10 Simple & Effective Dumbbell Exercises For Killer Legs - Men & Women

Think you need barbells and leg press machines to build strong legs? Think again!

A 2020 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research shows that free weights are as effective as machines concerning building strength and increasing muscle mass!

So, if you don’t want to end up with unsightly chicken legs, it’s time to start doing dumbbell leg workouts!

In this blog, we'll cover the best dumbbell leg exercises for toning, strength, and overall leg development. From lunges and squats to step-ups and more, we'll show you how to do leg exercises with dumbbells perfectly to help you get the most out of your workouts. 

So grab your dumbbells and let’s do this!

Top 10 dumbbell leg exercises

Whether you're looking to work out your legs at home with dumbbells, at the gym, or simply want to learn some new leg exercises with dumbbells for men, these top 10 dumbbell leg exercises have got you covered!

1. Single-leg Romanian deadlift

One of the top dumbbell leg exercises for strength, as it helps to reduce strength imbalances, improves lower-body stability, and also reduces the chances of knee injuries. 

Muscles worked: Glutes, hamstrings, lower back.

How to perform

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a lightweight dumbbell in each hand with palms facing your thighs.
• Shift your weight onto your left leg keeping a slight bend in the knee.
• Now slowly hinge forward at your hips extending your right leg straight behind you, and lowering the dumbbells towards the ground.
• Your right leg should be straight and in line with your body.
• Continue to lower down until the dumbbells are about mid-shin height and you can feel a stretch in your hamstring and glute muscles.
• Keeping your core engaged, bring your right leg back to the ground.
• Perform the desired number of reps on this side and then switch sides.

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2. Dumbbell reverse lunge

Dumbbell reverse lunges are one of the top dumbbell leg exercises for strength. 

Muscles worked: Quadriceps, calves, glutes, hamstrings.

How to perform

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides.
• Step back with one leg and allow both knees to bend simultaneously.
• Descend until the back knee touches the floor.
• Drive through the front foot and extend the knee as you stand up fully and return to the starting position.
• Perform the desired number of reps.

Tip

Step back to your side instead of directly behind. This allows you to use heavier weights and thus build more strength.

3. Dumbbell Bulgarian split squat

This is one of the best leg exercises with dumbbells to add size to your quads as evidenced by this study.

Muscles worked: Quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings

How to perform

• Stand facing away from a bench.
• Assume a hip-width stance while holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your thighs. 
• Begin by placing your left foot behind you on the bench while balancing on your right leg.
• Maintain an upright torso throughout the movement. 
• Lower your right knee until your thigh is almost parallel to the ground.
• Pause for a second and then return to the starting position.
• Perform the desired number of reps on this side and then switch sides.

Tip

To stimulate higher muscle growth, you can modify this exercise by going down to the bottom, coming up halfway, then going down again before you return to the starting position.

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4. Leaning Dumbbell Bulgarian split squat

This dumbbell leg exercise places more emphasis on your glutes and hamstrings as your body is in a leaning position.

Muscles worked: Glutes, hamstrings.

How to perform

• Stand facing away from a bench.
• Assume a hip-width stance while holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your thighs. 
• Place your left foot behind you on the bench while balancing on your right leg. 
• Now lean your torso forward (roughly 45 degrees) while keeping your back straight as shown in the video.
• Lower your right knee until the dumbbells are by the side of your right foot.
• Pause for a second and then return to the starting position.
• Perform the desired number of reps on this side and then switch sides.

5. Dumbbell jump squat

One of the best leg exercises with dumbbells for building power in your legs. 

A study published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine shows that jump squat training helped athletes improve their vertical jump, sprint performance, and maximum strength.

Muscles worked: Quadriceps, glutes, calves, hamstrings.

How to perform

• Hold one dumbbell in each hand by your sides with your palms facing your thighs. 
• Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart. 
• Now lower yourself into a squat position and then jump upward explosively.
• Land softly back into a squat position.
• Pause for a few seconds and then return to the starting position.
• Perform the desired number of reps.

Tips

• The combined weight of the dumbbells should be around 25% of your bodyweight.
• Perform this exercise in the lower rep range as you’re trying to build power and not train to failure.

