Bulgarian Split Squat
A rear-foot-elevated split squat — brutal, effective, and light on the lower back.
Drag to rotate
Muscles worked
Also works
- Equipment
- Dumbbells, Bench
- Level
- Intermediate
- Tempo
- Lower 2 s · Lift 1 s
How to do the bulgarian split squat
- 1Stand a stride in front of a bench and rest the top of your back foot on it.
- 2Hold dumbbells at your sides.
- 3Lower straight down until your front thigh is about parallel to the floor.
- 4Drive through the front foot to stand back up.
When to pick it: Pick it for leg size without heavy spinal loading, or to even out left–right differences.
Form cues
- Most weight on the front leg
- Lean slightly forward for glutes
- Front heel stays down
Common mistakes
- Front foot too close to the bench
- Pushing off the back foot
- Front knee caving in
Sets and reps
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3–5 | 3–6 | 2–3 min |
| Muscle size | 3–4 | 6–15 | 1–2 min |
| Endurance | 2–3 | 15–25 | 30–60 s |
Finish each set with one or two good reps left in the tank. When you hit the top of the rep range on every set, add weight next time.
Equipment taken? Swap it for
These train the same muscles with different equipment.
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General fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain, and check with a clinician before starting if you have an injury or a health condition.