Develop leg muscle and improve your balance with this lower body dumbbell workout

Correct muscle imbalances with this unilateral leg routine and improve your balance and stability

Man doing a dumbbell lunge
(Image credit: Getty)

If you have a set workout split in your training or are looking to create one, leg day should certainly own a place in your weekly workouts. Training your legs involves engaging more than one major muscle group in your body which helps to enhance your exercise performance and aid everyday movements and tasks.

Many of the best leg workouts can be done either with equipment or without. For example, compound exercises like squats and lunges can be completed just using your body weight or you can add in some weight.

Using the best adjustable dumbbells is great for this leg training session as the workout involves lots of unilateral exercises. A unilateral exercise is one that trains one limb at a time. Since you are placing a load on just one side at a time, you may find you can't lift as heavy as you would in a bilateral exercise and these customizable weights will make switching weight size much more efficient.

Luckily, you can pick up some modifiable weights for less right now with these Prime Day adjustable dumbbell deals.

Amazon Basics Adjustable Barbell and Dumbbell Set | $44.07, $30.73 at Amazon

Amazon Basics Adjustable Barbell and Dumbbell Set | <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=110083&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2FAmazon-Basics-Adjustable-Barbell-Dumbells%2Fdp%2FB071WSFSGC%2Fref%3Dsr_1_17%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">$44.07, $30.73 at Amazon
There's a fantastic 30% off this weight set right now! Adjustable up to 38lbs, this set includes plates and bars and comes with a storage case too. Only on sale for Amazon's Prime event, get this saving before it ends. 

FLYBIRD Adjustable Dumbbell | $109.99, $87.99 at Amazon

FLYBIRD Adjustable Dumbbell | <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=110083&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2FFLYBIRD-Adjustable-Dumbbells-Dumbbell-Anti-Slip%2Fdp%2FB088WS6QRD%2Fref%3Dsr_1_5%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">$109.99, $87.99 at Amazon
Save 20% on this brilliant dumbbell now. We've put this weight to the test and found it was simple to adjust, has a great weight range, and stores away easily. It comes with an easy to grip handle but this dumbbell won’t be on sale for long. Snap it up while you can.

RUNWE Adjustable Dumbbells Barbell Set | Was $289.99, &nbsp;now $179.99 at Amazon

RUNWE Adjustable Dumbbells Barbell Set | <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=110083&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2FRUNWE-Adjustable-Dumbbells-Connector-All-Purpose%2Fdp%2FB089YGBBV6%2Fref%3Dsr_1_23%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Was $289.99,  now $179.99 at Amazon

This weights set doubles up as a set of dumbbells and a barbell, making weight training from home extremely versatile. You can take off or add weight plates to your liking and can lift as heavy as 88lbs/40kg with this set. Buy now and make a 38% saving!

ATIVAFIT Adjustable Dumbbell Weights Set| Was $299.99, &nbsp;now $259.99 at Amazon

ATIVAFIT Adjustable Dumbbell Weights Set| <a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=110083&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2FATIVAFIT-Dumbbell-71-5%2Fdp%2FB07QZ1NYJ9%2Fref%3Dsr_1_15%3Ftag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Was $299.99,  now $259.99 at Amazon

This is a no-brainer for those with limited space, it's compact design contains twelve dumbbells in one. The weight will come in handy for targeting specific muscles and for using in full-body workouts. Get one now for $40 cheaper than usual! 

The personal trainer behind this workout, Heather Robertson, uses a set of 20lbs/9kg dumbbells and a single 30lbs/13kg dumbbell, but you will need to decide for yourself what weight is safe for you to work with. Aim to choose a weight or pair of weights that will challenge your muscles but won't make it too difficult for you to complete the full workout. Also, read up on these beginner strength training tips before getting stuck in. 

During this 40-minute unilateral leg workout, you will perform each exercise twice before progressing to the next move. The first circuit will just focus on the right side of your lower body and then the second circuit will switch to training your left side.

Watch Heather Robertson's Unilateral Leg Workout

Robertson says, "Typically we have imbalances in the body with one side being more dominant than the other so training each side of the body individually helps improve this plus it allows us to work on stability and balance at the same time."

In her workout, you will target multiple large muscle groups in your lower body including, the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. It is really important that you do aim to complete regular strength training sessions like this one in your exercise routine.

Research conducted by the Center for Healthy Aging and the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen revealed that it only takes young people as little as two weeks of not using their legs to lose a third of their muscle strength, 'leaving them on par with a person who is 40-50 years their senior'.

This doesn't mean you have to turn yourself into a bodybuilding muscle machine overnight, however, factoring in more resistance training to your regular workout regime will benefit you. These shoulder bodyweight exercises will help you build muscle without weights and can form your next upper body session.

Jessica Downey

Jessica is an experienced fitness writer with a passion for running. Her career in journalism began in local news and she holds a Masters in journalism. Jessica has previously written for Runners World, penning news and features on fitness, sportswear and nutrition. 


When she isn't writing up news and features for Fit&Well covering topics ranging from muscle building, to yoga, to female health and so on, she will be outdoors somewhere, testing out the latest fitness equipment and accessories to help others find top products for their own fitness journeys. Her testing pairs up nicely with her love for running. She recently branched out to running 10Ks and is trying to improve her time before moving on to larger races. Jessica also enjoys building on her strength in the gym and is a believer in health and wellness beginning in the kitchen. She shares all of this on her running Instagram account @jessrunshere which she uses for accountability and for connecting with like-minded fitness lovers.