Leg day isn’t something you just do, it’s something you survive.

When we think of leg days, we tend to think of barbell squats and leg presses. But don’t be so fast to rush right past the dumbbell rack.

There are multiple reasons to incorporate dumbbells into your leg training.

Dumbbells offer an opportunity to lighten the weight, focus more on form, and increase your mind-muscle connection - all things that are important for growing leg muscles.

If you’re training at home or in a hotel gym, dumbbells might be your only option. And that’s not a bad thing.

These are the best dumbbell leg exercises for mass:

Bulgarian Split Squats
Walking Lunges
Dumbbell Front Squat
Dumbbell Stiff-Leg Deadlift
Good Morning/Squat Hybrid
Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise

Next, we’re going to talk about small changes you can make to these exercises to make them even more effective.

Add them to your dumbbell leg workouts for greater muscle growth.

Shoutout to Ryan Humiston, my go-to source for muscle-building exercises. Check out his dumbbell-only leg day video, which includes some of the exercises listed below.

Bulgarian Split Squat (Quads)

The Bulgarian split squat is a single-leg squat with your rear foot elevated. To focus the tension on your quads, shift your knee forward, drive up through your heels, and stop short of coming all the way up.

Walking Lunge with Dumbbells on Shoulders (Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes)

Walking Lunges with Shorter Steps (Quads)

Walking Lunges with Longer Steps (Hamstrings)

Walking lunges are one of the most underrated exercises. The problem is that most people do them without putting any thought into how the muscles are working.

To target your quads more, take shorter steps, lean forward, and do not come all the way up.

To target your hamstrings more, take longer steps, drag your rear foot when you’re coming back up. Pull with your hamstrings.

Keep the dumbbells on your shoulders instead of at your side. This will keep the dumbbells from swinging forward and back and places you under the weight.

Dumbbell Front Squat (Quads)

Take a stance with your feet shoulder width. Grab two dumbbells and bring them to your shoulders. Squat down but do not come all the way up. This keeps more tension on the quads. More time under tension leads to greater muscle growth.

Dumbbell Stiff-Leg Deadlift (Hamstrings)

The issue many people run into with stiff-leg deadlifts is keeping the tension out of their lower back. To avoid this, do not come all the way up.

Keep your knees slightly bent and push your butt back. Stop when the dumbbells are just past your knees. Think of yourself as curling the dumbbells up with your hamstrings.

Good Morning/Squat Hybrid (Glutes)

Set up like you’re going to do a sumo squat (feet wide) with a single dumbbell at your chest. Keep your back straight.

Tilt forward and drive back at a 45-degree angle with your glutes and drive your knees out. Flex your glutes to come up but do not come all the way up.

Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise (Calves)

Sit on a bench and sink down so your back is leaning against the bench. Your non-working leg is up off the ground and your working calf muscle is placed in a stretched position. Place a dumbbell on your working leg and flex up with your calf.

For more muscle-building dumbbell exercises, check out our 6-week dumbbell-only muscle-building program.