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6. Dumbbell front squats

The racked position in this dumbbell leg exercise places a greater emphasis on your quadriceps, upper back, and core.

Muscles worked: Quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, upper back, anterior core.

How to perform

• Assume a hip-width stance while holding a pair of light dumbbells in each hand.
• Bring the dumbbells up and position them such that one end of each dumbbell rests on top of each shoulder. Your elbows should be pointing forward.
• Keeping your chest high and your back straight, lower down into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Pause for a second and then return to the standing position.
• Perform the desired number of reps.

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7. Lying dumbbell hamstring curl

Since this dumbbell leg exercise is a knee-dominant exercise, it is excellent for maximizing the activation of your lower hamstring muscles as suggested by this study.

Muscles worked: Hamstrings, calves, quadriceps, glutes.

How to perform

• Lie face down on the floor with your legs out behind you and your upper body supported by your forearms.
• Place a dumbbell between your feet as shown in the video. This is the starting position.
• Now raise your feet until they are straight above your knees.
• Pause for a second and then lower back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
• Perform the desired number of reps.

8. Dumbbell goblet squat

This dumbbell leg exercise for toning enhances mobility and flexibility in the hip flexors, hamstrings, and ankles.

Muscles worked: Quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings.

How to perform

• Assume a slightly wider than shoulder-width stance.
• Begin by using both hands to grasp the top portion of a dumbbell and position it vertically against your chest. 
• Keeping your core engaged, lower yourself into a squat position until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Pause for a second and then push through your feet to return to the starting position.
• Perform the desired number of reps.

9. Dumbbell side lunges

This dumbbell leg exercise is great for strengthening and mobilizing your hips and adductor muscles.

Muscles worked: Glutes, adductors, quadriceps.

How to perform

• Assume a shoulder-width stance while holding one dumbbell in each hand by your sides.
• Lift your right leg and take a big step to the right.
• Lower your body until your right thigh is almost parallel to the floor. Your left leg should remain straight with your toes pointing forward.
• Pause for a second and then return to the standing position.
• Repeat this movement on the other side.
• Keep alternating between both sides for the desired number of reps.

10. Dumbbell step-ups

This dumbbell leg exercise for toning helps improve your balance and explosive leg power.

Muscles worked: Quadriceps, glutes, calves, hamstrings.

How to perform

• Hold one dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your thighs.
• Begin by standing behind a bench.
• Place your right foot on the bench.
• Use your right heel to lift the rest of your body and exhale as you bring the left foot onto the bench next to your right foot. 
• Inhale and step your left foot back down to the ground again.
• Now return the right foot to the ground. This is one rep.
• Perform the desired number of reps on this side and then switch sides.

Check out our top dumbbell exercises for the biceps, triceps, abs, back, chest, shoulders, and lower back here!

Tips for performing dumbbell leg exercises

1. Start slow

Master basic bodyweight movements such as squats and lunges before you start doing leg exercises at home with dumbbells.

Gradually increase weights for dumbbell leg exercises, starting with lighter weights and progressing to heavier weights.

2. Choose the right weights

Choose appropriate weights for different leg day exercises with dumbbells, such as lighter weights for movements that challenge your balance and heavier weights for squats and deadlifts.

3. Remember to warm-up

Do some light cardio or dynamic stretches to prep your muscles before your leg workout at home with dumbbells.

4. Work in different planes of motion

Incorporate dumbbell leg exercises that work in various planes of motion including side to side, front and back, and twisting.

5. Maintain proper form

Keep your core engaged, shoulders relaxed, and spine neutral to prevent injuries.

6. Take Rest Days

Schedule rest days in between your dumbbell leg workouts to give your muscles enough time to allow for muscle recovery and growth.

Final words

There you have it! We hope this blog will guide you through various leg day exercises with dumbbells that you can incorporate into your fitness routine. 

If you’re looking for the perfect set of dumbbells to get those legendary legs, check out Burnlab’s adjustable dumbbell kit!

Stay consistent and let’s rock your leg workout at home (or the gym) with dumbbells!