Is it OK to workout legs everyday?

Certified personal trainers Tommy Hockenjos and Amanda Kay advise taking at least two days between leg days. This helps ensure your muscles have proper rest time. On the days you're resting your legs, you can focus on another area of your body (if you so choose). "If you perform strength training by splitting muscle groups per session, such as arms and shoulders Monday with legs on Tuesday, you can get away with training five to six days in a row," fitness expert Christine Bullock told us . "This is because you're inherently giving your muscle groups a day off while working the other muscle groups."

How many workouts should I do on leg day?

"Find your three favorite leg day exercises and rotate another two or three exercises into your workouts for three-to-four weeks at a time," recommends certified personal trainer Cory Becker.

Do legs respond better to higher reps?

Fitness trainer and Rumble instructor Dale Santiago told us that higher reps with lighter weights are the key to building muscular endurance. Additionally, research indicates that the total number of repetitions, along with the weight of the loads used, is key when it comes to building muscle.

10 Dumbbell Leg Workouts to Add to Your Routine ASAP

Byrdie

When you think of dumbbells, chances are the exercises that come to mind are ones to build arm strength, such as bicep curls or tricep kickbacks. For leg exercises, we tend to think we need bigger equipment like weighted barbells or Nautilus machines.

That actually isn't the case, though. Dumbbells can be incredibly effective tools for building your leg muscles. Leg exercises using dumbbells can work a wide variety of muscles and muscle groups (specifically, quads, hamstrings, calves, and glutes), and they can be used for toning or to build more muscle mass. If you're a fan of smaller equipment, dumbbell leg workout moves may be the best new addition to your workout routine.

From lunges to squats, we've given all the basic leg moves you know and love a dumbbell makeover. Read on for 10 different dumbbell leg exercises, straight from fitness pros Joy Puleo and Nico Gonzalez.

Meet the Expert

Joy Puleo, MA, PMA-CPT, is the program manager at Balanced Body Education and a Pilates expert.
Nico Gonzalez is an integrated movement specialist, master instructor for Balanced Body Education, and the owner of Fitness Physiques by Nico G.

Safety and Precautions

Using dumbbells for leg moves generally requires you to hold the dumbbells in your hands, so to do these moves you should first ensure you have sufficient strength for that, and that you are free of any wrist or shoulder injuries. These moves shouldn't be performed if you have any lower body or back injuries. Additionally, Puleo tells us that "adding dumbbells should be done only once the primary form of the exercise is mastered."

"Populations who should be careful or who might want to avoid some of these exercises would include clients who are pregnant and those who are super flexible," continues Puleo. "As a pregnancy progresses, the pregnant person will become laxer in their joints and ligaments. When doing leg works outs, adding dumbbells—if they have not already been doing these exercises prior to pregnancy—would not yield enough results for the risk. While exercises such as squats and lunges are great for the pelvic floor, doing them too deeply and with added weight might also have the opposite effect and negative impact."

"Clients who are super flexible need to be careful when adding dumbbells to their leg workout," says Puleo. "Control of the weight and good lower body mechanics are a must to avoid the risk of a client hurting themselves."