Bulgarian split squat

The Bulgarian split squat is the most hated lift in a leg session and the one that gives most back per kilo. Because one leg carries the load, you get close to squat stimulus with a fraction of the weight on your back.

It is also a balance exercise for the first few weeks. That is normal and it passes. Do not let it stop you adding weight once the leg is ready.

Sets, reps and RIR

A heavy multi-joint lift with free weights. Keep a rep or two in reserve on most sets so technique holds.

RIR means reps in reserve: how many you could still have done when you racked it. RIR 2 is two short of failure.

How to do it

1. Put your back foot on a knee-high bench, laces down or toe on the bench.
2. Step forward until the front shin is roughly vertical at the bottom. Too close hurts the knee, too far turns it into a stretch.
3. Lean the torso slightly forward for more glutes, stay upright for more quads.
4. Lower straight down until the back knee nearly touches the floor.
5. Press up through the whole front foot, weight spread across it.
6. Finish all reps on one leg before switching.

Common mistakes

Standing too close to the bench

The knee ends up far past the toes and the load goes into the patellar tendon. Step half a pace further forward.

Pushing off the back foot

The rear leg only balances. If you feel it in the back thigh, you are carrying too much on it.

Hip dropping sideways

If the hip falls out at the bottom, the glute is not strong enough yet. Drop the weight and keep the hips level.

Going lighter because it feels hard

Balance improves in two weeks. Strength takes longer. Do not let the first week set the load for the next ten.

How it differs from the neighbouring variants

The lunge travels through space and demands more coordination, but the rear leg helps more, so the front leg carries less. The Bulgarian is stricter.

Step-ups are similar but start from the bottom with no eccentric on the front leg first. The squat loads both legs and lets you go heaviest, but asks more of your back and brace. The Bulgarian split squat is the lift when you want to train legs hard without loading the lower back, for instance in a week where deadlifts have already cost enough.

What it suits

It fits as the second or third leg exercise, after squats or leg press. Eight to twelve reps per leg with dumbbells is enough for most people. It is also one of the best choices when dumbbells are all you have.

Muscles worked

Primary: Quads, Glutes.

Secondary: Hamstrings, Adductors, Abductors.

Estimate your one-rep max

Epley's formula, from a set you have actually done. It is an estimate, and it drifts above eight reps, so keep the input between one and twelve.

What it is called elsewhere

• Norsk Bulgarsk split squat
• Svenska Bulgariska utfall
• Dansk Bulgarsk split squat
• Deutsch Bulgarian Split Squat
• Español Sentadilla búlgara
• Italiano Affondi bulgari
• Português Agachamento búlgaro
• Русский Болгарские выпады с гантелями
• Français Fente bulgare

Related legs exercises

• Squat (barbell)
• Front squat
• Box squat
• Lunges (barbell)
• Hip thrust (barbell)
• Good morning

athlate logs this exercise, keeps the numbers, and tells you what you lifted last time.