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- Strengthen Your Legs With These 20 Dumbbell Exercises You Can Do Right at Home
Strengthen Your Legs With These 20 Dumbbell Exercises You Can Do Right at Home
by
jenny sugar
Getty / recep-bg
While lifting heavy barbells is great for strengthening your legs, don’t underestimate the power of a pair of dumbbells. Weighted moves can make you feel the burn and help you build strength even at home. What follows isn’t a workout. Instead, pick a handful of these exercises and incorporate them into your sweat session. You’re bound to be sore the next day!
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Dumbbell Squat
- Stand with your feet hip-distance apart while holding a dumbbell at each shoulder.
- Slowly bend your knees as if you were going to sit in a chair, keeping all the weight in your heels. Don’t let your knees move beyond your toes, and don’t let the knees roll out or in. Squat down as low as you can, keeping your head and chest lifted, your spine long, and your shoulders relaxed.
- Press through your heels, and slowly straighten your legs to stand up. Make sure to keep your spine neutral. Do not round your back.
- This counts as one rep.
POPSUGAR Photography / Kat Borchart
Dumbbell Thrusters
- Stand with your legs just slightly wider than hip-distance apart with your arms raised to shoulder height, holding a pair of dumbbells by your ears.
- Bend your knees as if you were sitting in a chair, keeping your weight back on your heels.
- Press the dumbbells overhead as you straighten your knees to return to standing.
- This is one rep. Be sure to lower the dumbbells back down to your shoulders as you move through to your next rep.
POPSUGAR Photography / Kat Borchart
Goblet Squat
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width and your toes pointed slightly out. Hold a single dumbbell at chest level with both hands.
- Keeping your back flat, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor and your elbows touch your knees.
- With your weight focused on your heels, push yourself up to the starting position to complete one rep.
POPSUGAR Photography / Kat Borchart
Dumbbell Sumo Squat
- Stand with your feet wide and your toes pointing out, holding both dumbbells in front of your chest.
- Bend your knees, lowering your hips deeply so your thighs are parallel with the floor. Make sure to keep your weight back in your heels.
- Rise back up, straightening the legs completely and squeezing the glutes at the top of the movement to get the most from the exercise.
- This completes one rep.
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Dumbbell Deadlift
- Stand with your feet hip-distance apart.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides with straight arms.
- Push your butt back as you bend your knees, squatting down just enough to tap the front end of the dumbbell to the floor (or go as low as you can). Keep your back straight, not curved or arched. Your chest should be parallel with the floor.
- Straighten your legs to stand up, and squeeze your glutes at the top.
- This completes one rep.
POPSUGAR Photography / Kat Borchart
Single-Leg Deadlift
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand, and lift your left foot slightly off the ground.
- Keeping your back neutral, lean your entire torso forward while raising your left leg, which should stay in line with your body. The dumbbells will lower toward the ground.
- With your back straight, return upright, coming to your starting position. This completes one rep.
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Alternating Forward Lunges With Bicep Curl
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
- Step forward with the left foot as you bend the elbows into a bicep curl. Lower your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Keep the front knee directly above the ankle and lower the right knee to just tap the floor.
- Keep the weight in your heels as you push back to the starting position, completing one rep.
POPSUGAR Photography / Kathryna Hancock
Dumbbell Swing
- Stand with your legs shoulder-width distance apart and toes pointed slightly outward, holding the dumbbell (or a kettlebell if you have it) in both hands.
- Bend your knees slightly and push your hips back, lowering the weight between your legs with the forearms pressing against the inner thighs. Keep your chest open with your shoulder blades sliding down your back.
- Forcefully squeeze your glutes and drive the heels down to thrust the weight forward as you straighten your legs. All the work is done by the lower body and core in this exercise, and your arms will naturally swing forward to chest height or above the head.
- Allow the weight to fall between your legs, bending the knees, ready for the next rep.
POPSUGAR Photography / Kat Borchart
Split Squat With Overhead Press
- Holding two weights at your shoulders with your palms facing out, step backward about three feet with your left foot. Press the weights up to the ceiling.
- Lower the weight to your shoulders as you bend your knees, making 90-degree angles with both legs.
- Straighten both legs as you press the weights back toward the ceiling.
- This completes one rep.
POPSUGAR Photography / Kat Borchart
Reverse Lunge and Press
- Stand with your feet together, holding the weights at your shoulders with your palms facing out.
- Step your left foot back, coming into a lunge and making 90-degree angles with your front and back knees.
- Push off your left foot, and drive your left knee forward so it is even with your left hip. At the same time, raise your arms above your head, pushing the weights upward. Do this motion with control.
- Without touching the floor with your left foot, step back into the lunge to start your second rep.
POPSUGAR Photography / Tamara Pridgett
Burpee Squat Press
- Begin standing with a 10-pound dumbbell on each side of your body. If this is too heavy and you find that your form is incorrect, use lighter weights.
