Nov 16

Nov 16 5 Lower Body Dumbbell Workouts for Big Legs

You can absolutely build tree trunk legs with only dumbbells.

Heavy barbell squats and leg press machines are great but they’re not always an option. And that’s fine.

Dumbbells are more accessible and will do the trick just as well, if not better than barbells and machines. The key is knowing how to use them.

Growing big legs is not only about how heavy the weight is but how you’re moving the weight.

Choosing the right dumbbell leg exercises and then executing them the right way is key for building leg muscle.

Properly isolating the different muscles in your legs and then placing them under a significant amount of tension is how you’re going to get them to grow.

Lower Body Muscles

Let’s take a look at five dumbbell lower-body workouts that you can add to your leg day routine for greater muscle growth.

Lower Body Dumbbell Workout #1

Reverse Lunges 4x15-20 (each side)

Hold the dumbbells at your side.
To target your glutes more, shift weight into your hips and lean into your quad as you step back.
Don't lock your knees out at the top. Only go 3/4 of the way up.

Split Squats 4x15-20

The non-working foot is behind you. Hold dumbbells at your side.
Do not come all the way up (this keeps tension on your quads).

Dumbbell Hamstring Curl 4x20

Hold a dumbbell between your feet while lying face down on a bench.
Curl the dumbbell up with your hamstrings and slowly lower back down halfway, keeping tension on your hamstrings.
Use a decline bench, if possible. If not, a flat bench or the floor will do.

Dumbbell Calf Raises 4x20

Stand holding dumbbells at your side with the balls of your feet on an elevated surface and your heels touching the floor.
Raise your heels off the floor and contract your calves.

Lower Body Dumbbell Workout #2

Walking Lunges 4x20 (each side)

Hold the dumbbells on your shoulders and keep your steps short.
Do not come all the way up, keeping tension on your quads.

Dumbbell Sumo Deadlift 4x15-20

Hold one or two dumbbells in front of you and take a wide stance with your toes pointed out.
Bend at the hips with your head up (do not keep your back straight up and down).
Do not come all the way up and squeeze your glutes throughout.

Bulgarian Split Squats 4x15-20

The non-working foot is elevated behind you. Hold dumbbells at your side.
Do not come all the way up (this keeps tension on your quads).

Dumbbell Calf Raises 4x20 (or until failure)

Stand holding dumbbells at your side with the balls of your feet on an elevated surface and your heels touching the floor.
Raise your heels off the floor and contract your calves.

Lower Body Dumbbell Workout #3

Reverse Lunges (Stay on the same leg) - 4 Sets of 20 Reps Each on Leg

Static Lunges Superset with Walking Lunges - 4 Sets / 20 Reps (Static - Each Leg) + 30 Total Lunges

Both quad dominant & stay on the same leg for full rep count then switch) 4 Sets of 20 Reps (Static - Each Leg) + 30 Total Lunges

Glute Squats - 4 Sets of 15 - 20 Reps

Split Squats - 4 Sets of 15 Reps or Until Failure

Watch the video by Ryan Humiston below to see the exercises and workout.

Lower Body Dumbbell Workout #4

Bulgarian Split Squat - 4 Sets of 10-15 Reps

Dumbbell Romanian/Stiff-Leg Deadlift - 4 Sets of 10-15 Reps

Dumbbell Front Squat - 4 Sets of 15-20 Reps

Dumbbell Hamstring Curl - 4 Sets of 15-20

Single-Leg DB Hip Thrust Superset with Slow Eccentric Sumo Squat - 3 Sets of 12 Reps

Watch the video below by MuscleMonsters to see the exercises and workout.

Lower Body Dumbbell Workout #5

This workout is done with three variations of one exercise. Walking lunges can be manipulated to target the individual muscles in your lower body.

Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them on your shoulders for this workout.

Walking Lunges with a Short Step - 4 Sets of 20 to 30 Reps on Each Leg

Short steps make this quad dominant - use the quads in your forward leg to push yourself up.
Don’t come all the way up - stop three-quarters of the way up to keep the tension in your quads.

Walking Lunges with a Normal Step - 4 Sets of 20 to 30 Reps on Each Leg

Walking Lunges with a Long Step - 4 Sets of 20 to 30 Reps on Each Leg