together.
2. Shift your weight onto one leg while keeping a slight bend in the knee of the supporting leg. The non-supporting leg should extend straight behind you with your toes pointed towards the ground.
3. Keeping your back straight and chest up, slowly hinge at your hips to lower your torso towards the ground. Your raised leg should move back behind you, maintaining a straight line from your head to your heel.
4. The movement is driven by the hip hinge, not by bending the knee excessively. Lower the weight as far as your flexibility allows while maintaining a neutral spine.
5. Reach towards the ground with the opposite hand of your supporting leg. If your left leg is supporting, your right-hand reaches towards the ground, and vice versa.
Sets and Reps: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Curtsy Lunge
A curtsy lunge is a variation of the traditional leg workouts that adds a diagonal movement pattern, incorporating different muscle groups while still primarily targeting the lower body.
Target muscles: quads, hamstrings, and glutes
How to Do It:
1. Take a step backward and diagonally across your body with one leg. For example, if you’re starting with your right leg, step back and to the left, crossing behind your left leg.
2. Bend both knees as if you were curtsying, lowering your hips until your front thigh is parallel to the ground, and your back knee is just above the floor. Both knees should form 90-degree angles at the bottom of the movement.
3. Push through the heel of your front foot to return to the starting position, bringing your back leg back to meet the front leg.
Sets and Reps: 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Isometric Calf Raise
An isometric calf raise type of leg workouts where you hold a static position at the top of the calf raise movement, without any dynamic movement or change in muscle length.
Target muscles: gastrocnemius, soleus
How to Do It:
1. Stand on a stable surface with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointing forward or slightly outward.
2. Slowly rise onto your toes by lifting your heels off the ground as high as possible.
3. Once you reach the highest point of the calf raise where your calves are fully contracted, hold this position without any further movement.
4. Keep your ankles stable and avoid rolling inward or outward. Engage your core muscles to maintain good posture throughout.
5. Hold the position for a specific duration, typically around 10-30 seconds, depending on your strength and endurance level.
Sets and Reps: 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps
Sumo Squat
Sumo squats, also known as plie squats, are a variation of the traditional leg workouts that primarily target the muscles of the lower body.
Target muscles: quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and adductors (inner thigh muscles)
How to Do It:
1. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing outward at about a 45-degree angle. Keep your back straight, and chest up, and engage your core muscles for stability.
2. Lower your body by bending your knees and hips, as if you were going to sit back into a chair.
3. You can go deeper if your flexibility allows, but ensure your knees do not go past your toes to prevent excessive stress on the joints.
4. Push through your heels to return to the starting position, straightening your legs and squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
Sets and Reps: 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps
Step Up
Performing step-ups straightforward yet leg workouts for targeting your lower body.
Target muscles: quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves
How to Do It:
1. Stand upright facing the step. Your feet should be about hip-width apart.
2. Keep your shoulders back, and chest up, and engage your core muscles for stability.
3. Step onto the platform with one foot, placing your entire foot firmly on the step. Ensure your heel is on the step, not just the toes.
4. Press through the heel of the leading foot and lift your body up onto the step. Use your glutes and quadriceps to lift yourself.
5. As you step up, drive your opposite knee up towards your chest for balance and engagement.
Set and Reps: 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps
Squat To Press
The squat to press, also known as the thruster, is a compound exercise that combines a squat with an overhead press. It’s a leg workout that engages multiple muscle groups and provides a great cardiovascular workout.
Target muscles: quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes
How to Do It:
1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand (or a barbell resting on your shoulders).
2. Your palms should be facing inward towards your body.
3. Lower your body into a squat position by bending your hips and knees. Lower down until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground, or as far as comfortably possible.
4. As you rise from the squat position, simultaneously press the dumbbells (or barbell) overhead.
5. Extend your arms fully at the top, with the weights directly above your shoulders.
Set and Reps: 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
Weighted Swing
The weighted swing is a leg workouts primarily targeting the posterior chain muscles.
Target muscles: glutes, hamstrings, lower back
How to Do It:
1. Place the kettlebell or dumbbell on the floor between your feet.
2. Bend your hips and knees to lower yourself and grasp the kettlebell or dumbbell with both hands.
3. Your back should remain flat, chest up, and core engaged.
4. Start the movement by driving through your heels and extending your hips and knees explosively.
5. The kettlebell or dumbbell should swing back between your legs as you hinge at the hips.
Set and Reps: 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps
Dumbbell Split Squat
The dumbbell split squat, also known as the dumbbell Bulgarian split squat, effective leg workout.
Target muscles: quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
How to Do It:
1. Stand in front of a bench, step, or platform with a dumbbell in each hand (optional).
2. Assume a split stance with one foot positioned forward and the other foot resting on the bench or platform behind you.
3. The forward leg should be approximately 2-3 feet in front of the bench, with your knee directly above your ankle.
4. The rear foot should be resting on the bench or platform, with your toes pointing down and your foot flat against the surface.
5. Push through the heel of your front foot to extend your knee and hip and return to the starting position.
Set and Reps: 4 sets of 8 to 16 reps
Dumbbell Single-Leg RDL
The Dumbbell Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift (RDL) leg workouts target the posterior chain. It also challenges your balance and stability, making it a great functional exercise.
Target muscles: hamstrings, glutes
How to Do It:
1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand (or one dumbbell in each hand if preferred).
2. Shift your weight onto one leg. Let’s start with the right leg for this example.
3. Keep a slight bend in your right knee (the supporting leg).
4. Hinge at your hips to slowly lower the dumbbell toward the ground while simultaneously lifting your left leg straight back behind you.
5. Keep your back flat and your torso parallel to the ground as you lower the dumbbell. The movement should come from the hips, not from rounding your back.
6. Lower the dumbbell down along the front of your right leg. Your left leg should extend straight behind you, maintaining a neutral spine and a slight bend at the knee.
Set and Reps: 4 sets of 6 to 12 reps
