At-Home Dumbbell Leg Workout With Weights (Calf, Glutes, Quads, and Hamstrings)

Grab some free weights and get ready to tone your legs with this dumbbell leg workout that you can do right at home. The focus of this workout is to tone up your glutes, quads, and hamstrings.

At-Home Dumbbell Leg Workout:

1. Overhead Squats
2. Lunges
3. Plie Squats
4. Backward Lunges
5. Single Leg Deadlifts
6. Dumbbell Squats

Keep reading below for our demonstration video and pictures/descriptions of each of these exercises.

Today I am sharing one of my favorite 30-minute leg workouts that you can do at home using just a pair of dumbbells.

Adding resistance to your workouts is a great way to increase muscle strength and improve definition.

Dumbbells are one of my favorite ways to add resistance to at-home workouts; they’re compact, portable, and so versatile!

Get ready to squat and lunge your way to amazing leg definition – this one is going to be a burner!

WHAT ARE THE BEST EXERCISES FOR YOUR LEGS?

The major muscle groups in your legs include your glutes (hip extensors and abductors), quads (hip flexors and knee extensors), hamstrings (hip extension and knee flexion), and calves. The best exercises for your legs are those that focus on working each of these muscle groups to maximize your gains.

WHAT EXERCISES ARE GOOD FOR YOUR BUTT?

Your booty is composed primarily of your gluteus maximus. This muscle serves as a hip extensor – that means it pulls your femur underneath and ultimately behind you. The best exercises for your rear are those that resist hip extension. Squats, lunges, leg lifts, and donkey kicks are all good for that.

WHAT IS THE BEST EXERCISE TO TONE THIGHS?

Your “thighs” are made up basically of your quads. They run from the front of the hip, through your kneecap, and attach right into the top of your tibia. The primary motion the quads are responsible for is knee extension (straightening out the knee). Once again, you activate your quads against resistance with squats and lunges.

 

=============================
Need some dumbbells? Here’s a link to some of my favorites! I love that you can adjust these to all different weights (light to heavy) and that they’re so compact and sturdy!=============================

 

DUMBBELL LEG WORKOUT

Push PLAY on the video to for detailed descriptions of each exercise in this workout!

For this leg workout, we’re going to be performing 6 of my favorite dumbbell leg exercises in circuit format. You’ll perform ten reps of the first exercise, move immediately on to ten reps of the second, and so on until all 6 exercises are completed.

You’ll then take a 2-minute break, and then jump right back in for round 2. You’ll perform three sets total of each exercise.

The key to this workout is to not take any rest between sets of each exercise; however after completing the 6th exercise (dumbbell squats) take 2 minutes to catch your breath.

Your legs are going to be on fire with this one, but I know you can do it!

 

Warm Up

Perform 60 seconds of each of the following four exercises:

• Marching in place
• Jogging in place
• Butt-kickers
• Jumping jacks

Dumbbell Leg Workout

1. 10 Overhead Squats

How to do an overhead squat:

• Lift your dumbbells over your head and keep them there throughout the entire squat motion.
• Sit your butt backwards and keep your weight on your heels as you drop down into a squat.
• Go as low as you can – down to thighs parallel with the floor if possible.
• Slowly return to the starting position 

 

2. 10 Lunges (each leg)
How to do lunges with dumbbells:

• With the dumbbells down to your side lunge forward on to your left leg.
• Try to keep your knee right over your toes, but don’t let your knee progress out in front of your toes.
• Return to the upright position repeat this motion on your right leg.  

 

3. 10 Plié Squats
How to do a plie squat:

• Hold one dumbbell in front of you with two hands as shown.
• Spread your legs out wider than your hips and angle your toes outward.
• Try to keep your knees relatively in line with your toes as you drop down into a squat position (thighs parallel to the ground if you can).
• Return to the upright position.

 

4. 10 Reverse Lunges (each leg)
How to do a reverse lunge:

• Similar to our forward lunge, however now you are going to be taking a big step backwards instead.
• With the dumbbells in your hands at your sides, take a large step backwards on to your left foot while bending at the right knee until your right thigh is parallel to the floor.
• Use your right quad and glutes to pull yourself back to an upright position.
• Repeat by taking a step backwards with your right foot.

 

5. 10 Single Leg Deadlifts (each leg)
How to do a single leg deadlift:

• Stand upright with a dumbbell in each hand.
• Lift your right leg up off of the floor behind you as you bring your torso forward, hinging at your left hip.
• Pull through your left hip/butt to bring your body back to an upright position.
• You should feel the pull through your hip/butt.

 

6. 10 Dumbbell Squats
How to do a dumbbell squat:

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart with a dumbbell in each hand at your side.
• Keep your weight on your heels as you lower yourself into a squat with dumbbells traveling just outside your knees (try not to let your shoulders round forward).
• Keep your shoulders back and your head up throughout this motion.
• Power through your legs to bring yourself back to upright.
• This can also be performed resting the dumbbells on your shoulders.

 

Congratulations!
You made it through your first set!
Now you get to repeat everything 2 more times (3 sets total)!

 

 

Looking for more great at home leg workouts like this one? Try these:

• Gym Leg Workout for Women
• How to Get Rid of Cankles Workout
• QUICK At Home Leg Workout
• Thigh and Butt Burner Workout

Make it happen,

Jared