Dumbbells 101: Strengthen your legs with these exercises

You may not know it, but your legs are strong. Whether it’s moving you from place to place, helping you climb stairs or maybe even chasing after your kids as they scramble around the playground, those lower limbs work hard as you go about your day. So when it comes to exercising, in order to truly stimulate your legs to grow, you need to increase the intensity with focused effort.

Dumbbells are the perfect tool for serious at-home leg training. They allow you to safely load foundational movements such as the squat and deadlift, forcing your leg and core muscles to work harder. Here are six lower-body exercises guaranteed to challenge your quads, hamstrings and glutes, using just one or two weights.

Dumbbell Front Squat

What it does: One of the most effective ways to enhance the squat is to front-load the movement with dumbbells. The squat itself strengthens the quads (thighs), glutes (butt) and hamstrings (back of your legs). The position forces you into an upright posture, which makes both your core and upper back work harder.

How to do it: Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward. Hold a pair of dumbbells in the “front-rack” position – the head of each weight resting on a shoulder, elbows lifted high and pointing forward. Keeping your chest up and core engaged, push your hips back and let your butt drop as if aiming to sit in a chair. Keep lowering yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor, or lower, if your mobility allows. Once you reach the bottom, return to the top by driving through your heels and mid-foot, squeezing your glutes as you extend your hips forward. That’s one rep. Perform two to three sets of 10 to 15 reps.

What to focus on: Keep your chest up and your elbows high throughout the entire movement. Your big toes, pinky toes and heels should remain in contact with the floor. Ensure your knees track directly over your toes; do not let them buckle inwards.

Modification: If the front-rack position is tough on your shoulders, try the goblet squat: Instead of holding two weights at your shoulders, hold a single, heavier weight at your chest.

Dumbbell Calf Raise

What it does: The calves are notoriously stubborn. For them to grow, we need to isolate the main muscles with precision. Enter the dumbbell calf raise – a simple, scalable exercise that translates to more power for explosive movements such as jumping and sprinting. Strong calves also help to stabilize the ankles, leading to better balance and more efficient running and walking mechanics.

How to do it: Stand with your arms at your sides, a moderately heavy dumbbell in each hand. Keep your posture tall, core engaged and knees softly locked. Lift your heels as high as possible, holding the top position for a full second. Slowly lower your heels until you feel a deep stretch in the calves. That’s one rep. Perform two to three sets of 10 to 15 reps.

What to focus on: Maintain a slow, deliberate pace – especially as your heels lower. Avoid bouncing when you come up into the top position. If you struggle with balance, hold a weight in one hand and stabilize yourself with the other by touching a wall or a chair.

Modification: For a deeper stretch, place the balls of your feet on the edge of an elevated surface, such as a low step or a thick weight plate, and let your heels drop below the level of your toes. Or, the seated calf raise is a more stable variation that switches the emphasis to the soleus, one of the two major calf muscles. Seated on a bench, place the balls of your feet on an elevated surface and rest one or two dumbbells on your thighs, just above the knees. Now lift those heels!

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

What it does: A foundational hip-hinge exercise, the Romanian Deadlift builds strength, size and mobility in the entire posterior chain (the muscles at the back of your body). Unlike the traditional deadlift, the RDL uses a limited range of motion to maximize tension in the targeted muscles, making it an excellent tool for building power and athleticism.

How to do it: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, arms hanging at your sides and a dumbbell in each hand. Initiate the movement by pushing your hips back, while keeping your knees unlocked, allowing your pelvis to tilt forward. Keep pushing your butt back as you slowly lower the dumbbells down your legs, pausing when they pass your knees. At this point, you should feel a deep stretch in the hamstrings. Now drive your hips forward, squeezing your glutes as you return to a standing position. That’s one rep. Perform two to three sets of eight to 12 reps.

What to focus on: Your shins should remain vertical throughout the entire movement, otherwise you’ll lose tension in the hamstrings. As you move the weights, think of showing off a logo on your chest to keep your spine in a strong, neutral position. Don’t bring the weights too low – if your technique is good, just past the knees will be enough to stimulate the muscles.

