Dumbbell SquatMuscles Worked
The dumbbell squat works your quads first, with the glutes and hamstrings helping you stand, your lower back keeping your torso upright and your calves helping with balance. Holding dumbbells at your sides makes it a simple, accessible squat for home or lighter training days.
PrimaryQuads
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Level
- Beginner
- Type
- Compound
- Force
- Push
How to do it
- Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing your legs.
- Set your feet about shoulder width apart, toes slightly out, and brace your core.
- Bend your hips and knees together and lower until your thighs are about parallel to the floor, or deeper if your form holds.
- Keep your chest up, your back flat and the dumbbells hanging straight down.
- Push through your whole foot to stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top.
Form tips
- Look straight ahead rather than down at the floor, which helps you stay upright.
- Let your arms hang like ropes, and don't curl or swing the dumbbells as you move.
- If your grip gives out before your legs, try a goblet hold with a single dumbbell.
Why it made the list
No. 10 of 13
Best Quad Exercises
Dumbbell squat for home gyms or lighter training. Accessible and effective for quad development.
More quad exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Dumbbell Squat sets in KasMaker and watch your quads, calves, glutes, hamstrings, and lower back fill in on the map, weighted by how much you did. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
