dumbbell bench squat: technique and muscles worked

Animated demonstration of dumbbell bench squat

How to do this exercise

Step:1 Place a dumbbell on the ground in front of a bench.
Step:2 Stand facing away from the bench with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Step:3 Bend at the knees and hips to lower yourself down towards the bench, keeping your chest up and back straight.
Step:4 Once your glutes touch the bench, push through your heels to stand back up to the starting position.
Step:5 Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Equipment: Dumbbells
Body part: Thighs Glutes
Target muscle: Quadriceps Gluteus maximus
Secondary muscle: Lower back Hamstrings Calves Adductors

Hypertrophy grade

Good7 / 10

Nemeo’s take

The box squat with dumbbells is an accessible and educational tool for strengthening the quadriceps and glutes, benefiting from a controlled amplitude thanks to the bench. It offers a good compromise between stability and tension, although the load is sometimes limited by the holding capacity of the dumbbells. Less effective for maximum overload than the barbell squat, it nevertheless excels in safety and integration into versatile routines, while minimizing joint fatigue.

This catalog score reflects Nemeo’s assessment of the exercise’s muscle-building potential. It is not a standardized scientific rating or a personalized recommendation.

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dumbbell bench squat

How to do this exercise

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