Modification: The most common RDL mistake is allowing your knees to move forward as your hips push back. If you’re struggling, try “blocking” your shins. Stand facing the side of a flat bench with your shins in direct contact with the edge. Now perform the RDL without letting your shins come off the bench. With your knees blocked, your hips will be forced to lead the way.

Dumbbell Bench Hip Thrust

What it does: One of the most effective compound exercises for building strong glutes, the bench hip thrust is an excellent complement to the RDL. Unlike most hip-hinge exercises, this movement emphasizes hip extension. This means tension builds as your hips drive forward, creating a powerful contraction in the butt and hamstrings.

How to do it: Sit on the floor with your upper back against the long side of a flat bench. Your feet should be planted on the floor, about hip-width apart. Place a dumbbell horizontally across the crease of your hips and hold it in position with your hands. Keep your chin tucked as you drive your hips up toward the ceiling, pushing deep through your heels. Your body should “hinge” from the point where your upper back and shoulders meet the bench. At the top, your body should form a straight line from your collarbone to your knees. Hold this pose for a full second, squeezing your glutes tight, before slowly lowering yourself back down. That’s one rep. Perform two to three sets of 10 to 15 reps.

What to focus on: At the top of the thrust, your shins need to be vertical, creating a 90-degree angle at the knees. Keep your big toes grounded on the floor to fully engage the glutes and hamstrings. Avoid over-arching your lower back as you elevate. Feel free to place a small pad or towel under the dumbbell to make things more comfortable.

Modification: While using a bench increases your range of motion, it’s not always ideal for beginners. If you’re struggling with the technique, remove the bench and perform a hip bridge (with or without a dumbbell). The technique is the same, but instead of using a bench, rest your back on the floor.

Dumbbell Walking Lunge

What it does: The drawback to most weightlifting exercises is that they are performed from a static position. The walking lunge is different. It builds serious lower body strength – as well as improves balance and coordination – that has a direct carry-over into both athletic activities and daily life.

How to do it: Holding a pair of dumbbells like suitcases in each hand, take a big step forward with one leg. As your foot meets the floor, lower your rear knee toward the ground while your lead knee tracks forward toward the toes. At this bottom position, both knees should be at approximately 90-degree angles, with the rear knee floating an inch or two off the floor. Your torso should be pitched slightly forward so most of your weight is on the lead leg. Now, drive through your lead foot as you extend the legs and step forward with your rear leg, immediately initiating the lunge on the opposite side. Continue this left-right stepping pattern until all your reps are done; each step is one rep. Perform two to three sets of eight to 10 reps with each leg.

What to focus on: Imagine walking on parallel lines, not a single tightrope-style line. This better aligns your hips, leading to greater balance and stability. Avoid stomping down your lead foot – place it on the floor softly, with complete control. Your lead knee should track over the big toe; don’t let it buckle inward.

Modification: If space is limited, try the reverse lunge. The execution is almost identical, but instead of continuously stepping forward, you alternate stepping back with each leg from a stationary position. This variation is often a bit easier on the knees and requires less balance.

Dumbbell Lateral Lunge

What it does: This lunge focuses on side-to-side movement. This differs from most lower-body exercises, which typically involve moving forward, backward or up and down. Developing this lateral movement pattern is essential for strong, healthy hips and knees.

How to do it: Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand (suitcase-style), with your chest up and core braced. Take a big step directly to the side with one leg. As that foot hits the floor, push your hips back while your knee flexes forward over the toes. Keep descending until the thigh of your bent leg is parallel to the floor. The opposite leg must remain straight with your foot planted. Push through the heel and mid-foot of your loaded leg to bring yourself back to the starting position. That’s one rep. You can either complete all reps on one leg before switching sides, or alternate legs with each rep. Perform two to three sets of 10 to 15 reps with each leg.

What to focus on: Make sure to really push your hips back to fully load the glutes and hamstring. At the bottom of the movement, the heel of your lunging leg should be directly under the corresponding butt cheek and your chest should be facing somewhat forward, not toward the floor.

Modification: The lateral squat – performed from a wide, straddle stance – provides nearly all the benefits of the lateral lunge and can be more joint-friendly. All the technical points are the same, but both feet stay on the floor throughout the entire movement.