It’s an unwritten rule that you should never miss leg day. Some people love it and others hate it, but regardless, training your lower body is crucial for full body strength and overall health.

If you’re training at home or in a gym garage conversion then Dumbbells are an essential piece of equipment. They’re versatile and can be used to perform a multitude of exercises no matter what your training goal is.

Benefits of a Dumbbell Leg Workout

Here are some of the reasons you should consider using dumbbells for your lower body workouts -

• You can perform unilateral movements

• Improved coordination and stability

• Help to identify muscle imbalance

• Safer when training alone

• More freedom of movement

Lower Body Dumbbell Exercises

Need some inspiration? Here are 30 lower body dumbbell exercises you can incorporate into your training -

1 - Romanian Deadlifts

Start standing and hold both dumbbells in front of your legs. Bend your knees slightly and hinge at the hips, lowering the dumbbells down to your shins. Once the dumbbells reach your mid shins, rise to stand again. Keep your spine neutral throughout the movement.

2 - Split Squats

Hold the dumbbells either side of your body and start in a split stance position. Bend both knees until your back knee is close to the ground. Push your front heel into the floor and rise to stand.

3 - Reverse Lunges

You can either hold the dumbbells by the sides of your legs or on your shoulders. Step one foot back and sink into a lunge position. Return to the starting position and repeat.

4 - Goblet Squats

Hold the dumbbell with both hands in front of your chest and place your feet hips width apart, toes slightly pointing outwards. Sink down into a squat position until your thighs are at least parallel with the floor. Pause at the bottom then rise back to stand leading with your chest.

5 - Glute Bridges

Lie on a mat with your feet planted and knees pointing upwards. Hold the dumbbell on your hips and lift them upwards whilst simultaneously squeezing your glutes.

6 - Walking Lunges

You can either hold one heavy dumbbell in a goblet position, or hold two dumbbells either side of your legs. Step forwards with one leg and lunge until your back knee is close to the floor. Step the back foot to meet the front and alternate the movement on each leg.

7 - Standing Calf Raises

Stand tall and hold the dumbbells in both hands on either side of your legs. Lift up onto the balls of your feet, pause for a second at the top and then lower back down.

8 - Step Ups

You will need an Aerobic Exercise Step to perform this exercise. Place your left foot on the step and hold the dumbbells in each hand. Step the right foot up to the platform then lower it back down to the ground.

9 - Single Leg Deadlifts

Hold both dumbbells in front of your legs and shift all your weight into your left leg. Lift your right foot off the floor and bend at the knee. Bend your left knee and push your hips back as you lower your chest to the floor. Keep the dumbbells close to your legs. Once the dumbbells reach your shin, lift back up to standing.

10 - Curtsy Lunges

Using both dumbbells, hold them either side of your body. Step your right foot back, crossing it behind your left leg, then bend both knees until your right knee is close to the floor. Step back to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

11 - Pistol Squats

Hold the dumbbell in a goblet position and shift your weight to your left foot. Take your right foot off the floor and bend your left knee, lowering towards the ground. Pause at the bottom and rise back to stand.

12 - Thrusters

Hold the dumbbells above your shoulders and bend down into a squat position. As you stand up, thrust the dumbbells in the air above your head.

13 - Lunge + High Knees

Begin standing and hold the dumbbells in each hand. Step your left foot back and drop your knee into a reverse lunge position. Next, bring your left foot off the floor and drive your leg in front of your body in a high knee position. Bring your legs back to a standing position and repeat on the other side.

14 - Dumbbell Snatches

Stand with your feet hips width apart and get into a squat position. Hold the dumbbell in an overhand grip close to the floor directly below your chest. Move into a standing position whilst lifting the dumbbell up to your hips. Once it reaches your hips, using an explosive movement, push your hips forwards and pull the dumbbell up with your arm. When the dumbbell reaches shoulder height, flip your elbow underneath the weight and push it in the air overhead.

15 - Sumo Squats

Hold the dumbbell in front of your chest and take a wide stance squat, around one and a half hips width apart. Squat until your thighs are at least parallel with the ground.

16 - Jump Squats

Hold a dumbbell in front of your chest and bend down to squat. As you rise, jump up then land with your knees bent.

17 - Single Leg Glute Bridges

Start in the same position as a normal glute bridge, expect you will take one foot off the floor and straighten that leg. Hold the dumbbell on your hips and lift them whilst you squeeze your glutes.

18 - Overhead Lunges

Hold a dumbbell in one hand over your head. Next, do your walking lunges whilst keeping the dumbbell overhead.

19 - Bulgarian Split Squats

Place your back leg on an elevated surface such as a Single Leg Split Squat Stand and start in a split stance position. Hold the dumbbells either side of your legs and drop your back knee down towards the floor.

20 - Front Foot Elevated Split Squats

Place your front foot on a step and step back into a split squat position. Hold the dumbbells over your shoulders or by the side of your legs and drop your back knee towards the floor.

21 - Dumbbell Leg Curls

Hold the dumbbell between your feet and lie face down on a mat. Slowly kick your heels and the dumbbell towards your bum, then lower your legs back to full extension.

22 - Forward Lunges

Step forwards and bend both of your knees until your back knee is close to the ground. Bring your foot back and repeat on the other side.

23 - Lateral Lunges

Begin standing and hold the dumbbells just above your shoulders. Step one foot two shoulder widths to the side and bend into that knee. Your other leg should be straight. Stay upright with a neutral spine. Step back to the start position and repeat on the other side.

24 - Overhead Squats

Hold one dumbbell overhead in one hand and squat down until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Maintain a neutral spine and brace your core then repeat with the other hand.

25 - Wall Sits

Sit against a wall, keep your knees bent at a 90 degree angle and push your back and shoulders into the wall. You can either hold the dumbbell in front of you or overhead to make it more challenging.

26 - Stiff Leg Deadlifts

Keep your legs as straight as possible and hold the dumbbells in front of them. Hinge at the hips and lower the dumbbells towards the floor until they are just below your knees. Keep your spine neutral and neck in line with your back.

27 - Step Up + High Knees

Using a stepper, place one foot on the step and hold the dumbbells in both hands. Step the other foot up and drive it into a high knee position. Bring the foot back down to the ground.

28 - Cossack Squats

Hold the dumbbell in a goblet position and step your feet two shoulder width apart. Bend one knee and sink into it until you are as low as possible, keeping your heel on the floor. Your opposite leg should remain straight.

29 - Suitcase Deadlifts

Using just one dumbbell for this exercise, hold it in one hand by the side of your body. To begin, lower yourself into a deadlift start position with your ankles, knees and hips bent. Keeping your spine neutral, lift into the standing position.

30 - Jump Lunges

Hold the dumbbells just above your shoulders and stand in a split stance lunge position. Jump and switch your legs and drop down into a lunge.

Ready for an immense lower body session? Choose a few of the exercises above and you’ve got a whole dumbbell workout that you can perform in your home gym.

Written by guest author Eryn Barber.

Check out our Complete guide to dumbbells

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Tags: Equipment > Dumbbells ; Exercise Type > Strength