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Bulgarian Split Squat
How to do the Bulgarian Split Squat with good form: step-by-step technique, the muscles it works (quads and glutes), coaching cues and the mistakes to avoid.
Muscles worked
- Primary
- Quads, Glutes
- Secondary
- Hamstrings, Abs
How to do it
- Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand and step roughly two feet away from a flat bench positioned behind you.
- Reach your left leg backward and rest the top of your left foot flat on the bench.
- Keep your torso relatively upright with a very slight forward lean, and brace your core.
- Drop your hips straight down toward the floor, bending the front right knee until your right thigh is parallel to the ground.
- Your back left knee should travel downward until it hovers just an inch above the floor.
- Drive entirely through the heel and mid-foot of your front right leg to stand back up, keeping the chest proud.
- Complete all repetitions on the right leg before switching to the left leg.
Coaching cues
- Drop straight down like an elevator
- Most of the weight stays on the front leg
- Keep the chest tall
Common mistakes
- Placing the front foot too close to the bench, jamming the front knee extremely far over the toes
- Arching the lower back aggressively to keep the torso artificially straight
- Pushing off the back foot to assist the lift
Equipment and setup
Dumbbells, flat bench
Standing two feet in front of a flat bench holding dumbbells.
Also known as: Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat, RFESS
Track your Bulgarian Split Squat in ROAN
ROAN fills in last session’s weight and reps, estimates your 1RM and keeps your best sets.
