Muscle Boosting Leg Workout With Dumbbells For Strong Growth

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Boost muscle growth at home with this simple and effective leg workout with dumbbells that includes a follow along video.

Leg workout with dumbbells for women at home

Boost lower body strength and muscle with this intense leg workout at home with dumbbells. In 30 minutes we will get an effective and quick at home weight lifting session in using just a set (or single) of dumbbells. Working through right and left supersets for nonstop intensity and burning it out with a complex to really maximize results.

This workout includes each of The Most Important Lower Body Strength Exercises For Women that help you build functional strength and muscle.

This workout will consist of 4 different unilateral supersets. Each superset will be 40 seconds of right side work followed by 40 seconds of left side work, repeated for 3 sets continuously.

After all sets of the superset are complete, take 30 seconds to rest and move on to the 90 second AMRAP “burnout.” Each AMRAP will consist of an exercise complex that you will complete “As Many Reps As Possible” in the given time until moving on to the next superset.

This workout contains 4 separate superset and can be done in under 30 minutes. If you don’t want to time or have access to a timer, follow the same pattern except replace your superset time interval with 8-12 reps. For the AMRAPS, complete 15-20 reps of the given exercise complex.

You can follow the workout with either programming for all couplets below:

• 3 sets of 40s Right Side, 40s Left Side

OR

• 3 sets of 8-12 reps Right Side, then 8-12 reps Left Side

Be sure to start with a thorough warm-up that targets the lower body and cool-down with dynamic stretching to avoid injury and maximize performance.

Here is the workout as follows:

Superset 1

• Dumbbell Reverse Lunge: Begin with dumbbells in your hands down at your sides as you stand with your feet hip width apart. Step one leg straight back (maintaing hip width distance) far enough to lower down with both knees bending to a 90 degree angle. Push through the ball of the back foot and the heel of your front foot to step your back leg to the start position. (Minute 4:30 of video)

AMRAP 1

• Dumbbell Reverse Lunge to Clean: Begin with dumbbells in your hands down at your sides as you stand with your feet hip width apart. Step one leg straight back (maintaing hip width distance) far enough to lower down with both knees bending to a 90 degree angle. Push through the ball of the back foot and the heel of your front foot to step your back leg to the start position keeping a 45 degree hinge at the hips.
• Using your glutes, powerfully extend the hips then shrug your shoulders to drive the dumbbells upwards. As the dumbbell rise, use your hips to “dip” (or squat) underneath the dumbbells to land in front rack position. (Minute 8:50 of video)
• (PRO TIP: Be sure to avoid “curling” the dumbbell up and focus on using the momentum from the lower body rather than the strength of your arms.)

Superset 2

• Dumbbell Single Leg Deadlift: Begin with a staggered stance, keeping your weight in the front leg and only using the back leg for balance. With both arms down at your sides and dumbbells in hands. Pull your shoulders down to activate your lats and maintain a neutral spine. Hinge at the hips to press your glutes backwards as you lower your chest towards the ground, allowing your hands to hang towards the ground. Hinge until your torso is parallel (or as close to parallel) with the floor then engage your glutes to press your hips forward and return to the start position. (Minute 10:50)

AMRAP 2

• Dumbbell Double Squat Clean: Begin with dumbbells in hands, down at your sides and feet hip width apart. Maintaining a neutral spine and engaged core, hinge at the hips until your hands are at knee height. Using the glutes, powerfully extend the hips to “clean” the weight upwards using the hands merely as a guide to keep the dumbbells on the right path. Quickly change directions with the hips and “dip” (or squat) to get underneath the weight and land in a front rack position. (Minute 14:50 of video)
• (PRO TIP: Be sure to avoid “curling” the dumbbell up and focus on using the momentum from the lower body rather than the strength of your arms.)

