Dumbbell Leg Workout: The Ones You Have to Try with a Complete Guide

Dumbbell leg workouts don’t have to just be about squats.

So, if you hate squats, there are plenty of other options you can do.

The most important thing is that you do plenty of movement patterns to target all the muscles of the legs. 

The legs have many muscles in them that are equally important.

They all need to be strengthened and conditioned to give you a better picture of your overall health.

Dumbbell leg workout plans can target all the muscles in the lower body.

Weight, reps, and sets can also be increased to make the workouts more challenging and help you increase muscle mass quicker. 

Dumbbell Leg Workout

Keep in mind that dumbbell leg workouts aren’t about getting you sweaty or making you extremely fatigued.

Some people think they have to spend hours doing leg workouts until they can’t stand anymore and are extremely sweaty. 

Dumbbell leg workouts are more about gaining strength and conditioning your legs.

They aren’t about losing calories or getting very sweaty. You only need a few movements to get started and to complete a full leg workout. 

Make sure to rest between the intervals and the sets or you might not be able to fully recover your muscles.

This is especially important if you are just beginning leg dumbbell workouts.

Dumbbell leg workouts should not be rushed through. Done properly, they will give you balance and core stability. 

Increasing the weight of the dumbbells is the best way to gain more strength.

If you can’t increase the weight or don’t have the proper heavyweights, you can simply slow down the tempo.

The decreased tempo and adding pauses will build more tension in the muscles. 

Why Work on Your Legs?

The legs have some of the biggest muscles in the body and contribute to your overall health.

They will also help your balance and be able to stabilize your core when worked on properly.

Some often ignore the legs because they aren’t the biggest fat source.

If people are more focused on losing weight or burning calories, they might focus more on arms or ab workouts. 

While leg workouts won’t be the main source of fat-burning, neglecting to work on them can cause your overall picture of health to not be as good.

You might have even seen people in the gym that seem to neglect their legs since they don’t appear to be as muscular as their upper body. 

Having strong legs can also help you do cardio exercises easier such as running or jogging.

They will also help you do HIIT workouts and make you have more muscle mass in general. Having healthy legs can make all your workouts much easier. 

The Benefits of Dumbbells for A Leg Workout

While working out the legs in a general is great, using dumbbells can help you gain muscle faster.

Dumbbells are also easier to buy than a lot of equipment and can be kept in your home for garage or home workouts. 

They are also said to work better than machines. Machines will limit the range of motion you have. It can make the movements harder to do.

It also means you don’t have to invest in extremely expensive equipment. 

Dumbbells allow you to have a full range of motion. It also lets you target your leg muscles from all different angles.

It’s easy to make sure all your leg workouts are using all the leg muscles. 

Dumbbells also focus on unilateral strength. They will also increase your balance and make yoga and stretching much easier.

They are also extremely versatile. You can use light weights on someday and heavy weights on other days. 

It allows you to constantly change your workouts and the movements you do.

This will decrease the chance of you possibly getting bored with your workouts which should encourage you to keep moving along in your fitness journey. 

You need to choose weights based on the weight you can use for the moves without sacrificing your form.

If the weights are too heavy, you might begin doing positions that are hard on your lower back or shoulders.

This isn’t the goal as it will affect the way you feel and even possibly give you injuries in the long run. 

Once you begin to feel your form changing, drop back down to the lower weight.

You increase the weight once you can set through a set of reps without feeling overly fatigued. Remember to increase weight slowly, don’t make too much of a jump. 

Best Dumbbell Leg Workout Options

There are several leg dumbbell workout options.

These are some of the most common ones below and are a good start to beginning with dumbbell leg workouts. 

Bulgarian Split Squat

This one will help to increase your flexibility. Use a bench or chair to get started.

Stand a full stride length ahead of the bench or chair. Place your sneaker laces on top of the surface so that your ankle is slightly hanging off the edge of the surface. 

Hold the dumbbells down by your side loosely but with a firm group. Don’t lock the elbows.

Tilt your torso forward 15 degrees. Lower down the same you would if you were doing a stationary lunge. 

Do the same reps and the same sets on both legs. Make sure to always work out both legs equally. 

Sumo Squat

This can be done in 12-15 reps with 3 sets each and the rest 60 seconds between each. Take a wide stance with your toes pointing out slightly.

Grip a dumbbell with both hands and lower it until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your knees in line with your toes and your back upright. 

This is a great exercise for beginners and will give you ample time to practice with the dumbbells. 

Side Step-Up

Do 10 reps of these with 3 sets and rest 60 seconds between each one.

Try to find a chair or box that is no higher than knee height and place one foot flat on the top with your other foot on the side. 

Keep your back upright and hold the dumbbells by your side.

Push up with your leading leg while keeping the back upright. Step back down to the side with your trailing leg and repeat as before.

Switch sides between reps. 

Reverse Lunge

You can add a single deadlift onto this to get even more of a workout.

This method is very recommended because you gain more muscles in just a few short exercises. 

Stand with your feet together and hold a weight in each hand. Make sure to use the same weight in each hand and choose the correct weight for you.

Shift your weight to the left leg and while keeping a bend in the knee, raise your right leg straight behind your body.

