Movement
•Luke Zocchi
7 dumbbell exercises for an epic leg day at home
You know the rule: don’t skip leg day.
But what happens when the squat rack is busy, you can’t get to the gym or you just prefer to get it done at home?
It is still possible to build a seriously strong lower body doing leg workouts with dumbbells. And I’m here to get you started with the best dumbbell leg exercises to do at home.
To level up your strength training without taking over the entire house, Centr Smart Stack 50 adjustable dumbbells can take you from 5 to 50lbs (2.3 to 22.7kgs) with a simple rotation of the handle.
The benefits of doing leg exercises with dumbbells
I’ve already mentioned the big one – working out at home. Dumbbells don’t take up a lot of space, making them a convenient option to work your legs at home without a lot of bulky equipment.
But the benefits of leg training with DBs don’t end there.
- Big variety: Because they’re versatile and come in different weights, the range of lower-body exercises you can do with dumbbells is almost endless – from targeting smaller muscle groups to your big-ticket quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves.
- Stability and balance: Speaking of smaller muscle groups, dumbbells engage stabilizer muscles you probably don’t even know you have – building a more stable and functional body.
- Work your weaker side: Most of us have one side that’s not quite as strong as the other. Dumbbells are perfect for unilateral (or single-leg) exercises that address these imbalances by isolating a particular side, as well as zooming in on certain muscle groups.
- Range of motion: Dumbbell exercises usually allow you to have a greater – and more natural – range of motion than training on machines. And by working through that full range of motion, you’ll be keeping your joints healthy and mobile.
- They’re cost-effective: Compared to big pieces of gym equipment, dumbbells are relatively affordable, meaning you can build strength on a budget. And if you set yourself up with light, medium and heavy dumbbell weights – or combine multiple weights into one piece of equipment like with the Centr Smart Stack 50 – you’re investing in getting even stronger in future.
- Build your lower body: Every rep you put into your legs at home is building strength and size in your lower body. And because your legs and glutes drive your total-body power, this is going to help you get more out of all your training.
- Improved muscular endurance: If you want legs that perform stronger and last longer, loading them up with consistent weight training is the way to go. As well as focusing on strength and compound movements (like the deadlifts and squats below), a good way to build endurance is by using lighter dumbbells to do higher reps.
Now you know the benefits, let’s start getting those leg gains.
Your dumbbell leg workout
Once you’ve locked down your form on each of these exercises, try stringing them together to create an effective lower-body workout at home.
1. Dumbbell Romanian deadlift
Target: Hamstrings, glutes, back, core
How to do it: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the dumbbells in an overhand grip in front of your hips. Keeping your back straight and your head up, hinge at the hips and push your butt back – lowering the dumbbells until they reach shin height. Push up through your heels to return to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
Form tip: Drive your hips backward as far as you can while keeping a straight back – this will ensure you feel these lifts in your hamstrings, not your lower back.
2. Alternating dumbbell side lunge
Target: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, hip abductors and adductors
How to do it: You can perform this move with a dumbbell in each hand, or hold one dumbbell by the end with both hands (goblet style) under your chin as Bobby does here. Standing tall with your feet together, step your right foot out to the side, landing with a bend through your right knee and pushing your hips out to the side. Your opposite leg should stay straight. Push back up to standing and repeat on the other side.
Form tips:
Ease into the move by working within a range that is comfortable yet challenging.
Only move at a pace that allows good foot placement and control.
Ensure your knees are moving in the same direction as your toes.
3. Dumbbell front squat (or goblet squat)
Target: Glutes, quads, core, hamstrings
How to do it: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height. Hinge at the hips to push your butt out, put your weight into your heels, and lower your body down into a squat. Rise back up by pushing away from the floor with your feet, and squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement.
Form tips:
Chest and elbows up.
Engage your core to keep your torso upright, and avoid arching or rounding your back.
Toes pointed out and knees in line with toes.
Modification move: If you find holding the dumbbells at shoulder height awkward, or you’re not quite ready to squat with two dumbbells, switch to a goblet squat. Hold one end of a single dumbbell in both hands, close to your chest, then drop down into a squat.
4. Bulgarian split squat (or split squat)
Target: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, core
How to do it: Stand with the back of your heels against a box or bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand down by your sides. Step one leg slightly forward and raise the other foot back to rest your toes on the box. Tilt forward from the hips slightly, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
Keeping your chest up, shoulders locked down and hips square, bend through your front knee to lower yourself into a split squat. When your back knee is as low as you can comfortably go, push through your front foot to rise back up to standing. Complete your set number of reps, then switch sides.
Form tips:
Make sure the bench is not too high for your back foot to rest on – aim for knee height or just below.
Keep your butt tucked in and glutes engaged on the rear leg to help open up your hip and retain stability.
Your front knee should be soft (not locked) and aligned with your toes.
Modification move: Need to build up your balance before attempting a Bulgarian split squat? To do a regular split squat, set up in a lunge position on your mat, then lower your rear knee towards the floor to drop into a squat.
5. Dumbbell calf raise
Target: Calves
How to do it: Stand with a dumbbell in each hand by your sides. Lift your heels off the floor, rising up onto your toes and squeezing your calves. Then, lower your heels to return to the starting position.
Form tips:
Shoulders back and down, chest up, and body in a straight line.
Activate core and glutes.
Lock your legs – your ankles should be the only joint moving.
Keep movement slow and controlled, aiming for maximum raise and contraction at the top of the raise.
6. Alternating dumbbell forward lunge
Target: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, core
How to do it: Stand up tall, a dumbbell in each hand by your sides. Engage your core then step one foot forward and drop your back knee toward the floor into a lunge. Your torso should remain upright throughout. Push back up to starting position, then repeat by stepping forward with the opposite leg.
