Training · Oct 30, 2026
The dumbbell squat is the leg exercise you can start today
Two dumbbells and a chair-depth squat teach the legs to work together. It is the squat FitActive puts in front of new trainees.
FitActive · Dumbbell squat · Quads, hamstrings, glutes
A barbell squat is excellent. It is also a lot of setup for a first session. Holding a dumbbell in each hand lets you sit between your feet, keep the chest up, and stand back up without a rack. Feet about shoulder width, knees tracking over the toes, hips moving back as if you were sitting into a chair.
Depth matters less than control. Stop where the heels stay down and the back stays long. If the knees cave in, the dumbbells are too heavy or the stance is too narrow. Stand up by pushing the floor away, not by bouncing out of the bottom.
This is the squat already attached to FitActive’s starter workout, so the gif, the name and the history line up. Write down the weight and the reps. Next time, either add a repetition or take the dumbbells one step heavier. That is the whole point of keeping the log.
What to watch
- Heels stay on the floor for the whole rep.
- Knees follow the toes, they do not collapse inward.
- Stand tall at the top instead of leaning back.
