30-Minute Leg Workout At-Home with Dumbbells

How To Do A Front Rack Squat With Dumbbells

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing straight ahead or slightly angled out away from the body.
2. “Front Rack” your dumbbells at shoulder height by placing the back head of each dumbbell on your shoulders. Elbows are up and pointing straight ahead (think elbows in line with shoulders).
3. With your weight in your heels, sit your hips back. Lowering your hips down until they are parallel with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
4. Then drive through your heels to return to the starting position, squeezing your glutes to stand tall.

Modification: Perform a back squat by placing one dumbbell horizontally across your neck (one head of the dumbbell resting on each shoulder). Or hold both dumbbells at your sides. Alternatively, you can drop the dumbbells and perform bodyweight squats.

How To Do A Staggered Deadlift With Dumbbells

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold one dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body.
2. Stagger your feet so your right leg is approximately one foot-length in front of your left foot. Kickstand your back left foot, left heel floating off the ground.
3. Keep 80% of your weight in your front right foot, 20% in your back left toe.
4. With legs straight, hinge at your hips to lower your torso as you slide the dumbbells down your legs. Think about pushing your hips towards the wall behind you.
5. Hinge until you feel a stretch in the back of your front right leg (range of motion will be different for everyone). Then drive through your front right heel to stand up straight; returning to the starting position.

How To Do A Reverse Lunge With Dumbbells

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart. Hold one dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
2. Step your right leg back into a reverse lunge, dropping your right knee down towards the ground as you lower your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh parallel to the floor.
3. Then squeeze your left leg glute, driving your back, right leg forward as you stand up.
4. Repeat, stepping back with your left leg, then driving through your right glute to stand up.

How To Do A Low Lunge And Rear Leg Lift

1. Start in a low lunge position, right leg forward, left leg back; both knees bent at 90-degree angles. Option to rest your hands on the heads of your dumbbells for balance support.
2. Engage your front right glute as you stand up, balancing on your right leg. While simultaneously, squeezing your butt to lift your back left leg into the air (performing a rear leg lift).
3. With control, return your left leg to the ground and lower back down to a low lunge position.

How To Do A Dumbbell Front Squat And Side Leg Lift

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing straight ahead or slightly angled out away from the body. Option to place a resistance band about 6 inches above your ankles (around the calf/shin area).
2. “Front Rack” your dumbbells at shoulder height. Place the back head of each dumbbell on your shoulders; elbows up and pointing straight ahead (think elbows in line with shoulders).
3. With your weight in your heels, sit your hips back. Lowering your hips down until they are parallel with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
4. Then drive through your heels to stand, squeezing your glutes to stand tall.
5. With your core engaged, transfer your weight into your left leg as you lift your right leg out to the side.
6. Lower your right leg back to the ground with control to return to the starting position.

How To Do A Lateral Resistance Band Walk And Squat

1. Place an optional resistance band around your calf/shin area (6 inches above your ankle joint).
2. Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips to create tension across the band (activating your glutes). Hold one dumbbell at your chest.
3. Bend your knees to lower down into a squat position. Dropping your hips down, weight in heels, chest up.
4. Hold this loaded squat position as you take two wide lateral steps to your right; stretching the band as far as you can with each step.
5. After two steps to the right, drive through your heels to stand tall.
6. Lower back into a loaded squat position, and take two wide lateral steps to your left. Repeat this pattern.

How To Do A Sumo Squat And Sumo Deadlift With Dumbbells

1. Stand with feet wider than hips, heels in and toes pointed out (sumo squat stance). Hold one dumbbell in each hand between your legs.
2. Bend your knees to lower down into a sumo squat, pushing your knees out towards your pinky toes as you drop your hips parallel to your knees.
3. Pause and hold at the bottom of your sumo squat, then push your hips up and rotate your toes to be parallel (facing forward).
4. Squeeze your glutes and inner thighs as you pull the dumbbells up your thighs (like you’re doing a deadlift) to stand tall.
5. At the top of your deadlift, slightly rotate the toes out to find the top of your sumo squat stance.

How To Do A Sumo Squat And Lunge

1. Stand with feet wider than hips, heels in and toes pointed out (sumo squat stance). Hold one dumbbell at your chest.
2. Bend your knees to lower down into a sumo squat, pushing knees out towards your pinky toes. Think about trying to stay as low as possible through this entire movement.
3. Rotate your hips to the right as you drop your back left knee into a lunge position, both knees bent at 90-degrees and your front right leg parallel to the ground. Toes pivot to follow hips.
4. Push through your front right foot to stand and pivot your hips back to center; returning to a low sumo squat position.
5. Then rotate your hips to the left and repeat this lunge to sumo squat pattern.