Legs · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Split Squat
How to do the dumbbell split squat, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Squat
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand in a split stance with one foot forward and the other back. Lower straight down by bending both knees until your front thigh is about parallel, then drive through your front heel to stand back up.
- 1Drive through your front mid-foot and feel your quad engage as you stand
- 2Keep your chest up and lower straight down through your hips and thighs
- 3Move deliberately and with control rather than relying on momentum
Common mistakes
- Don't feel pain or strain in unrelated areas; adjust your load or range
- if you do
- Don't let your front knee collapse inward or your heel lift; keep your spine neutral
- Don't use momentum or rush through the reps; quality trumps quantity
Muscles worked
The dumbbell split squat mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, lower back, and calves assisting.
- QuadsPrimary
- GlutesPrimary
- HamstringsSupport
- Lower BackSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Upper AbsMinor
Kovo programs the dumbbell split squat for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More quads exercises
- How to do the resistance band squat
- How to do the resistance band squat to press
- How to do the resistance band thruster
- How to do the resistance band squat walk
- How to do the barbell squat
- How to do the barbell bulgarian split squat
Last reviewed June 2026.