5 Quad Workouts with Dumbells

Quad workouts with dumbbells allow you to strengthen the quads. You can do these without machines, barbells or lifting with the help of other people. Include dumbell quad exercises with your leg exercises to increase your quad strength. You can use quad dumbell exercises to build strong legs during home workouts.  Strong quads are the […]

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Quad workouts with dumbbells allow you to strengthen the quads. You can do these without machines, barbells or lifting with the help of other people. Include dumbell quad exercises with your leg exercises to increase your quad strength. You can use quad dumbell exercises to build strong legs during home workouts. 

Strong quads are the best way to achieve full body fitness. You need to do the right leg workouts in order to achieve your fitness goals. A proper leg workout separates the leg muscles  into quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and hips. Fortunately, exercising your quads to improve your overall fitness isn’t hard. Utilizing quad exercises with dumbells, you can produce results in a short period of time. 

In this article, learn more about quad workouts with dumbells. We also cover the best quad workout dumbells exercise variations. 

Let’s start by taking a closer look at the quads and their function. 

Quad Muscles: Function and Anatomy Overview

Your quad muscles, or quadriceps femoris, are the group of muscles at the front of the thigh. The five quad muscles make up the largest mass of all muscle groups in the body. 

The Five Quadricep Muscles: Anatomy

The quadriceps consist of four main muscles and a smaller fifth muscle:

  • rectus femoris muscle (mid quad on top) [1]
  • vastus lateralis muscle (outer quad) [2]
  • vastus medialis muscle (inner quad) [3]
  • vastus intermedius muscle (mid quad underneath) [4]
  • articularis genus muscle (the smaller fifth muscle of the quadriceps complex) [5]

Quad Muscles and Your Everyday Movements

Your quads are a key part of your everyday movements, such as climbing the stairs or getting out of a chair. You also use your quads to perform a variety of motions, such as walking, jumping, running, and kicking. 

In lower body exercises, your quads help to stabilize the knees and flexes the hips. [6] The quads are critical to daily function. Do dumbell quad workouts to train your quads regularly. 

Quad Muscles Help Maintain Your Posture

The quads also help to maintain proper posture while sitting or standing. They regulate your gait while walking. Train your quads with quad workouts dumbell to avoid poor posture. 

How Do Quad Workouts with Dumbells Help You Build Muscle?

How do the quad muscles grow? If your goal is to get bigger legs and grow your quads you will have to commit to leg day. Before you begin any quad exercise program, keep in mind that you must stay consistent. 

If you want to see gains, you need to perform dumbell quad exercises regularly. You should also increase the intensity of your workout over time to match your new fitness level.

How often should you train your quads? 

When you are trying to build muscle or increase your fitness level, train at least two days per week. This can be done by adding quad-specific exercises to your current workout. Alternatively, you can create a quad-based workout that includes dumbbells. Make sure that you have two rest days in between your quad workouts.

What types of exercises should you do?

Closed chain exercises, where the feet are planted on the floor or against a platform, target and strengthen the vasti muscles. [7] Open chain exercises, such as  leg extensions, primarily target the rectus fermoris. [8] Quad workouts with dumbbells primarily target the vasti quad muscles. As a result, it takes a variety of exercises to effectively target all five quad muscles.

Build Stronger Quads to Prevent Injuries

Because the quads have such a big role in so many movements, weakness can lead to injuries. Strong quad muscles support your daily movements. Weak, imbalanced quad muscles can lead to injuries, such as twists, falls, and joint damage. Worse, weak quads also puts you at risk of developing osteoarthritis in the knees.

How to stay safe during quad workouts with dumbbells?

To keep your quad muscles healthy as you do a dumbell quad workout, make sure to:

  • Not push through hip, knee or leg pain
  • Rest your quads between quad workouts with dumbbells or training exertion periods
  • Stretch and warm up prior to your quad muscle workout

As you do quad dumbell workouts, make sure that you stay aware of how your body feels. Note any unusual sensations and contact a healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following:

  • Inability to move your leg
  • Numbness in your hips, knees or legs
  • Excruciating, sudden pain anywhere in your legs

Frequently Asked Questions About Quad Workouts With Dumbbells

Here are some FAQs to help you decide if a dumbell quad workout right for you:

Should You Do Quad Workouts with Dumbbells at Home?