Hinge at the hips and bring the torso parallel to the floor. Lower the weight toward the floor. Bend your knee if you are having trouble with the flexibility. 

Always keep your back flat. At the bottom of the movement, your torso and right leg should be almost parallel to the floor.

Keep the weight a few inches off the ground. If your hamstrings are tight, you might not be able to reach as far down. 

Always keep the core tight and push through your left heel to stand up straight. Pull the weight back up to the starting position.

Bring your right leg back down to meet the left. Pause there and squeeze your butt. 

Step back about 2 feet into the reverse lunge. Land on the ball of the right foot and keep the heel off the ground.

Bend both knees to create two 90-degree angles with your legs. Push through the heel of your left foot to return to standing. That’s considered one rep. 

Try doing 8-13 reps on the same side and then switch sides. 

Side Lunge

This is most effective if you 10 reps on each side and 3 sets. Rest 60 seconds after your done on one side. 

Stand with your feet close together and face forward. Keep your torso upright and dumbbells by your sides.

Take a big step to the side and lower onto your leading leg.

As you bend your leading knee, lower the dumbbells until they touch the side of your foot. 

Frequently asked questions about dumbbell leg workouts

Can you build legs with dumbbells?

Yes, it is definitely possible to create stronger and larger muscles in the legs by adding dumbbells to a workout program.

It is, however, important to carefully consider the specific goals of the individual, and then determine the types of leg exercises that would yield the most effective results. 

There are several leg workouts that can be performed with the addition of a dumbbell or weight system. These all target specific muscle groups in the body.

By combining a range of different leg workouts with dumbbells, it is possible to create a balance in the growth and strengthening of muscles in the lower body. 

How can I strengthen my legs with dumbbells?

A number of dumbbell leg workouts have been shown effective among those individuals looking for a way to strengthen their legs.

It is important to note that weights are generally not too heavy with these workouts. When adding too much pressure, could result in a muscle injury.

Variation is also important when the goal is to strengthen the legs. A person should ensure they do not only perform one specific leg workout.

Instead, creating a diverse range of exercises in one session can strengthen muscles in the front, sides, and back of the legs. This ensures the person does not experience problems with balance. 

What is the most effective leg workout?

There are a lot of different exercises that can be used to work on the legs. The specific exercises that will be best for a person depend on personal factors. 

A person should start by considering what their goals are. Some people simply want to build up some strength in their legs.

The goal may also be to add more stability to the leg muscles. Others might want to focus on increasing the size of their legs. 

Since the goals differ, the most effective leg workout will also not be the same for two people with a different goal. 

Squats and lunges are known to be some of the best workouts that focus on the hamstrings, glutes, and other muscles in the lower body.

These are compound exercises that ensure multiple muscle groups are addressed simultaneously.

Some people also find that adding dumbbells to these two workout options helps to give them better results. 

Apart from lunges and squats, other effective leg workouts that people should consider include:

• Plank leg lifts
• Step-ups
• Speedskater jumps
• Box jumps
• Ball knee tucks
• Single leg deadlift

Are 3 exercises for legs enough?

The number of exercise variations, reps, and the intensity of these workouts largely depends on what the person wants to achieve. 

For most people, performing three sets of leg exercises per workout session should be sufficient.

Those simply looking to add more stability or maintain strength in their legs may even be able to benefit from one or two sets of their preferred leg workouts. 

When the goal is to build mass in the legs, however, then three sets per session may need an increase in frequency.

Instead of only doing these exercises three times per week, the person may want to do them on five days instead.

Alternatively, the number of sets performed during a single session can be increased. 

Have there been any studies on the efficacy of dumbbell leg workouts?

There have been several studies done on dumbbell leg workouts and how they help to strengthen the body.

Most studies showed positive results when exercises were done correctly and consistently. 

A study that considered the efficacy that different types of leg workouts pose among a group of participants. There were 121 individuals who participated in the study.

All the participants were male. The average age among the male participants was noted as 23 years. The average body mass was 80kg and height was noted as 181cm. 

The study was conducted over a period of eight weeks. The participants were divided into two different experimental groups. This ensures different exercise methods could be analysed throughout the study. 

One group performed parallel barbell squats, which is a type of dumbbell leg workout. The other group performed leg presses. 

Multiple tests were conducted before the study started, as well as after the eight-week study period. 

More significant benefits were observed among the individuals who performed dumbbell squats compared to those who used a machine to perform a leg press.

1-repetition had a significant improvement among those in the dumbbell group. These individuals also experienced an improvement in countermovement jumps, as well as squat jumps. 

Final Thoughts 

If you are looking into beginning working out with dumbbells with the legs, you are on the right track.

It will help you gain not only muscles in your legs but everywhere. It will also help with your flexibility and core strength, making all of your workouts much easier. 

Start with low weights, to begin with, and don’t push yourself too hard. Always follow the directions and try to keep your form as perfect as possible.

Consider using a mirror or trainer to correct your form so you can avoid injuries. 

Once your form is good and you are experiencing less fatigue, you can increase your weight.

Always do slow increases and don’t move onto heavyweights too quickly. If you need additional workout guidance, we strongly suggest checking out our favorite dumbbell workout apps.