- Holding onto the dumbbells, lower down and perform a burpee. If this is too much pressure on your hands or wrists, you can set the dumbbells down in front of you for this part. If you’re a beginner, you can perform a modified burpee.
- With control, push your body off of the ground as you simultaneously pick up the dumbbells. Be sure to keep your core engaged and your spine in a neutral position when pushing yourself off the ground.
- Standing tall with your core engaged, bend your arms and hold the dumbbells on or slightly above your shoulders. Then, lower down into a squat.
- As you stand up, push both dumbbells overhead.
- This counts as one rep.
Getty / franckreporter
Dumbbell Box Step-Ups
- Find a sturdy bench, coffee table, wooden box, or kid’s chair that allows your knee to be at about a 90-degree angle or larger when you place your foot squarely on it.
- Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand by your side (or, for a more advanced version, in the front rack position at your shoulders).
- Step your right foot onto the box, then your left, so both feet are on top of the box.
- Softly step the right foot back to the ground, then the left.
- This counts as one rep.
POPSUGAR Photography / Kat Borchart
Crossover Lunge
- Stand with your feet shoulder-distance apart. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand or a medicine ball. Extend your arms down at your sides if you are holding dumbbells, or hold the medicine ball in front of you with arms extended.
- Take a large step diagonally forward with your right foot, planting your foot at the 11 o’clock position. Sink down until your thighs form right angles. As you bend your knees, curl the dumbbells toward your upper arms or the medicine ball toward your chest.
- Extend your legs, lift your right knee and bring it in toward your chest, and lower your arms.
- Step back with your right leg, this time lunging behind your torso and stepping back to the 8 o’clock position. As you sink down into the reverse lunge, complete another bicep curl. This completes one rep.
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Deep Squat With Overhead Reach
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and toes pointed slightly outward, holding one heavier dumbbell with both hands.
- Sit back into your squat, bending your knees to 90 degrees while keeping your elbows straight, and raise the weight overhead.
- Lower your arms as you straighten your knees to stand; this completes one rep.
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Weighted Squat
- Stand with your feet a little wider than your hips and your toes pointed slightly outward, holding one dumbbell in both hands.
- Sit back to squat, keeping the weight in your heels and your chest lifted. The bottom of the dumbbell should lightly tap the floor.
- Push through your heels to return to standing; this completes one rep.
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Side Lunge to Curtsy
- Holding a five- to 10-pound weight in your right hand, side lunge to the left, bringing your right hand to your left foot. Lower your butt as much as possible while sinking back into your heels. Keep your toes pointed forward and your left knee bent to no more than 90 degrees.
- Push off gently with your left foot, and come into a curtsy position with your left leg crossing behind your right as you press your weight overhead. Keep your hips square and your curtsy tight. Both feet should be pointed forward. This completes one rep.
- Repeat by stepping immediately into a side lunge from the curtsy.
POPSUGAR Photography / Kyle Hartman
Surrender
- Stand holding weights in both hands just above your shoulders with bent elbows.
- Bring your right knee to the ground. Bring your left knee down as well so you are kneeling.
- Lift your right foot up and place it in front of you. Bring your left foot forward as you stand up. Keep the weights at your shoulders at all times.
- This completes one rep.
Getty / South_agency
Single Arm Overhead Squat
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart.
- Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell in your right hand, and straighten your arm overhead. If this is too difficult, or you don’t have the shoulder mobility, bend the elbow and rest the weight on your shoulder.
- With the weight overhead and the elbow locked out, keep your core engaged as you bend the knees into a squat, lowering the hips just below the knees. Extend the left arm out for balance. (The photo on the right is demonstrating the exercise on the other side).
- Try to keep equal weight in both feet as you stand up, keeping the right arm straight.
- This counts as one rep.
POPSUGAR Photography / Tamara Pridgett
Bulgarian Split Squat
- Grab a pair of 10-pound dumbbells. Begin by placing the toes of your left foot on a bench, box, stair, or chair. Keep your right leg straight.
- Make sure your right foot is out far enough so that when you lower your hips, your knee stays directly over your ankle.
- Bend your right knee, squeeze your left glute, and lower your pelvis toward the ground.
- Press your right heel into the ground to straighten your right knee and come to standing. This completes one repetition.
POPSUGAR Photography / Tamara Pridgett
Weighted Glute Bridge
- Grab a medium to heavy dumbbell; 20 pounds is a great starting point. You can also do this exercise using just your bodyweight.
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Be sure to keep your feet underneath your knees, not in front. Place the dumbbell on top of your lower abdominals (below your belly button and above your hip bones). Hold the dumbbell in place with both hands to prevent it from moving.
- Raise your hips up to the ceiling, tensing your abs and squeezing your butt as you do. You should be making a long diagonal line with your body, from shoulders to knees.
- Hold for three seconds, making sure your spine doesn’t round and your hips don’t sag. Keep your abs and butt muscles engaged.
- Lower down to the ground; this is considered one rep.
