Dumbbell Leg Exercises
Whether you want to grow your calves, get stronger hamstrings, or build bigger quads, you can't go wrong with these dumbbell leg day exercises.
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Alternating Snatch
• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, a dumbbell between them.
• Squat down and grab the dumbbell with your left hand.
• Explosively extend your hips while shrugging your shoulders and pulling yourself under the dumbbell. You should end in an overhead squat position.
• Keeping the dumbbell held in the air, stand up.
• Squat, lowering the weight to the floor and repeating with your right arm.
GET GOOD FORM: Alternate quickly between the arms.
B Stance Romanian Deadlift
• Stand staggered, with your front foot flat and your back heel raised.
• Hold a Dumbbell in each hand and slightly bend your knees.
• Hinge at the hips and lower the dumbbells towards the floor.
• When you start to feel tension in your hamstrings, reverse the movement.
WHY IT WORKS: A B stance places most of your weight in your front leg, targeting your strength and stability.
Bridge Chest Press
• Lay on an exercise mat with your hands on your chest, holding two dumbbells.
• Lift your core and hips off the floor, keeping your feet flat.
• Press the dumbbells until your arms are extended.
MULTIPLE MUSCLES: By combining the glute bridge and chest press, you can work both your chest and legs.
Bulgarian Split Squat
• Stand in front of a split squat stand, holding two dumbbells.
• Place one leg on the stand, resting the front of your ankle on the pad.
• Squat down, keeping your chest upright.
REGRESSION: You can make this exercise easier by practicing the movement without the dumbbells.
Calf Raise
• Stand with your toes on an exercise step, heels hanging over the edge. Hold a pair of dumbbells by your side.
• Push into your toes to raise your heels higher into the air.
• Lower your heels again, before repeating.
VARIATION: You could perform this exercise without the exercise step, lightly touching your heels to the floor each rep.
Copenhagen Plank
• Lie next to a flat weight bench, balancing on one forearm and one leg.
• Hold a dumbbell against your top leg.
• Place the foot of your top leg onto the bench.
• Lift your hips off the ground, so the other foot goes onto the underneath of the bench pad.
REGRESSION: This is a technical exercise, so practice it unweighted first.
Cossack Squat
• Hold a dumbbell in a goblet position, feet as wide as possible.
• Bend one knee and sink to that side, making your opposite leg straight.
GET GOOD FORM: Both heels should remain on the floor at all times.
Cyclist Squat
• Stand with your heels on a squat ramp, holding a pair of dumbbells with your arms hanging towards the floor.
• Squat down, keeping your torso upright, then stand to complete one rep.
WHY IT WORKS: Cyclist squats are a great way to target your quadriceps due to increased knee flexion.
Dumbbell Swing
• Hold one dumbbell in both hands, holding onto each end.
• Hinge at the hips, holding the dumbbell between your legs.
• Push your hips forward and straighten, swinging your hands to eye level.
ALTERNATIVE: The dumbbell swing is a good alternative if you don’t have access to a kettlebell.
Forward Lunge
• Hold a Dumbbell in each hand, standing up straight.
• Step forwards on one leg.
• Lower your back knee until it is near to the floor.
• Stand up.
TOP TIP: Keep the dumbbells by your side throughout the exercise.
Front Squat
• Hold two dumbbells in a front rack position, resting a head on each shoulder.
• With your knees shoulder width apart, squat down before driving back up.
VARIATION: Perform with light weights for a fast cardio exercise. Or use heavy weights for a slower, strength building exercise.
Glute Bridge
• Lay on your back, with your feet planted on the floor and a dumbbell held at your hips.
• Lift your glutes and lower back off the floor, pausing at the top of the movement.
GET GOOD FORM: Your legs should form a pyramid shape.
Glute Bridge Hold
• Lie on the floor with a dumbbell over your hips, and with your knees bent.
• Lift your glutes and lower back off the floor.
• Pause for 5-10 seconds at the top of the movement before lowering.
GET GOOD FORM: Lower with control. If you find yourself collapsing to the floor, you’ll need to reduce the hold time or use a lighter dumbbell.
Goblet Squat
• Hold one dumbbell with both hands, in front of your body, at chest height.
• Stand tall, with your feet hip width apart, toes turned out.
• Brace your core and squat down.
• Drive through your heels to stand up.