Superset 3

• Dumbbell Lateral Lunge: Begin with dumbbells in your hands, down at your sides and standing with feet hip width apart. Take a big step with one foot outwards laterally until your feet are wider than shoulder width. Upon landing, bend the knee of the stepping leg to drop your hips back and down until 90 degrees is reach at the knee. Push off of the foot of the bent knee to step back to the starting position. (Minute 16:45 of video)

AMRAP 3

• Dumbbell Lateral Lunge to Curtsey Lunge: Begin with dumbbells in your hands, down at your sides and standing with feet hip width apart. Take a big step with one foot outwards laterally until your feet are wider than shoulder width. Upon landing, bend the knee of the stepping leg to drop your hips back and down until 90 degrees is reach at the knee. Next, push through the foot of the bent knee to bring the foot of the extended leg in. Once upright, step the foot of the previously extend leg backwards and across into a curtsy position as your lunge down. Step the back foot forward to return to start. (Minute 20:45 of video)

Superset 4

• Dumbbell Step Up: (If no bench, box, step is available) Begin kneeling on the ground (upright) with dumbbells in hands down at your sides. Step one foot forward so that your knee is at 90 degrees. Shift your weight forward slightly and push off of the planted foot to “step up” or back foot to a standing position. Step back down to return to the kneeling start position. (Minute 22:00 of video)

AMRAP 4

• Dumbbell Step Up to 2 Sissy Squats: (If no bench, box, step is available) Begin kneeling on the ground (upright) with dumbbells in hands at front rack position. Step one foot forward so that your knee is at 90 degrees. Shift your weight forward slightly and push off of the planted foot to “step up” or back foot to a standing position. Step back down to return to the kneeling start position. Complete 2 sissy squats by hinging your hips back and down towards your heels then extending back to the start position. (Minute 26:50 of video)

Be sure to focus on form and use a steady and controlled pace throughout your movements. When strength training, opt for a weight that allows you to successfully complete the set, but only have an extra rep or two “in the bank” by the end of each set.

If you would like to follow along with expert coaching and motivation along the way, click here for the full length workout video!

Can you build legs with just dumbbells?

Yes, leg muscle and strength can be built using dumbbells. 

Opt for lower body focused strength training 2 times per week using moderately heavy weight (70-80% 1RM) with lower volume (3-4 sets of 6-12 reps). Choose compound exercises that hit each muscle at least 2 times per workout.

With this approach you will stimulate hypertrophy (muscle size) adaptations for more defined and stronger legs. 

How can a woman tone her legs fast?

The fastest way to improve leg muscle definition is by regularly strength training her legs and redcuing total body fat. This can be done with hypertrophy strength training and a fitness routine and diet that encourages fat loss.

This would include a balance of strength and cardio sessions each week, a nutrient dense diet of whole foods, prioritizing protein intake, and maintaining a calorie deficit.

It is a gradual process but is the fastest way to see an improvement of muscle definition.  This is because you will be “uncovering” the muscle by reducing body fat, but reserving the muscle with strength training.

Are dumbbell leg workouts effective?

Absolutely! Your muscles respond to the stimulus it is given, rather than equipment. So as long as you choose weight that challenges you within each set and stay consistent in your routine, your legs will adapt to the training stress.

Learn more about strength training and adaptations with my comprehensive guide, Get Strong At Home: Strength Training Plan For Women.

How to get thicker legs?

Consistent hypertrophy strength training every week combined with a slight caloric surplus, will result in leg muscle growth over time. Specifically, aim for 1-2 lower body focused leg workouts each week that consist of 4-6 exercises per workout.

Hypertrophy training is characterized by a moderate to higher intensity (think weight used, about 70-80% 1RM) with a volume of 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps per exercise.

You should be able to complete each set with correct technique at a controlled pace, focusing on working through a full range-of-motion. This will ensure you reduce risk of injury while maximizing your stimulus. 

An easy way to know if you are using the correct weight is to gauge your effort by the end of the set. 

A good rule of thumb is to feel CLOSE to fatigue/failure, but still have 2-3 high quality reps “left in the bank.” If you fail (break form) before the end of the set, the weight is too heavy. If you feel like you can perform 4 or more reps by the end, the weight is too light.

If you are looking to improve total body strength with at home dumbbell training, check out my other workouts Women’s Shoulder Workout With Dumbbells (Quick And Effective!) and The Best Back Workout With Dumbbells For Women (+Video).