Bulgarian split squats: execution and function

The Bulgarian split squat might look complicated, but it's one of the most effective lower body exercises. This single-leg movement works your quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and core. Bulgarian split squats strengthen your legs, improve your balance, and boost your coordination. Whether you train at home or in the gym, mastering this exercise correctly can take your workouts to the next level, correct muscle imbalances, and prevent injuries. This guide will show you exactly how to perform the Bulgarian split squat with proper technique, which muscles are engaged, and how to safely progress to achieve long-term results.

What is a Bulgarian Split Squat?

A Bulgarian split squat, also known as a rear-foot elevated split squat, is a single-leg squat where you support your back leg on a bench and squat up and down with your front leg. You typically hold dumbbells while performing the exercise. It's an excellent exercise for building leg strength and an ideal addition to any lower-body or full-body workout.

There are numerous variations of the Bulgarian split squat, but regardless of which one you choose, proper form and a focus on correct technique are essential for effective execution. The exercise requires balance and coordination, as well as the active engagement of your core and upper body to maintain correct form.

Which muscles are trained during the Bulgarian split squat?

Bulgarian split squats are a compound lower-body exercise that activates several leg muscles simultaneously. However, as a unilateral squat, the focus is more on the quadriceps than in comparable lower-body exercises.

At the same time, they are among the best glute exercises. They are particularly effective for your glutes if you lean your upper body slightly forward, choose a wider stance, and adjust your... Knee in line with your foot.

The hamstring muscles are also subjected to greater stress due to the larger range of motion and the one-sided load compared to conventional squats. As you lower yourself into the squat, your hamstrings contract to stabilize your knee and hip joints.

Other muscles involved include the hamstrings, the calves and the core muscles, which remain active throughout the entire movement to maintain your balance. A study in the International Journal of Exercise Science found that the Bulgarian split squat generates more muscle activation than two-legged squats—and with only half the weight. This is particularly beneficial if you only have dumbbells available or can't perform two-legged squats, for example, due to back pain.

How to do a Bulgarian Split Squat

Bulgarian split squats may seem complicated, but they aren't. Read the instructions carefully and focus on your technique.

Set up

The correct setup is crucial, as most problems with this exercise arise from an incorrect starting position.

Adjust your bench or box so that it's roughly at knee height when you're standing upright in front of it. Then stand a few steps away from it with your back to the bench.Bulgarian split squats can also be performed excellently with the Speediance Gym Monster 2 Perform this by using cable pulleys as resistance instead of dumbbells.

Next, the correct positioning of the feet and dumbbells is crucial.

Foot position

Pay particular attention to the position of your back foot. Many people only place their toes on the bench, which makes it difficult to balance. Instead, place more of the top of your foot on the bench, with the laces pointing downwards. You can also turn your foot slightly to the side – this increases the contact area and improves both balance and mobility.

Your front foot should be flat on the ground, toes pointing forward. Positioning it slightly outwards, instead of exactly in line with your back foot, will give you a wider base and therefore more stability.

barbell position

Place the dumbbells to the left and right of your front foot, approximately at heel level.

Pick up dumbbells

Now that you're in position, go down, grab the dumbbells, and carefully stand up. Keep your torso and arms straight to focus on your front leg muscles, especially your quadriceps.

The squat

Now lower yourself into a squat. Keep your torso upright, your gaze forward, and lower the dumbbells towards the floor in a controlled manner. At the bottom of the movement, the knee of your back leg should be positioned slightly behind your hip.

Don't take a break here. The dumbbells may touch the floor, but should not be placed there.

Repeat

As soon as the dumbbells touch the floor, immediately activate your muscles and push yourself back to the starting position in a controlled manner.

Advantages of Bulgarian Split Squats

The Bulgarian split squat engages all major muscle groups, including the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, calves, and core muscles. However, the quadriceps and core are the primary focus.

Single-leg squats challenge your core, improve your balance, and increase your strength. The one-sided execution allows you to specifically train each side of your body independently, making them ideal for correcting muscular imbalances.

Correcting such imbalances helps you maintain proper alignment during other exercises and in everyday life, such as bending or lifting, and prevents injuries. It also reduces the risk of falling when you lose your balance, a benefit that becomes increasingly important with age.

Techniques and variations for gradual increase

If you're not yet very proficient in this technique, try it without weights first. Focus on your form, proper positioning, and balance. Once you've mastered these, you can gradually add weights. If you experience any knee pain, check your form and adjust your position or reduce the weight as needed.

Once you have mastered the exercise with light weights, you can try one of the following variations to increase the difficulty in a controlled manner.

