Bulgarian Split Squat Instructions
Find yourself a step, bench or any other contraption that you can rest a foot on, it needs to be about knee height.
Get into a forward lunge position with torso upright, core braced and hips square to your body, with your back foot elevated on the bench. Your leading leg should be half a metre or so in front of bench.
Lower until your front thigh is almost horizontal, keeping your knee in line with your foot. Don't let your front knee travel beyond your toes.
Drive up through your front heel back to the starting position, again keeping your movements measured.
Repeat five to 10 times then swap to the other leg.
Bulgarian Split Squat Form Tips
Get Your Distance Right
The closer you stand to the bench, the more the Bulgarian split squat will emphasise your quads – though if you’re too close, it might give you some knee pain. Standing further away will tax your hip flexors more heavily, though it could also strain your groin. Experiment to find a distance that works for you.
Experiment with Weight
There are lots of ways to hold the weight in a Bulgarian split squat. The simplest is the goblet – holding a dumbbell upright in front of you, like it’s a goblet you’re about to drink out of. Once you’ve maxed out on your gym’s dumbbells, switch to holding a dumbbell in each hand, using straps if necessary. You can add weight with a barbell, but be careful – if you hit failure, it’ll be tricky to dump.