Yes. Dumbell quad workouts increase your fitness with minimal equipment. Quad workouts with dumbbells are the perfect exercise for you to do regularly at home. All it requires is that you stay committed to good form and posture while working out for maximum results.

How Long Should You Do Quad Workouts With Dumbbells for?

How long to workout your quads with dumbbells depends on your fitness level. However, advanced trainers and beginner exercisers alike should make sure to rest between workouts. Talk to your doctor about any workouts before starting any new fitness regime. 

Can You Get Big Quads From Just Quad Workouts With Dumbbells?

A 30-minute dumbbell workout to build your quads is ideal for leg day. Practice circuit workouts to produce the best results in the least amount of time. If you’re new to quad workouts with dumbbells, start with a 15-minute quads workout. [9]

What Are the Best Quad Workouts with Dumbells?

The 5 best quad exercises with dumbells are designed to be used by people of all fitness levels. [10] The purpose of these workouts are building strength, endurance, power, and muscle mass.

Here are the best quad workouts with dumbbells to try:

1. Dumbbell Front Squat

The Dumbbell Front Squat is a compound exercise that targets your quadriceps, glutes, and core. 

What it does: The Dumbbell Front Squat builds lower body strength and improves overall muscle tone.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, palms facing inwards.
  2. Keep your chest up and your core engaged as you lower your body down into a squat, keeping your knees in line with your toes.
  3. Push back up to the starting position, squeezing your glutes and quads at the top.

How many reps: 3 X 8-12 reps

2. Dumbbell Step-up

The Dumbbell Step-up is a unilateral quad dumbell workout exercise that targets your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. 

What it does: The Dumbbell Step-up builds leg strength, balance, and coordination.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Stand facing a bench or sturdy elevated surface, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Step your right foot onto the bench and push up through your right heel to lift your body up.
  3. Step back down with your left foot and repeat on the other side.

How many reps: 3 X 8-12 reps

3. Dumbbell Forward Lunge

The Dumbbell Forward Lunge is a unilateral exercise that targets your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. 

What it does: The Dumbbell Forward Lunge builds leg strength, balance, and coordination.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Step forward with your right foot and lower your body down into a lunge, keeping your back straight and your knee in line with your toes.
  3. Push back up to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

How many reps: 3 X 10-12 reps

4. Goblet Squat

The Goblet Squat is a compound exercise that targets your quadriceps, glutes, and core. 

What it does: The Goblet Squat builds lower body strength and improves overall muscle tone.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell vertically with both hands at chest level.
  2. Lower your body down into a squat, keeping your knees in line with your toes.
  3. Push back up to the starting position, squeezing your glutes and quads at the top.

How many reps: 3 X 10-12 reps

5. Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat

The Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat is a type of strength-training exercise that targets the muscles of the lower body, including the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. 

What it does: The Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat builds leg strength, balance, and stability. 

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Stand with your back to a bench or sturdy elevated surface, holding a dumbbell in each hand with your arms at your sides.
  2. Place your left foot on top of the bench or elevated surface behind you, toes pointing down.
  3. Step your right foot forward about 2-3 feet and position your feet so that your stance is wide enough to comfortably lower your body down into a lunge.
  4. Keep your chest up and your core engaged as you lower your body down into a lunge, bending both knees to about a 90-degree angle.
  5. Push back up to the starting position, squeezing your glutes and quads at the top.

How many reps: 3 X 8-12 reps

Quad Workouts with Dumbbells and the Results You Want

The best quad workouts with dumbbells will help you to grow and sculpt amazing quads. You will need to keep a higher rep range since dumbbells do not load as heavy as barbells. With consistent effort, you’ll see excellent results.

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References:

  1. https://www.internationaljournalofcardiology.com/article/S0167-5273(07)01765-2/fulltext
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8449772/
  3. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0198304
  4. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640414.2021.1929736
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6606685/
  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6133144/
  7. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/vastus-intermedius-muscle
  8. https://radiopaedia.org/articles/vastus-medialis-muscle?lang=us
  9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532309/
  10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539897/

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