18 Exercises For a Great Dumbbell Leg Workout

The classic dumbbell squat is a great leg-day exercise that targets your whole lower body, including your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, in one efficient movement. Form is key here, so make sure to do your squats properly.

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding a dumbbell at each shoulder.
• Slowly bend your knees and push your butt back as if you’re sitting in a chair. Don’t let your knees move beyond your toes or roll out or in.
• Squat down as low as you can, keeping your head and chest lifted, your spine long and shoulders relaxed. Engage your core to avoid rounding or arching your back. Pause when your thighs are parallel to the floor, or as low as is comfortable for you.
• Press into both feet to straighten your legs and return to standing. That’s one rep.

While thrusters are a great dumbbell leg exercise, they work a lot more than just your legs. This squat variation adds a more explosive movement at the top that engages your core and shoulder muscles in addition to your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. It’s important to keep your core engaged throughout the squat and shoulder press so that you’re fully supporting your upper body; if you feel your back start to round or arch, drop down to a lighter weight or remove the shoulder press and do a simple dumbbell squat.

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding a dumbbell at each shoulder.
• Slowly bend your knees and push your butt back as if you’re sitting in a chair. Don’t let your knees move beyond your toes or roll out or in.
• Squat down as low as you can, keeping your head and chest lifted, your spine long and shoulders relaxed. Engage your core to avoid rounding or arching your back. Pause when your thighs are parallel to the floor, or as low as is comfortable for you.
• Pursh into both feet to straighten your legs and return to standing, then immediately press the dumbbells overhead, so they’re stacked directly over your shoulders.
• Lower the dumbbells back to your shoulders. That’s one rep.

The goblet squat is similar to a traditional dumbbell squat, with some differences in foot and weight placement: your feet will be wider and pointed slightly out, and you’ll hold one dumbbell (or kettlebell) at your chest. This dumbbell leg workout move is great for targeting your glutes and quads, and you might find that you’re able to squat lower than in a traditional squat because the dumbbell is placed at your chest, which helps some people stay balanced and keep the weight in their heels, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

• Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed slightly out. Hold a single dumbbell at chest level with both hands.
• Keeping your core engaged, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body until your thighs are parallel with the floor and your elbows touch your knees (or as low as you can comfortably go).
• Press into both feet to straighten your legs and return to standing. That’s one rep.

Yes, another squat variation! In addition to working your glutes, quads, and hamstrings, sumo squats also recruit your calves and inner thighs – making this a dumbbell leg exercise that truly targets your whole lower body. Your legs will be extra wide, but note that your knees still shouldn’t go past your toes. Hold one dumbbell at your chest or grab two to increase the challenge even more.

• Stand with your feet wide and your toes pointing out, holding two dumbbells in front of your chest.
• Bend your knees, lowering your hips until your thighs are parallel with the floor (or as low as you can comfortably go). Keep your chest up and core engaged.
• Press into both feet to straighten your legs and return to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top. That’s one rep.

Romanian deadlifts are a popular compound exercise for good reason. This dumbbell leg move targets the muscles on the back of your legs and butt, which are often underutilized. (Many people don’t train those muscles as much as their quads, which are on the front of the legs.) When done with correct form, a deadlift will also work your back, abs, and upper body, too. Many people do deadlifts with a barbell, but dumbbells work just as well.

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs, keeping your arms straight.
• Allow your knees to bend slightly as you lower the dumbbells to the floor with control, keeping your back flat and core tight. Don’t allow your shoulders to hunch forward; keep your shoulder blades down and back. Continue lowering the dumbbells until you reach your shins or feel a stretch along the backs of your thighs.
• Straighten your legs to stand up and squeeze your glutes at the top. That’s one rep.

In addition to doing bilateral leg exercises with weights (i.e. moves using both legs), it’s important to do unilateral (aka single-leg) moves, too. That way, you’re making sure both legs can do their job separately as well as together. The single-leg deadlift targets similar muscle groups as the traditional deadlift, but focuses the work on one leg and glute while challenging your core strength and balance. Make sure you can perform this move without falling over (tougher than it sounds, trust us) and go at a slow, comfortable pace to maintain your form, especially if you’re trying the single-leg deadlift for the first time.

