Muscles worked
What the bulgarian split squat trains
Tap a muscle to see just that one and what it does in the lift.
Before the first rep
How to set up
- 01
Pick the bench height. Use a bench or box around knee height or a little lower. Too high and your back hip gets pulled into an awkward stretch before you even start.
- 02
Find your stance. Stand with your back to the bench and step your front foot out about two to three feet. Test one rep: at the bottom your front foot should be flat and your back knee should land just behind your front heel.
- 03
Back foot on the bench. Rest the top of your back foot, laces down, on the bench. Toes tucked on the edge also works if laces down cramps your foot. The back leg is mainly there for balance.
- 04
Feet hip width apart. Keep your feet about hip width apart side to side, like standing on two train tracks, not on a tightrope. This makes balance much easier.
- 05
Hold the weights. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with straight arms, or start with bodyweight only. Stand tall and brace your abs before the first rep.
Step by step
How to do the bulgarian split squat
- 01
Brace. Take a breath, tighten your trunk and put most of your weight on your front foot, spread across the whole foot.
- 02
Lower. Drop your back knee straight down toward the floor under control. Your front knee bends and travels forward over your toes, which is normal.
- 03
Hit depth. Stop when your front thigh is about parallel to the floor, or when your back knee is just above the floor. Keep your front heel down the whole time.
- 04
Drive up. Push through your whole front foot to stand back up, keeping your hips square and your knee tracking in line with your toes.
- 05
Finish and switch. Stand tall at the top with your front leg straight but not snapped back hard. Finish all reps on one leg, then do the same number on the other side.
Cues to say in your head
- Back knee straight down
- Front heel stays heavy
- Hips square, chest proud
- Knee follows the toes
- Front leg does the work
- Drive the floor away
Fix these first
Common mistakes
Front foot too close to the bench
Step further out so your front heel stays down at the bottom. If you rise onto your toes or feel it all in the knee, lengthen your stance.
Feet lined up on a tightrope
Move your front foot a few inches out to the side so your feet are hip width apart. Wobbling usually comes from a narrow stance, not weak legs.
Pushing off the back leg
Keep most of your weight in the front foot. The back foot only rests on the bench; if it is doing the work, shorten the range or lighten the load.
Front knee caving inward
Keep your knee pointing the same way as your toes on the way down and up. Go lighter until you can hold that line on every rep.
Cutting the depth short
Lower until your front thigh is about parallel or your back knee nearly touches the floor. A pad under your back knee helps you find the same depth each rep.
Bench set too high
Drop to a lower bench or box. A high bench arches your lower back and strains the front of your back hip.
Stay safe
Learn it with bodyweight and a hand on a rack or wall before you add load, and put a pad on the floor under your back knee. With dumbbells, the normal way to end a failed rep is to lower your back knee gently to the pad, set the weights down beside you, then take your back foot off the bench. On a Smith machine, set the safety stops just below your bottom position and rotate the bar back onto the hooks to end a set, or lower it onto the stops if you fail. Stop the set if you feel sharp pain in the knee, hip or lower back rather than muscle burn, and see a qualified professional if pain keeps coming back.
Programming
Sets, reps and how much weight
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3 to 4 | 5 to 8 per leg | 75–85% 1RM | 2 to 3 min |
| Muscle | 3 to 4 | 8 to 12 per leg | 65–78% 1RM | 1.5 to 2 min |
| Endurance | 2 to 3 | 15 to 20 per leg | 50–62% 1RM | 1 to 1.5 min |
| Technique | 2 to 3 | 6 to 10 per leg | 40–55% 1RM | 1 to 2 min |
Plan your next session
Put in a recent set. You get working weights for your goal, a warm-up and the plates to load.
Estimated 1RM 216 lb
Muscle sets
140–168lb
3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 per leg reps, 1.5 to 2 min rest. The most common use of this lift. Control the way down and take sets close to failure.
Estimates use the Epley formula and work best from sets of 3 to 8 reps. Treat them as a starting point and adjust by how the first working set moves.
Questions
Bulgarian Split Squat questions
What muscles does the Bulgarian split squat work?
Mainly the quads and glutes of the front leg. The adductors help from the bottom, and your core, calves and grip work to keep you balanced and upright.
Bulgarian split squat for glutes vs quads: how do I change the focus?
For more glutes, take a slightly longer stance and lean your torso forward a little, keeping your back flat. For more quads, use a shorter stance, stay more upright and let your front knee travel further forward. Both versions still train both muscles.
How far should my front foot be from the bench?
Usually about two to three feet, depending on your leg length. At the bottom your front foot should be flat and your back knee should land just behind your front heel.
How high should the bench be for Bulgarian split squats?
Around knee height or a little lower. If you feel a strong pull in the front of your back hip or your lower back arches, use a lower box.
What is an ATG split squat?
A split squat with your back foot on the floor, often with your front foot raised on a step, where you sink as deep as you can, front knee well past your toes and hamstring close to your calf. It trains deep knee bending, so build into it with a short range and something to hold.
Is a Smith machine split squat as good as using dumbbells?
It trains the same muscles. Set it up with the bar on your upper back and your back foot on a bench behind you, front foot a little ahead of the bar. The fixed bar path lets you load heavier with less balance demand, while dumbbells ask more of your balance and grip. Pick the one you can do with steady form.
Train in Protocol
Log your bulgarian split squat by voice. Protocol tracks the rest.
Your last session shows up before every set, warm-ups and plates are worked out for you, and your coach sees every lift next to your sleep and recovery.