TOP TIP: Your thighs should be at least parallel with the floor before rising.
Lateral Lunge
• Hold a dumbbell against your chest with both hands.
• Step to the side with one leg, until it is straight.
• Squat down slightly before rising up.
GET GOOD FORM: Keep both feet planted. If one starts to raise, you’ve gone too far and should narrow your stance.
Leg Curl
• Lay on your front, holding a dumbbell between your feet.
• Keeping your quads on the ground, curl the dumbbell up and down.
VARIATION: You can increase the range of motion by using a weight bench.
Lunge with Front Raise
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand and step one leg forwards, lowering your back knee until it almost reaches the floor.
• Raise your arms in front of you.
• Lower your arms, then push through your front foot to stand up.
• Repeat on the other leg to complete one rep.
REGRESSION: You can make this exercise easier by resting your back knee on the floor.
Lunge with Overhead Press
• Hold a pair of dumbbells by your shoulders, palms facing each other.
• As you step into a forward lunge, press the dumbbells overhead.
• Bring the dumbbells back to your shoulders as you stand back up.
• Repeat, lunging with the other leg.
REGRESSION: Lunge with the weights at your shoulders, then perform the overhead press. Bring the weights back to your shoulders before standing up.
Mixed Rack Squat
• Stand tall, holding one dumbbell in the front rack position, and one dumbbell in the suitcase position.
• Squat down, keeping your arms still.
• Rise up again to complete one rep.
VARIATIONS: You can also hold one of these dumbbells in an overhead position.
Narrow to Wide Squat
• Hold one dumbbell in front of your chest, with your legs in a very wide stance.
• Squat down, then rise up.
• Step your legs close together.
• Squat down, then rise up.
• Repeat this move, switching stance each time.
PROGRESSION: You can increase the difficulty of this exercise by jumping your feet together instead of walking them.
Overhead Cyclist Squat
• Stand with your heels on a squat ramp, holding a pair of dumbbells above your head with fully extended arms.
• Squat down, keeping your chest proud and your arms straight.
• Push through the floor to stand up.
MULTIPLE MUSCLES: Holding the weights overhead will target your arms, shoulders, and core alongside your legs.
Overhead Lunge
• Hold a dumbbell with one hand, feet together.
• With the dumbbell held above your head, step forward with one leg and lower your back knee to the floor.
• Stand up and step/lunge on the other leg.
TOP TIP: Keep your dumbbell raised throughout all of your reps.
Overhead Squat
• Hold a dumbbell in one hand, with your feet wide.
• Raise the dumbbell overhead and squat down, until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
• Stand back up, keeping the weight overhead.
PROGRESSION: When you have mastered this movement, you can lower the weight and perform this with two lighter Dumbbells.
Overhead Squat Hold
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
• Lift the dumbbells overhead and squat down.
• Hold this position for as long as you retain good form.
MULTIPLE MUSCLES: This is a full-body exercise, primarily targeting your quads, glutes, delts, triceps, and traps.
Pendulum Squat
• Hold a lightweight dumbbell in each hand by your sides.
• Swing the dumbbells backwards while you drop into a shallow squat.
• Stand up straight as you swing the dumbbells forward.
GET GOOD FORM: Don’t worry about achieving full parallel in your squat, you should aim for 1/4 depth.
Pistol Squat
• Stand tall, feet facing forwards, holding a dumbbell in a goblet position.
• Lift your right leg off the floor, holding it straight and squat down.
• Get as low as possible before pushing through your left foot to reverse the movement.
• Repeat on the other side.
REGRESSION: This is an advanced exercise. Check the blog below to learn how you can build up to it.
Plie Squat
• Stand with your feet as wide apart as possible, toes pointed outwards at 45-degree angles. Hold a dumbbell in a goblet position.
• Squat down until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
• Push through your feet to stand up.
VARIATION: You can also perform this exercise with the dumbbell held in between your legs instead of in front of your chest.
Poliquin Step Up
• Stand on an exercise step, with the heel of your left foot elevated on some fractional plates, knee bent.
• Your right leg should be straight and dorsiflexed (toes pointing to the ceiling), with only the heel touching the floor.
• Push through your elevated heel to straighten your left leg and lift your body upwards.
• Briefly pause at the top of the movement, then lower, repeating several reps before switching legs.
