For Strong, Powerful Legs, Trainers Love These 10 Muscle-Building Dumbbell Exercises

Updated on 10/9/2019 at 11:35 AM

Building leg and butt muscle is the same as putting on muscle everywhere else on your body: you need consistent work and increasing weights (aka progressive overload) to see results. Dumbbells are a great tool for that: portable, easily interchangeable, and versatile. In fact, they're almost too versatile. Once you have a pair in your hands, there are so many moves you can do. Which ones are best for building leg and glute muscle?

That's the question we asked these eight trainers, and luckily for all of us, they responded with the 10 best leg-strengthening moves that engage and challenge your lower body with two dumbbells. (And, in some case, only one!) Adding a few sets to your workouts will help you see results in your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, so grab your weights, and get ready to feel strong and confident from head to toe! (Not sure how heavy to go? Check out this guide to choosing the right weight.)

Alternating Reverse Lunge

The reverse lunge targets your glutes and hamstrings, explained certified personal trainer Andrew Bustos, NASM.

Stand with feet together. Take a controlled lunge (or large step) backward with your left foot.
Lower your hips so that your right thigh (front leg) becomes parallel to the floor and your right knee is positioned directly over your ankle. Keep your left knee bent at a 90-degree angle and pointing toward the floor. Your left heel should be lifted.
Step the left foot in.
Repeat with the right foot.
This counts as one rep.

Dumbbell Deadlifts

This dumbbell deadlift variation engages your hamstrings, glutes, and even your lower back, said Mike Nicholson, CSCS, a trainer at Chelsea Piers. A good deadlift "effectively adds resistance to the muscles that control the hip hinge," he told POPSUGAR.

Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides with straight arms, and have a slight bend in your knees.
Lower the dumbbells toward the floor. Keep your back straight, not curved or arched. Your chest should be parallel with the floor.
Straighten your torso so you have a straight body alignment. This counts as one rep.

Front Squat

This weighted squat variation challenges your quads, hamstrings, and glutes as well as your core, Mike told POPSUGAR. Make sure to keep your chest and elbows high and your core engaged the whole time, said Andrew.

Rest a dumbbell on either shoulder, keeping your elbows high.
Push your butt back and down as you slowly lower into a squat. Keep your chest high.
Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor, making sure to keep your knees behind your toes.
Return to standing, leading with your chest and elbows. This completes one rep.

Dumbbell Sumo Squat

A dumbbell sumo squat engages the muscles that move your hip and knee and makes it easier to activate your glutes, Mike told POPSUGAR. You can do it with one or two dumbbells.

Stand with your feet wide, toes pointing out, holding both dumbbells vertically in front of your chest.
Bend your knees, lowering your hips deeply, so your thighs are parallel with the floor. Make sure to keep your weight back in your heels.
Rise back up, straightening the legs completely and squeezing the glutes at the top of the movement to get the most from the exercise.
This completes one rep.

Goblet Squat

"Goblet squats target all of the muscles of the legs, specifically the quads and the glutes," said Chris Cooper, an NSCA-certified personal trainer. "With an exercise like this, you can increase the intensity by upping the weight relatively easily, as long as your arms can support it."

Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width with toes pointed slightly out. Hold your dumbbell at chest level with both hands. Keeping your back flat, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor and your elbows touch your knees.
With your weight focused in your heels, push yourself up to the starting position. This counts as one rep.

Dumbbell Hip Thrusts

"Hip thrusts target the glutes and particularly the upper glutes, which is a difficult area to target with other movements," said Mariah Heller, ACSM-certified personal trainer and founder of Pain-Free Fitness. The movement is similar to a glute bridge, Mariah explained, but with your shoulders off the ground. (The photo shows a barbell, but you can substitute a heavy dumbbell.)

Sitting on the floor with your legs extended, rest your back against a stable bench.
Place a towel or shoulder cushion on the bar for comfort (optional). Place a heavy dumbbell directly above your hip joints, holding it in place with your hands.
Brace your core. As you drive your heels into the ground, squeeze your glutes, lifting your hips up to full extension, meaning your hips are even with your knees.
With control, lower back down to the ground. This counts as one rep.

Bulgarian Split Squat

This squat variation is the favorite of Matt Grasso, NSCA-CSCS, who described it as a more advanced variation of a typical split squat with both feet grounded. "It targets mainly the glutes, quads, and hamstrings," he told POPSUGAR. "I recommend this exercise to build muscle mass in the lower body, to increase total body strength, and to increase coordination."

Grab a pair of dumbbells. Begin by placing the toes of your left foot on a bench, box, stair, or chair, with your right leg straight.
Make sure your right foot is out far enough so that when you lower your hips, your knee stays directly over your ankle.
Bend your right knee, squeeze your left glute, and lower your pelvis toward the ground.
Press your right heel into the ground to straighten your right knee. This completes one rep.

Alternating Side Lunge

Side lunges work your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, said Sylvia Nasser, a NASM-certified personal trainer. If you're new to this move, master it with no weight first (as pictured), then add one or two dumbbells.

Start with your feet directly under your hips. Hold one dumbbell in front of your chest or two straight down in front of your, keeping your chest up.
Step your right foot wide to the side, coming into a lunge with your left fingers touching your right foot. Your right knee shouldn't go beyond your right toes. Keep your chest lifted and your weight in your heels.
Push into your right foot to return to standing, then lunge sideways to the left. This completes one rep.

Squat to Overhead Press

This compound move is recommended by David Garza, a NASM-certified personal trainer and master instructor at Love Cycling Studio in Austin, TX. You're getting in some shoulder work while challenging your hamstrings and glutes.

Stand with your legs just slightly wider than hip-distance apart, arms raised to shoulder height with elbows bent, holding weights by your ears.
Bend your knees as if you were sitting in a chair, keeping weight on your heels.
Press the dumbbells overhead as you straighten your knees to return to standing.

Single-Leg Squat

The always-challenging single-leg squat fires up your glutes and hamstrings, said Steve Stonehouse, NASM-certified personal trainer and director of education for Stride indoor running studio. It develops single-leg strength to help you be explosive when sprinting, jumping, and changing directions, he said. Make sure you can do the move on its own first, then advance it by holding a dumbbell in one hand.

Stand firmly with both feet together. Optional: hold one dumbbell in front of your chest.
Put weight into your left leg and lift your right leg into the air.
Keeping the leg lifted, bend the left knee into a squat. Then straighten the leg to complete one rep.