If you've ever wanted to get muscular thighs like Aaron Williamson's, you'll need to do some dumbbell exercises.
After years of hard work, Williamson has developed one of the most muscular thighs in the world. He's an actor and personal trainer who works with people all over the world to help them achieve their fitness goals.
Best Dumbbell Exercise To Get Thighs Like Aaron Williamson
Here are seven dumbbell exercises he recommends for building muscle in your thighs:
1) Bulgarian Split Squat
To perform this exercise, you'll need a pair of dumbbells and a bench. If you can't find one, use a chair instead.
Stand in front of the bench or chair with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes turned out slightly (about 10 degrees). Hold the dumbbells with your hands at chest level, palms facing forward.
Lunge down till your back knee is almost touching the floor, but don't touch it. Keep most of your weight on the front foot throughout the exercise.
Don't let it shift too far backward as you lower yourself into position. Push back up through that same front leg as you straighten it again to complete a rep.
2) Goblet Squat
The Goblet Squat is one of the best dumbbell exercises for building muscular thighs. This move works the hamstrings, glutes and quadriceps, and it's very safe, as the weight is held in front of you. The key is to keep your chest up and core tight throughout the movement so that you don't twist or arch your back.
To perform a Goblet squat:
- Hold an unloaded barbell or dumbbell in front of your body using both hands (the weight should rest on top of your belly). Your feet should be about hip-width apart, with toes pointed out at a 45° angle.
- Bend at the knees till they're just short of parallel to the floor; keep them pointing straight ahead as much as possible during the entire movement. Extend back up till you're standing straight again before repeating for ten reps (five per leg).
3) Dumbbell Deadlift
Deadlifts are great for building strength in your legs, butt and lower back. To start a a deadlift, stand with your feet hip-width apart, and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Push back your hips, and lower your arms, keeping your back locked.
Pull the dumbbells up to your hips, but don't lock them out. Lower back down under control to the starting position.
Go as slow on this movement as possible while maintaining good form.
4) Dumbbell Calf Raise
The Dumbbell Calf Raise is an excellent exercise for building both the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Here's how to do it:
- Position yourself on a flat bench, with your leg bent and your foot resting on top of a low step. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height (or higher).
- Slowly lower yourself till your heels are about an inch off the floor, and raise up again.
- Make sure you keep your back straight, knees straight and toes pointed forward throughout the movement.
5) Dumbbell Lunge
This is a great starting point for those who are new to strength training, as it's easy to learn and can be modified to accommodate various levels of fitness. The Dumbbell Lunge works your quads, glutes, hamstrings (back of legs) and calves.
The movement itself is simple:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart; hold two dumbbells at arm’s length down at your sides with palms facing forward.
- Step forward into a lunge position by stepping one foot out in front of you while simultaneously lowering both weights down towards the floor, keeping them close to your body so that they end up on either side of you at about knee level when fully extended.
6) Dumbbell Side Lunge
This exercise is a variation of the Dumbbell Front Lunge. The major difference is that it does not require you to have your legs in front and behind each other.
Instead, it requires you to stand with your legs equidistant from you as you move from side to side.
That allows for greater mobility at the shoulder and less stress on your lower back during the movement.
7) Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift
Here's how you do this exercise:
- Stand with your feet at least shoulder-width apart.
- Hold the dumbbells by your sides, with palms facing forward and keeping your arms straight.
- Arch your back.
- Engage the core, and keep it tight throughout the exercise.
- Bend at the hips to lower down till your butt almost touches the floor.
- Keep your upper body stable; don't allow it to lean forward as you bend over, which is very important.
If you feel any strain on your lower back, stop immediately, and readjust yourself before proceeding later in the workout session when you're ready for more of a challenge.
Keep your knees slightly bent during the movement. Raise up till your legs are straight once again, but don't lock out your knees.
Takeaway
We hope that this article has given you some great ideas for dumbbell exercises to work on your muscular thighs and build massive legs like Aaron Williamson's. The key thing to remember is that no matter which exercises you choose, it’s important to do them properly so that you don’t risk injuring or straining yourself.
None of the aforementioned exercises should be too difficult for anyone who is strong enough and knows how to lift weights safely, so don’t be discouraged.
With consistent practice over time (and maybe some stretching), these moves could help bring out those muscular glutes everyone loves.