How to do the Dumbbell Split Squat
Step by step
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand in a staggered stance, one foot forward and one back.
- Set both feet flat with the front knee over the ankle.
- Lower straight down by bending both knees toward the floor.
- Keep your torso tall and most of your weight on the front foot.
- Drive up through the front foot, finish the set, then switch legs.
The thing people get wrong
Both feet stay planted and you move straight down, not forward - keep the front knee over the ankle, not past the toes.
Coaching cue
Keep both feet flat and your front heel pressed down through every rep.
Make it easier or harder
- Easier: Do it without weights until the stance feels steady.
- Harder: Pause for two seconds at the bottom of each rep.
Muscles worked
- Primary: Quads, Glutes
- Secondary: Hamstrings, Core
What to do instead
Same job, different movement — useful if you don't have the equipment or it doesn't feel right today.
Daily Coach builds this into a real weekly plan. It picks the exercises for your equipment and experience, swaps around injuries you tell it about, and tracks what you actually lifted.