Bulgarian Split Squat

How to perform the Bulgarian Split Squat

1. Stand about a stride's length in front of a bench; place the top of the rear foot on the bench with the shoelaces down (or the toes pointed, whichever is more comfortable).
2. The front foot should be far enough forward that, at the bottom of the rep, the front shin is roughly vertical — adjust the stance until this is true.
3. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, brace your core, and keep your torso roughly upright (a slight forward lean is fine for more glute emphasis).
4. Lower yourself by bending the front knee and dropping the rear knee toward the floor; keep most of your weight on the front foot, with the rear leg acting as a kickstand.
5. Descend until the rear knee lightly touches the floor or comes within an inch of it, keeping the front knee tracking over the toes.
6. Drive up through the front foot, keeping the front knee stable and not letting it collapse inward; finish each rep with the hip extended but the rear leg still on the bench.

Suggested working range: 8–12 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Common mistakes

• •Setting the front foot too close to the bench so the front knee tracks far past the toes and most of the work shifts to the knee.
• •Letting the front knee collapse inward on the way up out of the bottom.
• •Bouncing the rear knee off the floor to bounce out of the bottom of the rep.
• •Leaning the torso so far forward that the lift becomes a single-leg good morning rather than a split squat.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in a related movement if equipment, recovery, or progression demands it.