Bulgarian split squat: how to do it and what it works
Put your rear foot on a bench and almost all the effort falls on your front leg. The Bulgarian split squat works the quadriceps and gluteus maximus together, with the adductors in support, and it gets hard at far less weight than a barbell squat.
- Main muscles
- Quadriceps, Gluteus maximus
- Secondary muscles
- Adductors
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
How to do it
- Find a bench at knee height or slightly lower and stand with your back to it, a long step away.
- Rest either your laces or your toes on it, whichever is more comfortable.
- Test the distance with one unloaded rep: if your front heel lifts, move the foot further out. Keep your feet apart sideways, as if on two rails.
- With a dumbbell in each hand, sink straight down until your rear knee nears the floor.
- Come up by pushing through your front foot. The back leg is a support, and pushing with it is what takes the most away from the exercise.
Which muscles it works
The quadriceps and gluteus maximus lead, and you control the split. With an upright trunk and your knee travelling forward, more goes to the quads; with your foot further out and a slight lean, more goes to the glutes. The adductors help you out of the bottom.
How to do it
Dumbbell Bulgarian split squat
Single-leg squat with the rear foot raised and dumbbells.
Form. Control the descent and push with the front leg.
Common mistake. Bouncing at the bottom or placing the front foot too close.
Frequently asked questions
- How much weight am I really moving?
- More than it looks. At 75 kg body weight with two 20 kg dumbbells, your legs have 115 kg on them, and most of that lands on the front one.
- Why does my back leg pull so much?
- That is the stretch through the front of the hip and thigh. If it stops you going down, use a lower bench or shorten your step slightly.
