8 Of Our Fave Leg Exercises With Dumbbells

PSA: A gym membership or garage full of fancy equipment are not prerequisites when it comes to smashing out leg day and seeing results.

A single pair of dumbbells (or if you have a few different weights on hand, even better) can take your workouts to the next level, helping you build strength, boost stability, and sculpt powerful legs.

Whether you’re training at home or just want a simple set-up for your next gym workout, these eight dumbbell leg exercises are effective and versatile — targeting a range of different muscles in your lower body with plenty of room for progression.

New to strength training? Start with light dumbbells or just your bodyweight and go heavier when you’re confident with the movements, have mastered the form and ready for more of a challenge.

If you’re looking for a program, Strength at Home with Kayla and Ignite Strength with Britany are two of our most popular dumbbell-focussed strength training programs.

Dumbbell front squat

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with palms facing in and elbows pointing forward.

2. Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart and brace your core.

3. Lower into a squat, keeping your chest up and elbows lifted.

4. Push through your heels to return to standing.

Why we love them:

Dumbbell front squats challenge your legs while putting extra demand on your core and upper back to keep the two weights stable. They’re an excellent move for building lower-body strength, improving posture, and developing functional, full-body control.

For an easier, more stable alternative, you can switch to a dumbbell goblet squat where you’re holding one dumbbell close to your chest with both hands.

Dumbbell Romanian deadlift (RDL)

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs, palms facing towards your body.

2. Stand with feet hip-width apart, shoulders back and down, and keep a soft bend in your knees.

3. Hinge at your hips, lowering the dumbbells to just below your knees or mid-shin, keeping your back flat. Your legs should only have a slight bend - less than a standard deadlift.

4. Squeeze your glutes and drive your hips forward to return to standing.

Why we love them:

RDLs really focus on your hamstrings and glutes. They’re perfect for improving hip strength, building lower-body power, and enhancing flexibility in your posterior chain.

Dumbbell step ups

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides, palms facing in.

2. Stand in front of a sturdy bench, box or step.

3. Place one foot on the bench and push through your heel and glute to step up with control. Try not to use momentum or bouncing.

4. Bring your other foot up to meet it, then step back down with control.

5. Repeat, alternating legs.

Why we love them:

Dumbbell step-ups strengthen your quads, glutes, and hamstrings while also improving balance and coordination. They’re functional, joint-friendly, and a great way to build single-leg strength for everyday movement, as well as improving any muscle imbalances.

Dumbbell walking lunges

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides, palms facing in.

2. Step forward with one leg and lower into a lunge, both knees bent to 90°. Your front knee should be stacked over your ankle and your back knee should be hovering just off the floor.

3. Push through your front heel and step the back leg forward and through into the next lunge without putting your foot down if you can! If you need to quickly touch your foot down for balance, go for it.

4. Continue alternating legs as you walk forward.

Why we love them:

Walking lunges build strength and stability in your quads, glutes, and hamstrings while also improving balance, coordination and core strength. Like step-ups, they’re great for improving any muscle imbalances and working on your unilateral strength.

Dumbbell Bulgarian split squat

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides, palms facing in.

2. Stand a foot or two in front of a bench and place the top of one foot on the bench behind you.

3. Lower into a lunge, bending your front knee to 90° and making sure your knee is tracking directly over your toes.

4. Go as low as you can, then push through your front heel to rise back up.

Why we love them:

Most people have a serious love-hate relationship with Bulgarian split squats because they’re super effective, but they hurt. Yes, they’re a powerhouse move for your quads and glutes, but Bulgarian split squats also improve balance, stability, and single-leg strength.

Dumbbell glute bridge

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor and hip-width apart.

2. Place a dumbbell across your hips and hold it steady with both hands.
   Press through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.

3. Squeeze your glutes at the top, then slowly lower back down to the floor.

Why we love them:

Dumbbell glute bridges target your glutes and hamstrings while also engaging your core. They’re a great way to build lower-body strength and improve hip stability, and offer heaps of room for progression. You can go heavy on these.

Dumbbell sumo squat

1. Hold one dumbbell with both hands in front of you, letting it hang between your legs.

2. Take a wide stance (wider than a normal squat!) with your toes turned slightly outward.

3. Lower into a squat, keeping your chest lifted and knees tracking over your toes.

4. Push through your heels and squeeze your glutes to return to standing.

Why we love them:

Sumo squats target your inner thighs more than traditional squats, as well as your glutes and quads. You can also go heavy with your dumbbell since you’re gripping it with both hands and using large muscles to power the movement.

Dumbbell lateral lunge

1. Hold a dumbbell close to your chest with both hands.

2. Step out to the side with one leg, bending into that knee while keeping the other leg straight.

3. Keep the dumbbell close to your chest and your chest up as much as you can rather than rounding through your spine.

4. Push off the bent leg to return to standing, then repeat on the other side.

Why we love them:

Lateral lunges strengthen your glutes, quads, and inner thighs while improving hip mobility and side-to-side stability which is often overlooked in traditional strength training.

Strength training doesn’t have to be complicated

You really don’t need a big selection of equipment or a gym membership to have a solid leg day - there is SO much you can do with a pair of dumbbells. These eight leg exercises target all the major muscles in your lower body, perfect for mixing and matching or running through the full list to seriously torch your legs and glutes.