Dumbbell Sumo Squat
A wide-stance squat with a dumbbell hanging between your legs — it hits the glutes and inner thighs harder than a standard squat.
How to do it
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width and your toes turned out about 30–45 degrees.
- Hold one dumbbell vertically with both hands, hanging down between your legs.
- Brace your core, lift your chest and pull your shoulders back to set a tall posture.
- Squat down, pushing your knees out over your toes and dropping your hips between your legs.
- Lower until your thighs reach at least parallel to the floor and the dumbbell hangs near the floor.
- Drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes to stand back up to the start.
Key technique cue
Push the knees out over the toes and keep the back flat — no rounding at the bottom.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Letting the knees cave in instead of pushing them out over the toes, which stresses the inside of the knee.
- ✕ Rounding the lower back at the bottom, which puts the spine at risk under load.
- ✕ Squatting with the feet too narrow, which turns it into a regular goblet squat and loses the inner-thigh focus.
- ✕ Cutting the depth and stopping above parallel, which leaves most of the glute and adductor work on the table.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds the glutes and inner thighs with wide-stance loading.
- ✓ Trains the squat pattern without needing a barbell or rack.
- ✓ Develops lower-body strength with home-friendly setups.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Dumbbell Sumo Squat
- Dumbbell Goblet Squat
- Kettlebell Goblet Squat
- Dumbbell Squat
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Step 2
About the exercise
The Dumbbell Sumo Squat is a wide-stance squat with a single dumbbell held between the legs. The wide foot position with the toes turned out shifts more of the work onto the glutes and inner thighs (adductors), while the quads and lower back assist through the movement. It is a glute-focused squat that needs no barbell. It deserves a permanent spot in any lower-body program, glute specialization program, or general strength program. It is also a popular pick for home-gym training with only one heavy dumbbell — the sumo stance lets you load the legs effectively without a rack. Pair it with Romanian deadlifts and glute bridges for a complete glute day.
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