1. Incorporate a pause: Stop at the lowest point of the movement when your front thigh is parallel to the floor. This pause extends the time the muscles are under tension, thus specifically promoting muscle growth.

2. One and a half repetitions: After a full repetition, lower yourself only halfway and then return to the starting position. Then perform another full repetition. Alternate between half and full repetitions to vary the intensity.

3. Explosive repetitions: Lower yourself in a controlled manner as usual, but then push yourself back up with maximum force and speed. This variation promotes the speed and explosiveness of your leg muscles.

4. Increasing the difficulty with weights: Once you have mastered the technique, you can gradually increase the weight of the dumbbells. Alternatively, you can also place a barbell, with or without additional weight, on your shoulders to make the exercise more challenging.

5. Add resistance: Place a resistance band under your front foot and pull it up to shoulder height with bent arms as you perform the movement. This increases the tension and makes the exercise more intense.

6. Variation with a gym ball: Place your back leg on a gym ball instead of a bench or chair. This will significantly challenge your balance and core muscles. Move slowly and with control to maintain proper form and avoid injury.

7. Upper body tilt for the posterior chain: When you keep your upper body upright, you work your quadriceps (anterior chain) more. Leaning your upper body slightly forward, similar to a sprinter in a starting position, shifts the focus more towards the posterior chain and the glutes.

8. One-arm variation: Instead of two dumbbells, hold only one, in the hand opposite your front leg. This variation particularly tests your balance and core stability.

Bulgarian split squats and other leg exercises compared

The most important difference between the Bulgarian split squat and a classic split squat is the elevated position of the rear foot. This means the front leg bears most of the weight and is therefore subjected to greater stress – ideal for improving performance and supporting rehabilitation after injuries.

Since it's a unilateral movement, the Bulgarian split squat allows you to specifically train each side and correct muscular imbalances. It also improves your balance more than a regular split squat, which has a positive impact on other exercises and everyday movements. However, this variation is significantly more challenging for people with balance problems. In this case, you should initially avoid using weights and focus on building your balance.

In terms of the muscle groups targeted, Bulgarian split squats are similar to reverse lunges. However, reverse lunges place a slightly greater emphasis on the adductors and abductors. Bulgarian split squats, on the other hand, place significantly more stress on the front leg, which particularly promotes muscle growth in the quadriceps and glutes while simultaneously improving balance.However, for people with impaired balance, they can be more difficult than reverse lunges.

Common mistakes to avoid when performing the Bulgarian split squat

1. Avoid standing on your tiptoes. This is one of the most common mistakes. Place your back foot flat on the bench with the instep facing down, perhaps even slightly turned to the side. This increases the surface area, improves your balance, and reduces the risk of injury.

2. Keep your front foot flat on the ground. If you tip onto the ball of your foot when lowering yourself, you may be standing too close to the bench or leaning too far forward. Both can lead to knee pain.

3. Don't lean too far forward. A slight incline is fine to further activate your glutes, but your torso should never be nearly horizontal. Too much forward lean puts unnecessary strain on your knees and lower back.

4. Don't round your back. Always maintain a stable, upright posture to avoid injuries.

5. Avoid pushing yourself forward or backward. Your body should always move vertically up and down – regardless of how much your upper body is tilted.

6. Actively engage your core muscles with each repetition. A stable core is crucial for proper form and injury prevention.

7. Don't push yourself up using your back leg. It's only for stabilization and should bear very little weight. The power should come solely from your front foot to avoid overloading the knee of your back leg.

8. Make sure your front knee doesn't roll inwards or outwards. A certain amount of movement is okay, but excessive deviations put a lot of strain on the knee joint and increase the risk of injury.

9. Don't place your back leg directly behind your front leg. Position your front foot slightly to the side to increase your base of support and improve stability.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is most trained during Bulgarian split squats?

Split squats train the front of the thighs, activate the glutes, and stabilize the core. By changing the angle and leaning your torso slightly forward, the focus shifts from the quadriceps to the glutes and posterior chain.

Bulgarian split squats strengthen strength, balance and control

Bulgarian split squats are more than just a leg exercise. They engage your entire lower body and core, building strength and balance, and promoting muscular equilibrium. To unlock the full potential of this powerful unilateral movement, it's essential to master proper setup and technique, adjust your torso angle, and avoid common mistakes. Whether you're training with bodyweight or dumbbells, Bulgarian split squats integrate seamlessly into any fitness program. If you're ready to train smarter, you can further enhance your performance with thoughtful equipment like the... Speediance Gym Monster 2 or take your leg workout to the next level with Speediance Gym Pal.