• Stand with all your weight on your right foot. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand, and lift your left foot slightly off the ground.
• Keep your back flat and hips square as you lean your entire torso forward while simultaneously raising your left leg behind you and lowering the dumbbells toward the ground. Keep your core engaged throughout the move.
• Slowly lower your leg and lift your torso up to stand, returning to your starting position. That’s one rep.
• Complete the same amount of reps on both sides.

If you’d like a dumbbell leg exercise that also works your arms at the same time, the lunge with a bicep curl is the move for you. The lunge portion of the exercise targets your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves, while the curl works your biceps. Performing the curl at the bottom of the lunge also increases your time under tension, aka the amount of time you spend in the toughest part of the exercise, which increases the overall difficulty.

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
• Step forward with your right foot, lowering into a lunge. Pause when both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle and your rear knee is hovering just off the floor (or as low as is comfortable for you).
• Holding this position, curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders in a bicep curl. At the top of the movement, your palsm should be facing your shoulders.
• Lower the dumbbells back to your sides, then push off the front foot to step it backwards and return to the starting position. That’s one rep.
• Do the same number of reps on both sides.

If you don’t have a kettlebell around, grab a single dumbbell and change the traditional kettlebell swing to a dumbbell swing. The form and motion are the same, and you’ll work your hamstrings, abs, arms, and glutes just as effectively.

• Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and toes pointed slightly outward, holding the dumbbell in both hands.
• Bend your knees slightly, and push your hips back, lowering the weight between your legs. Keep your core tight and your chest open with your shoulder blades down and back.
• Forcefully squeeze your glutes and drive your 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 your head.
• Let the weight swing back between your legs with control. That’s one rep.

Another upper-and-lower-body combo move, split squats with overhead presses are an effective way to work your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves while incorporating a bonus movement for your shoulders. As with dumbbell thrusters, make sure your core is engaged while you do this dumbbell leg exercise so your back and upper body are supported during the overhead press.

• Holding two weights at your shoulders with your palms facing forward, take a big step backward with your right foot.
• Bend your knees to lower into a lunge, making 90-degree angles with both legs. Keep your core engaged, and make sure your front knee doesn’t move forward beyond your toes.
• Straighten both legs to stand as you press the weights overhead. That’s one rep.
• Complete equal reps on both sides.

If you want to really work on your balance while you strengthen your legs, the reverse lunge to knee drive is a good choice. You’ll work your leg and glute muscles through the lunge portion and challenge your abs and balance with the knee drive. You can do this leg workout move with bodyweight (shown) or, to make it more difficult, with dumbbells (hold them by your sides throughout the move).

• Stand with your feet together, holding a weight in each hand by your sides.
• Step your right foot back, lowering into a lunge so your back knee hovers just off the ground.
• Push off your right foot and drive your right knee forward so it’s even with your left hip.
• Without touching the floor with your right foot, step back into the lunge to start your second rep.
• Do the same number of reps on both sides.

Step-ups target your quads, glutes, and hamstrings in one simple movement. Make sure the surface you’re stepping onto can safely support your weight (and the weight of your dumbbells!) before you start.

• Stand facing a sturdy bench, box, step, or chair. Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides. (For a bodyweight version, place your hands on your hips as shown.)
• Step your left foot onto the step. Shift your weight forward onto your left leg, and push off the floor to stand on top of the step. Drive your right knee forward so it’s at hip height.
• Softly step your right foot back to the ground. That’s one rep.
• Do the same number of reps on both sides.

Mix up your lunges with this off-center variation that makes for a great addition to your leg-day workout. Curtsy lunges target your quads, your hamstrings, the muscle on the side of your butt (called the glute medius), and the abductor muscles in your hips. You can do this move with only your bodyweight, as pictured, or with dumbbells (hold them at chest height or down at your sides).

