You don't have much space to work out, but you're still looking for an effective exercise for your legs and butt? Then lunges with dumbbells are just the thing for you! Here's how to do them correctly and what you need to know about the dumbbell lunge.
The dumbbell lunge is a great exercise for the living room. You need almost no space for it and can still strengthen your legs very effectively.
The exercise can easily be adapted to your fitness level by increasing the weight or using lighter dumbbells.
This special variation of lunges is mega effective. Today you will learn what you have to pay attention to and which mistakes you should avoid at all costs.
Are you ready? Then let's get started!
Table of contents
What are lunges with dumbbells?
Lunges are a bodyweight exercise, so you don't need any equipment. If you want to intensify the effect of the exercise, you can use weights - for example, dumbbells that you hold in your hands on the right and left.
You can do them in the living room, outdoors or in the gym. Depending on the fitness level, you reach for weights of different weights.
The exercise focuses on strengthening the quadriceps femoris and the gluteus maximus.
Lunges are very efficient because they
- Tighten buttocks and legs
- Quickly build muscle in the lower body
- improve the sense of balance
- improve the mobility
- sharpen the sense of coordination
- Stimulate metabolism and fat burning
- strengthen the cardiovascular system
- stabilize the knees
- can compensate for muscular imbalances in the lower body.
How to properly perform lunges with dumbbells?
Before you think about lunges with weight, you should first be absolutely sure that you are performing conventional lunges cleanly. If you make a mistake here, you will have a lot of pressure on your knees. And if there's weight involved, that can quickly lead to injury.
So for you, practice conventional lunges before this advanced variation. You can also use a game for this. Then you can immediately tell if your knee is over your toes, if your back is straight, and if your front leg is at a right angle.
This variation is perfect for those who are looking for a change from the classic version. And want to give the exercise a little more power.
- Equipment needed: yes, dumbbells
- Difficulty: medium
- Suitable for beginners: less
- Designations: Dumbbell Lunges, Dumbbell Lunge, Dumbbell Lunges.
- Muscle groups used: Thighs and buttocks
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Lunges with dumbbells for beginners
You want to do lunges with dumbbells for the first time today? Then this variation is ideal for you.
- Take a dumbbell in each hand.
- Stand about hip-width apart.
- Tighten the abdomen and stretch through the back.
- Your gaze is directed forward.
- Take a wide step forward with your right leg.
- Lower the hips until the right leg forms a right angle between the upper and lower leg.
- Make sure the front knee does not push over the top of the foot.
- The left leg is behind your body. You can bend it slightly or extend it backwards.
- Press your upper body over your front leg back to the starting position.
- Repeat the exercise. You can either repeat it with the same leg or change the leg.
As a beginner, do 8 reps and 3 sets.
Advanced lunges with dumbbells
If this is too boring for you, increase the weight first. But you can also make the exercise even harder in other ways.
How about a lunge with biceps curls? You'll be doing your upper arms a favor at the same time.
- Do a normal lunge with dumbbell.
- Once you have reached the lowest position, pull the dumbbells up.
- To do this, the elbows point downward. The upper arms always remain against the body.
- Now slowly press the dumbbells to the shoulders. Return them to the starting position.
- Very important: Tighten the abdomen so that you do not form a hollow back!
- Lift the dumbbells 3 times before returning to the starting position and standing upright.
- Now switch legs and repeat the exercise.
One execution = 3x dumbbell lift with the right leg in front and 3x lift with the left leg in front. Do 8 executions and 3-4 sets if you want to build muscle.
TipIf you want to really challenge your legs, take a lighter weight in one hand and a heavier weight in the other. This will sharpen your sense of balance even more.
Other variants for advanced
- Put a mini band around your legs. Place it just above your knees.
- High Knees: Pull the knee up to the chest in the starting position and then return the leg to the lunge position.
- Cross Lunge: Don't move the back leg straight back, but place it offset behind the stance leg.
- Side Lunge: Perform the movement to the side instead of to the front or back
- Walking lung: Walk around the training room in a lunge. You can combine this exercise with High Knees.
