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Bulgarian split squat
It's one of the toughest exercises there is, and you need almost nothing to do it: a bench and your own body weight are already hard enough. Since it works one leg at a time, the very first set shows you if one is lagging far behind the other.
Bulgarian split squat with Nora. Nora and Hugo are our models, created with artificial intelligence, on a competition floor.
What it works
- Quads and glutes of the front leg, which do almost everything
- Adductors and everything that stabilizes the hip
- Abs and ankle, keeping you balanced
How to do it
- 1Set up the bench and your foot
A low bench, about 16 inches (40 cm), with the top of your foot resting on it. If your ankle bothers you, rest your toes on it instead of the top of your foot.
- 2Find the distance
Take a long step forward. The reference: when you go down, your front knee should end up roughly over your ankle. Too close to the bench puts a lot of load on the knee.
- 3Get set
Chest up, abs braced, weight spread over your whole front foot. The back leg doesn't push: it just comes along.
- 4Go straight down
Lower until your front thigh is parallel to the floor or a little below, with your torso leaning slightly forward if you want more glutes and more upright if you want more quads.
- 5Drive up through your heel
Push through the heel of your front leg all the way up, without bouncing at the bottom. Finish the set on that side before switching.
The mistakes you see most
- Standing too close to the bench. Your knee travels far forward, your heel lifts and your knee complains. If you feel it in your kneecap, move your foot away from the bench.
- Pushing with the back leg. The back leg is there for balance, not to lift the weight. If you use it, the exercise stops being single-leg.
- Bench too high. The higher it is, the more your lower back arches and the more awkward it gets for your hip. Sixteen inches is plenty.
- Starting with a barbell. It's a balance exercise. First with no weight, then with dumbbells, and only with a barbell if you need it.
Variations
- With dumbbells. The normal way to do it: one in each hand, hanging. Easy to let go of if you lose your balance.
- With a barbell on your back. More weight, but much less margin: if you tip to the side, you have to ditch the bar.
- With your foot in rings or a TRX. The support moves, so it demands more stability. Comfortable for the ankle.
- Static lunge. The same but with your back foot on the floor. Quite a bit easier, good for learning the range of motion.
Frequently asked questions
More glutes or more quads?
You choose with your torso and the distance: a long step and leaning slightly forward, more glutes; a shorter step and an upright torso, more quads.
I keep losing my balance
Look at a fixed point on the floor a couple of yards ahead, place your feet as if you were on train tracks rather than a tightrope, and start with no weight or with one hand on the wall.
Does it replace the squat?
You don't have to choose, but it can cover quite a lot: it moves less total weight and puts much less load on your lower back. It's a good option if your back is sensitive or you train at home.
How many reps?
Six to twelve per leg. It's much more tiring than it looks: if your balance goes on the last set, it's better to cut reps than to cut technique.
And to keep track of what you lift
In the Reverfit Workout app every exercise comes with its animation, and you log the weight and reps set by set, with what you did last time right in front of you. Free and with no ads.
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