• Start standing with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides or one dumbbell at your chest.
• Step your right leg diagonally behind you and to the left so your thighs cross, bending both knees to lower into a lunge. Try to keep your front knee over your front ankle, and keep your rear knee hovering off the floor. Engage your core and try to keep from arching your back or leaning forward.
• Push off your right foot to step it forward and return to standing. That’s one rep.
• Do the same number of reps on both sides.

The side lunge (aka lateral lunge) is designed to light up your glutes, particularly your glute medius (the muscle on the outside of your butt), while also working your quads and abs. Feel free to add a bicep curl to target your arms, as shown.

• Start standing with your feet hip-distance apart. Hold a weight in each hand with your arms by your sides, palms facing in.
• Take a big step to the left, and lower down into a lunge, keeping your right leg straight and lowering both weights to the ground on either side of your bent left leg. Keep your chest lifted, back flat, and toes pointing forward.
• Push off with your left foot to step it back to center and return to standing. (To add a bicep curl, perform it now, bringing the weights toward your shoulders and returning them to your sides.) That’s one rep.
• Do the same number of reps on both sides.

This glute-, quad-, and hamstring-strengthening move will also challenge your coordination and core strength. Try it with just your bodyweight (as shown) before trying to add weights.

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointed slightly outward. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, press them overhead so they’re stacked directly over your shoulders. This is your starting position.
• Holding the weights overhead, slowly bend your knees and sit your hips back to lower into a squat. Make sure to keep your chest lifted, back flat, and core engaged. Pause when your thighs are parallel to the ground or as low as is comfortable for you.
• Press into both feet to straighten your legs and return to standing, still holding the weights overhead. That’s one rep.

Just a few Bulgarian split squats will have you feeling a serious burn in your working leg. Maintaining correct posture and core engagement is very important in this dumbbell leg exercise, which primarily targets your glutes.

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides (or perform this move with just your bodyweight, as shown), and stand just in front of a bench, box, stair, or chair. Place the toes of your right foot on top of the bench.
• Make sure your left foot is out far enough so that when you lower your hips, your knee stays directly over your ankle. (It might take some trial and error to find the exact right placement.)
• Bend your left leg to lower your body toward the ground, pausing when your front thigh is parallel to the floor (or as low as is comfortable).
• Press your left foot into the ground to straighten your left leg and return to standing. That’s one rep.
• Do the same number of reps on each side.

There are plenty of glute bridge variations out there, but if you have a dumbbell handy, this is the one for you. The weighted glute bridge is a classic butt exercise for good reason – it really targets your glutes! Make sure to go for a weight that’s sufficiently challenging for the strong muscles in your legs and butt.

• Grab one medium to heavy dumbbell. You can also do this exercise using just your bodyweight.
• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. 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.
• Engage your core and lift your hips up to the ceiling, squeezing your butt as you do. You should be making a straight line with your body from shoulders to knees.
• Hold for three seconds, making sure your hips don’t sag and keeping your abs and butt muscles engaged.
• Lower your hips to the floor. That’s one rep.

Walking lunges are a great functional movement to add to your leg-day workouts, and you can do them with dumbbells to really amp up the challenge.

• Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands by your sides, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
• Take a big step forward with your left foot, putting the weight into your heel.
• Bend the left knee, lowering down so that your thigh is parallel to the floor (or as low as is comfortable for you) and your rear knee is hovering just off the floor.
• Push off your back leg to stand with all your weight on the left leg. Hover your right foot off the floor and immediately take a big step forward with that leg to repeat the move on the other side. That’s one rep.
• Repeat this movement going forward, alternating legs.

There’s a good chance single-leg squats are going to be hard for you even without dumbbells (no shade, it’s an advanced move!). But if you want to, you can add weights to make the move more challenging. (You can also scale it back by doing a squat down onto a bench or chair.)

• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and raise your left leg just off the floor, flexing your ankle to point your toe toward the ceiling.
• Bend your right knee and sit your hips back into a one-legged squat. Try to keep your knee behind your toes and your whole foot pushing firmly into the floor. Activate your core by gently pulling your abs toward your spine.
• Lower as far as is comfortable, or to sit onto a chair or bench.
• Hold for a beat, then press into your standing leg to return to the starting position. That’s one rep.