
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Matthew Kelly
There’s nothing quite like a good dumbbell workout. While lifting heavy barbells is a great way to strengthen your lower body, you should never underestimate the power of a simple pair of weights — especially because they’re a lot more accessible if you’re a beginner or working out from home. Whether you’re looking to improve your lower-body strength or build muscle in your legs and butt, there are so many squat, deadlift, and lunge variations to choose from — and we wanted to provide you with a list of some of our favorite dumbbell leg exercises to target your glutes, hamstrings, and quads. (Remember, if building muscle is your goal, consistency and diet are key too. You should be doing at least three strength workouts a week and eating a nutritious diet with plenty of protein.) Note: what follows is not a leg workout with weights, but a selection of dumbbell leg exercises to choose from. We recommend picking a handful of these lower-body dumbbell moves and incorporating them into your next sweat session — or, yes, your next leg-day workout — to put your legs and butt to work. Remember to choose the right weight for you, start with a dynamic warmup, and follow your strength work with a cooldown and stretch. (We want you to be able to walk up the stairs tomorrow.) Grab your weights, and let’s get lifting!
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Dumbbell Squat

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Dumbbell Thruster

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Dumbbell Goblet Squat

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Dumbbell Sumo Squat

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Romanian Deadlift

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Single-Leg Deadlift

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Alternating Forward Lunges With Bicep Curls

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Dumbbell Swing

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Dumbbell Split Squat With Overhead Press

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Reverse Lunge to Knee Drive

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Step-Ups

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Curtsy Lunge

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Side Lunge

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Dumbbell Overhead Squat

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Bulgarian Split Squat
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Weighted Glute Bridge

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Walking Lunges
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Single-Leg Squat

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