What do I have to pay attention to during the execution?
There are a few little things that both beginners and advanced exercisers need to keep in mind when doing dumbbell lunges. Only if you do the exercise correctly, it will be effective.
The back
Many beginners tend to form a strong hollow back. At the latest when they lower their hips, the back becomes hunched and the abdomen protrudes forward. Of course, these are not real lunges with dumbbells.
Because when you lunge, you have to tense your abdominal muscles. This automatically straightens your back.
The legs
Some tend to take steps that are too small. If you don't take a proper step forward or backward, then you can't form a right angle with your front leg.
On the one hand, this will make it difficult for you to keep your balance, on the other hand, you will create unnecessary pressure on your front knee. Do not rest your back knee on the mat. It is always in the air. The back leg is rolled over the ball of the foot and does not leave the floor.
Good to know: The further you do the lunge, the stronger you train the buttocks and the weaker the thighs are used.
The arms
In your hands you hold the dumbbell. But don't let your arms sag completely. This literally pulls you down and can even lead to tension.
The arms are hanging, but they are slightly bent and tense. This way you train the upper arms at the same time and prevent too much pull on the neck and elbow. Hold the dumbbells next to your hips.
Do you already know these effective leg exercises without equipment?
What muscles train lunges with dumbbells?
Well, well butt and legs - you already know that. But let's take a closer look. If you want to know the exact muscle groups trained, you should read on now
Muscles targeted directly or indirectly during lunges with dumbbells:
- Quadriceps
- Large gluteal muscle
- Leg biceps
- Leg flexors
- Calf muscles
A lunge with weight is logically aimed primarily at the lower body. But you'll also strengthen your sense of balance and even your core muscles. The torso - that is, the abdominal and lower back muscles - help you maintain balance. So they are indirectly trained as well.
Target muscles:
- Musculus gluteus maximus (large gluteal muscle)
- Quadriceps femoris muscle (four-headed thigh muscle)
Supporting musculature:
Biceps femoris muscle (leg biceps)
The most common mistakes with lunges with weight
The mistakes often concern the speed of execution. The point is not to do the dumbbell lunge very quickly, but to do it slowly and in a controlled manner.
Slowly stepping forward gives you control, but also prevents your knees from moving inward or outward. Work with focus and muscle tension, then nothing can go wrong.
Dumbbells too heavy
Too much weight can be your undoing, especially as a beginner. If the dumbbells are too heavy, you're not doing yourself any favors.
You might get tension in your neck or shoulders. If the weight is too high for your legs, you put a lot of pressure on your knees. In addition, you tend to fall into a hollow back.
Basically, if you can repeat an exercise 8-10 times, then the weight is optimal. If it is very easy for you and you can even perform 15 repetitions without problems, then increase the weight. If you can't do 5 repetitions, the dumbbell is clearly too heavy for you.
Poor leg angle
If the angle between your upper and lower leg is too acute, you may have too much pressure on your knees. Sooner or later, this leads to knee pain - even outside of training.
The angle must always be about 90 degrees.
If the step is too big, then the stability suffers. You start to wobble and stand very unsteadily. Try out what works best for you and when you feel comfortable.
Slate head
This happens especially when you put too much weight on yourself. The head is always the extension of the spine, which protects the neck.
If your head is stretched too far forward, you'll get tension.
For whom are lunges with dumbbells not suitable?
Lunges can be done by just about anyone. You should only use weights when you are completely sure of the basic exercise and have a stable stance. The lunge with weight is therefore not suitable for beginners.
The exercise can also be problematic for anyone who has complaints in the knees or back. If you have pain in your knees, do not try this exercise. Consult a sports doctor to find out which exercises are suitable for you and where the pain comes from.
If you have pain in your back, it's the extra weight that can cause trouble and make the pain worse. In such a case, do not use dumbbells, barbells or kettlebells.
Our conclusion
This variation of the lunge is very effective because your legs have to work against the extra weight. You also strengthen your core, which improves your sense of balance. Lunges with dumbbells are one of the most effective exercises you can do in your living room for your legs.
Have fun with the training!
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