GET GOOD FORM: Make sure to keep the right leg straight and dorsiflexed throughout.
Pulsing Lunge
• Hold a pair of dumbbells by your sides.
• Step back into a lunge, hovering your back knee off the floor.
• Pulse your legs up and down in the bottom half of the range of motion.
• Stand and switch legs.
VARIATION: You can add this exercise onto a forward or backward lunge.
Quarter Squat
• Hold a pair of dumbbells in a front rack position.
• With your feet hip width apart and pointed slightly outwards, bend at the knees until you are at 1/4 of your squat depth.
• Stand back up.
GET GOOD FORM: Keep a neutral spine throughout, with a straight back and your chest up.
Reverse Lunge
• Hold two dumbbells by your side, feet together.
• Step back with one foot and drop the knee towards the floor.
• Stand up and repeat on the other side.
TOP TIP: To keep your torso straight, imagine you’re balancing a glass of water on your head.
Romanian Deadlift
• Stand, holding two dumbbells.
• With a slight bend in your knees, hinge at the hips, lowering the dumbbells to your shins.
• Stand back up.
WHY IT WORKS: A dumbbell RDL will highlight any side imbalances more, compared to a barbell RDL.
Seated Calf Raise
• Sit on a plyo box with the ball of your left foot on an Exercise Step and a dumbbell resting just above your left knee.
• Lower your left heel and raise it up.
VARIATION: You can perform this with one or use two dumbbells to work both legs at once.
Seated Leg Extension
• Sit on a weight bench, with your knees bent, holding a light dumbbell between your feet.
• Extend your knees, squeezing your quads at the top of the movement.
• Lower the dumbbell with control.
TOP TIP: Hold onto the bench behind you for stability.
Single Arm Overhead Lunge Hold
• Stand tall, holding a dumbbell in one hand, by your side.
• As you step into a forward lunge, push the dumbbell overhead.
• Remain in this position, keeping your body as still as possible.
GET GOOD FORM: Hover your knee off the floor. Holding your free arm out to the side may help with your balance.
Single Leg Back Extension
• Lie face down on a Roman chair or hyperextension bench, with one foot anchored underneath the rollers.
• Holding a dumbbell, flex at the hips to lower your chest towards the floor.
• Engage through your lower back and glutes to lift yourself up.
WHY IT WORKS: The increased instability of only having one leg anchored forces your hip stabilising muscles to work harder.
Single Leg Calf Raise
• Stand on the floor, holding a pair of dumbbells by your sides.
• Lift your right leg into the air.
• Rise onto the toes of your left foot, lower the left heel back to the floor and repeat for several reps.
MULTIPLE MUSCLES: Performing single leg calf raises increases the amount of core activation compared to regular calf raises.
Single Leg Deadlift
• Place a pair of dumbbells on the floor in front of your legs.
• Shift your weight into your left leg and lift your right foot off the ground.
• Bend your knees and push your hips back to lower your chest towards the floor, grabbing the the dumbbells.
• Reverse the movement to stand up.
GET GOOD FORM: Keep the dumbbells close to your body at each stage of the exercise.
Single Leg Deadlift With Knee Raise
• Stand with your feet hip width apart, a pair of dumbbells on the floor in front of you.
• Hinge forward, pushing your left leg behind you as you grab hold of the dumbbells.
• Lift the weights to your knee level.
• When your left leg is straight, pull it into your torso.
• Lower the weights to the floor as you extend your leg back out.
WHY IT WORKS: Adding the knee raise will increase the resistance on your glutes and hip flexors.
Snatch
• Place a dumbbell on the floor, between your feet.
• Standing wide, squat down and grab the dumbbell in one hand.
• Explode upwards, sending the weight into the air as you rise.
TOP TIP: You can hold your free arm out to the side, this can increase your balance.
Split Jump
• Hold a pair of dumbbells by your sides.
• Get into a lunge position, with both knees at 90 degree angles.
• Jump into the air, switching your legs so that you land with the opposite foot forwards.
GET GOOD FORM: This can be a tricky exercise. Make sure you practice without weight first.
Dumbbell Split Squat
• Stand with your legs together and holding two dumbbells in your hands.
• Take a wide step back with one foot.
• Lower your back knee down until it almost touches the floor.
• Stand up and repeat.
VARIATION: You can hold a pair of lighter dumbbells by your sides or hold one heavier dumbbell in the goblet position.
