Dumbbell Split Squat

Muscles worked by the Dumbbell Split Squat

Primary

GlutesGluteus MaximusQuadsQuadriceps Femoris

Secondary

Glute MediusGluteus MediusHamstringsHamstring Muscles

Also called: glute, glutes, gluteus maximus, buttocks, butt, quad.

Equipment

Dumbbell

Also called: db, dumbell, hex dumbbell, rubber dumbbell, hand weight.

How to do the Dumbbell Split Squat

1. Stand in a split stance holding dumbbells at your sides.
2. Keep your torso upright and core braced.
3. Lower your back knee toward the floor by bending both knees.
4. Stop when your front thigh is parallel to the floor.
5. Drive through your front heel to return to standing.
6. Complete reps on one side, then switch.

Form tips

• Keep most of your weight on your front leg.
• Lower your back knee straight down toward the floor.
• Track your front knee over your toes without letting it cave inward.

At a glance

Dumbbell Split Squat in German & Spanish

Descriptions, instructions and tips ship in all three languages in the JSON.

Related exercises

• Barbell Back Squat
• Bodyweight Squat
• Box Squat
• Bulgarian Split Squat
• Dumbbell Front Squat
• Front Squat
• Goblet Squat
• Hack Squat

Exercise data (JSON)

The record below is exactly what exercises.json ships for this exercise — names, descriptions, instructions and tips in English, German and Spanish.

{
  "id": "dumbbell-split-squat",
  "name_en": "Dumbbell Split Squat",
  "name_de": "Kurzhantel Split-Kniebeuge",
  "name_es": "Sentadilla en Postura Dividida con Mancuernas",
  "description_en": "A split-stance squat holding dumbbells at the sides, training the quads and glutes one leg at a time.",
  "description_de": "Eine Kniebeuge im Ausfallschritt mit Kurzhanteln an den Seiten, die Quadrizeps und Gesäßmuskeln einseitig trainiert.",
  "description_es": "Una sentadilla en posición de tijera sosteniendo mancuernas a los lados, que trabaja los cuádriceps y glúteos una pierna a la vez.",
  "category": "strength",
  "force_type": "push",
  "mechanic": "compound",
  "difficulty": "intermediate",
  "equipment": "dumbbell",
  "body_part": "upper_legs",
  "primary_muscles": [
    "gluteus_maximus",
    "quadriceps"
  ],
  "secondary_muscles": [
    "gluteus_medius",
    "hamstrings"
  ],
  "goals": [
    "hypertrophy",
    "strength"
  ],
  "tags": [
    "shoulder_safe",
    "lower_back_safe",
    "no_axial_load",
    "knee_safe"
  ],
  "variation_group": "squat",
  "is_unilateral": true,
  "is_bodyweight": false,
  "instructions_en": [
    "Stand in a split stance holding dumbbells at your sides.",
    "Keep your torso upright and core braced.",
    "Lower your back knee toward the floor by bending both knees.",
    "Stop when your front thigh is parallel to the floor.",
    "Drive through your front heel to return to standing.",
    "Complete reps on one side, then switch."
  ],
  "instructions_de": [
    "Stehe im Ausfallschritt mit Kurzhanteln an den Seiten.",
    "Halte den Oberkörper aufrecht und den Rumpf angespannt.",
    "Senke das hintere Knie Richtung Boden durch Beugen beider Knie.",
    "Halte an, wenn der vordere Oberschenkel parallel zum Boden ist.",
    "Drücke durch die vordere Ferse zurück in die Ausgangsposition.",
    "Führe alle Wiederholungen auf einer Seite aus, dann wechsle."
  ],
  "instructions_es": [
    "Ponte en postura dividida sujetando mancuernas a los costados.",
    "Mantén el torso erguido y el core contraído.",
    "Baja la rodilla trasera hacia el suelo doblando ambas rodillas.",
    "Para cuando el muslo delantero quede paralelo al suelo.",
    "Empuja a través del talón delantero para volver a la posición de pie.",
    "Completa las repeticiones de un lado y luego cambia."
  ],
  "tips_en": [
    "Keep most of your weight on your front leg.",
    "Lower your back knee straight down toward the floor.",
    "Track your front knee over your toes without letting it cave inward."
  ],
  "tips_de": [
    "Halte den Großteil deines Gewichts auf dem vorderen Bein.",
    "Senke das hintere Knie gerade nach unten Richtung Boden.",
    "Führe das vordere Knie über die Zehen, ohne dass es nach innen kippt."
  ],
  "tips_es": [
    "Mantén la mayor parte del peso en la pierna delantera.",
    "Baja la rodilla trasera recta hacia el suelo.",
    "Lleva la rodilla delantera sobre los dedos sin dejar que se hunda hacia dentro."
  ],
  "met": 6.0,
  "images": {
    "flat": {
      "start": "images/flat/dumbbell-split-squat-start.webp",
      "peak": "images/flat/dumbbell-split-squat-peak.webp"
    }
  }
}

Fetch just this exercise

const { exercises } = await fetch(
  "https://exercise-dataset.com/exercises.json"
).then(r => r.json());
const ex = exercises.find(e => e.id === "dumbbell-split-squat");

Free for personal and commercial in-app use with attribution (“Exercise data by RepDB”) — see the license and ready-made attribution snippets. Redistributing the data as a dataset or API is not permitted.