Form tips:
Make sure you are well balanced before lunging.
Watch your knees aren't caving inward – they should be moving in the same direction as your toes.
Try to create a 90 degree angle with your forward knee when you lunge.
7. Alternating dumbbell step-up
Target: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, core
How to do it: Stand with a dumbbell in each hand by your sides and a box (or bench) in front of you. Step your left foot up onto the box, then bring your right foot up to join it. Pause standing on the box for a moment, then step your left foot down first, followed by the right. Then repeat the move by stepping up with your right foot first.
Form tips:
Select a box height that allows you to perform with the correct form. It shouldn't be too high or low.
Place your whole foot onto the box to generate the force to step up.
Move at a pace you can control so you stay balanced.
The key to effective leg workouts at home with dumbbells
You’ve got the leg exercises, but getting results also requires a consistent training routine. Here are a few key factors that will help you set yourself up for success.
Choosing the right dumbbell weight
If you’re setting up a home gym to chase your fitness goals, my tip is to start with three sets of dumbbells: light, medium and heavy. But how do you know how heavy to go?
A good measure of whether you have the right dumbbell weight is if you struggle with the last few reps of a set of exercises. For instance, if you do a set of 8 Romanian deadlifts, you want the last two reps to be a challenge. If you find it impossible to do all 8 reps with good form, lower your dumbbell weight. If you’re flying through all 8 reps, increase your weight.
If you’re new to strength training, a good place to start is 4-11lbs (2-5kgs) for light dumbbells and 20-35lbs (10-15kgs) for your heaviest pair. It’s okay if you have to work your way up to training with the heavy dumbbells – more on that below!
Warm-up and cool down
This is an essential part of any effective strength training routine. Try this Centr Power at Home warm-up for a leg workout:
Bodyweight squat x 12 reps
Alternating curtsy lunge x 12 reps
Alternating side lunge x 12 reps
Cooling down with stretches after a strength workout will release muscle tightness and switch you into recovery mode. This Centr Power Shred cool-down is perfect after leg day:
Hip flexor stretch (left) x 30 secs
Hip flexor stretch (right) x 30 secs
Lying figure 4 stretch (left) x 30 secs
Lying figure 4 stretch (right) x 30 secs
Butterfly stretch x 30 secs
Downward dog + calf pedal x 30 secs
Progressive overload
To challenge your muscles to adapt and grow stronger, you need to regularly increase the intensity of your training. This is the principle of progressive overload, and the most common way to achieve it is by increasing the weight you lift.
Say you’re doing a set of 8 goblet squats – you want to be working with a weight that challenges you on the 7th and 8th rep, yet still allows you to complete the squats with good form. As you get stronger, you’ll find that the final few reps become easy – that’s when you’re ready to add weight.
When you hit this stage, I recommend increasing your weight by 2-5 pounds (1-2kg) maximum.
Another way to overload your muscles is by taking shorter rest breaks between sets. This is particularly useful if you’re working out at home and don’t have heavier dumbbells to level up with.
Common mistakes in dumbbell leg workouts
It doesn’t matter how heavy your dumbbells are, you need to be lifting with good form to get results. I’ve lined up tips to avoid some of the most common technique slips to help you keep your lower-body goals on track.
Not performing an exercise through the full range of motion
In lower-body training, the deepest part of a movement – how low you go in a squat or lunge – is usually the most challenging. You might be tempted to stop the movement at a certain level, but not going fully into a squat is going to rob you of the benefits of the exercise.
It’s okay if you need to work up to deep squats or lunges, but try to go a little deeper each time. Ultimately, to achieve full range of motion in a squat you should aim to get your hips down to the same level as your knees, or if you have good mobility, your hips below your knees.
And in a lunge, you should be ultimately aiming for your rear knee to come close to, or lightly touch, the floor.
Knees caving in or out
One of the most common mistakes in any squatting or lowering movement is knees caving in or out. Knees caving in toward each other when you squat down can reduce stability and increase the risk of knee pain and injury.
Knees that cave outward, away from each other, can reduce your mobility, cause unnecessary tension and stress on joints, and limit your range of motion in an exercise.
Whether you’re squatting or lunging, focus on keeping your knees in line with your toes, avoiding any lateral movement.
Lunge form fails
There are two big fails that can sneak into your lunge form. First, taking too big or too small steps – this is all about the distance between your front and rear leg, whether you’re doing a static or walking lunge.
Stepping your front foot forward too far can cause excessive strain on your knee joint. Meanwhile a smaller step is going to reduce the activation of your glutes and hamstrings, so you’re not getting a lot of benefit from the exercise.
A good lunge position should allow you to keep a 90 degree angle in both knees at the bottom of the motion.
The other form fail is leaning your torso forward or backward in the lunge position. This will throw off your balance, and can cause you to shift weight to your back leg (it should always be in the front leg).
Focus on keeping your chest upright, shoulders back and core engaged to maintain stability throughout a lunge.
Now, who’s ready for leg day?
Want more exercise tips from the experts?
Luke Zocchi
HIIT HIRT • STRENGTH • MUSCLE-BUILDING
Chris Hemsworth may wield the hammer, but it’s his personal trainer Luke Zocchi who cracks the whip. A certified personal trainer, Luke is renowned for his fast and efficient training methods, using weights and bodyweight to get maximum results in minimum time. He’ll also show you how to fuel your training with quick, easy and healthy recipes.
Sign up to unlock your full potential
Coaching On Demand and And In Your Hand
When you need a sweat session or an extra boost, your personal fitness coach is just a tap away.
Fitness On Your Terms
Goodbye cookie-cutter workouts and generic coaching. Every Centr training session is tailored to your goals.
Meals & Mindset Coaching
Elevate your performance with meals to fuel you and mindset exercises to recharge you.