Squat and Clean
• Hold a dumbbell in one hand, with your other arm extended for balance. Your feet should be shoulder width apart.
• Squat, sending your hips back, and touch the dumbbell to the floor, outside your foot.
• Explosively send the dumbbell in a front rack position.
• Stand up, keeping the dumbbell in place.
PROGRESSION: Once you have mastered this move, you can perform it with two dumbbells.
Squat Kick
• Hold two dumbbells at chest level.
• Squat down.
• As you rise, as the top of the squat, kick to the front.
• On the next rep, repeat on the other leg.
GET GOOD FORM: Make sure your kick is controlled. Aim for stability over speed.
Squat with Front Raise
• Hold a pair of dumbbells by your side.
• Squat down, until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
• As you lower, raise the dumbbells in front of you, so your knuckles end pointing away from you.
• Lower the dumbbells as you stand back up.
REGRESSION: If you find the coordination difficult, you can squat down, raise and lower the dumbbells, then stand up.
Step Up
• Stand in front of a Flat Weight Bench and hold two dumbbells by your sides.
• Step onto the bench and step off again, trying to keep your core stable.
VARIATION: You can also perform this on an exercise step or a plyo box.
Stiff Leg Deadlift
• Stand in front of two dumbbells.
• Push your hips back and, keeping your legs as straight as possible, lift the weights off the floor.
• Pull them up your legs until you are standing, then lower them back down below your knees.
• Raise up again, keeping your legs stiff.
GET GOOD FORM: Keep a neutral spine, your neck in line with your back throughout.
Sumo Squat
• Hold a dumbbell in both hands, in a goblet position.
• With your feet as wide as possible, squat down.
• Drive through your feet to stand up.
MULTIPLE MUSCLES: The sumo squat targets your quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, calves, glutes, arms, and back muscles.
Sumo Squat Hold
• Hold a pair of dumbbells just above your shoulders.
• With your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, and your toes turned outwards, squat down.
• Remain in this position, making sure you don’t collapse at the knee or rest the dumbbells on your shoulders.
MULTIPLE MUSCLES: This exercise targets your quads, glutes, adductors, erector spinae, hamstrings and calves.
Unilateral Squat
• Hold a dumbbell in one hand, knuckles pointed to the ground.
• Squat down, and back up.
GET GOOD FORM: You can increase your stability by holding your free arm out to the side.
Walking Lunge
• Hold two Dumbbells by your side.
• Lunge forward until your back knee almost touches the ground.
• Step up, meeting your front foot.
• Lunge forward again, alternating legs each time.
VARIATION: You can hold the dumbbells above your shoulders to challenge your core even more.
Wall Sit
• Hold a dumbbell in both hands, arms extended in front of your chest.
• Stand against a wall and walk your feet in front of you, sliding your back down until your knees are at a 90 degree angle.
• Pause for as long as possible.
GET GOOD FORM: Your heels should be flat on the ground, and your back flat against the wall.
Wall Sit with Bicep Curl
• Stand against a wall, holding two Dumbbells.
• Keeping your back flush against the wall, walk your feet out until you are in a wall sit.
• Curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders, until they point at the ceiling.
• Lower them back down.
TOP TIP: If you find that the dumbbells hit your legs, rotate your palms in at the bottom of the movement.
Wall Sit with Front Raise
• Hold a dumbbell lengthways in two hands.
• With your back against a wall, lower into a wall sit position, legs bent in front of you.
• Raise the dumbbell up to shoulder level and lower.
VARIATION: You can also do this exercise with a pair of dumbbells, one per hand.
Wall Sit with Lateral Raise
• Stand with your back flat against a wall, holding two Dumbbells.
• Walk your legs in front of you until you are in a wall sit.
• Bend your elbows forward a few inches and raise your arms up and out, until your wrists are level with your shoulders.
• Lower them back down.
TOP TIP: Do this exercise with light dumbbells to avoid overworking your rotator cuff.
Wall Sit with Shoulder Press
• Stand with your back pressed into the wall, and a pair of dumbbells at neck height.
• Slide down the wall and walk your feet out until you are in a wall sit position.
• Press the dumbbells overhead with control and slowly lower them back to your shoulders.
SETS/REPS: Once you are in the wall sit, perform 5-10 reps of the shoulder press before standing back up.
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