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Bulgarian split squat

Also called rear-foot-elevated split squat, Bulgarian squat, dumbbell Bulgarian split squat.

What is a bulgarian split squat?

The Bulgarian split squat is a split squat with the rear foot supported on a bench. In the dumbbell version, the weights hang at your sides while the front leg lowers and raises most of your bodyweight, training the quadriceps with help from the gluteus maximus and adductor magnus.

Anatomical illustration of a woman performing a dumbbell Bulgarian split squat with her rear foot on a bench and front thigh muscles highlighted.

How do you perform a bulgarian split squat?

Set up

  1. Stand about one long step in front of a stable bench with a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Place the top of one foot on the bench behind you, settle your balance and keep the front foot flat.

Execution

  1. Lower by bending the front knee and hip while the rear knee travels toward the floor.
  2. Keep the front knee pointing in the same direction as the toes and stop at a depth you can control without losing the front heel.
  3. Press through the front foot to stand, finish the set, then change legs.

Common mistakes

  • Standing too close to the bench

    The stance becomes cramped and the front heel may lift. Step forward until the whole front foot stays down.

  • Pushing hard from the rear foot

    The bench is support for the trailing leg, not the main source of force. Keep pressure centered on the front foot.

  • Changing stance length between sets

    A different front-foot position changes the movement and makes load comparisons less useful.

Where it fits in a session

Use it as the main single-leg exercise or after bilateral squat work.

Log the same stance, rear-foot support and loading style so progression compares like with like.

Muscles worked

Front
Front — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.
Back
Back — Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

Primary

Secondary

Select a muscle name to locate it.

Schematic surface view. Some muscles are partly visible or not shown.

The front leg supplies most of the force; the quadriceps are the main target while the gluteus maximus and adductor magnus assist.

Variations

  • Bodyweight Bulgarian split squat — Uses the same rear-foot support without external load.
  • Barbell Bulgarian split squat — Places a bar on the back instead of holding dumbbells at the sides.
  • Two frames of an anatomical illustration of a dumbbell lunge, side by side on a white background, both seen in profile. On the left the figure stands upright with a dumbbell hanging in each hand at his sides, feet together, the quadriceps shaded red down the front of the thigh and a narrower red strip running down the front of the shin. On the right he is at the bottom of the rep: front knee bent to about a right angle with the shin near vertical, back leg trailing behind with the back knee just above the floor and the heel lifted, torso upright, dumbbells still hanging at his sides. The red shading there covers the quadriceps of both the leading and the trailing thigh. The buttock is in view at this angle and is not shaded.
    LungeIncludes a step on each rep rather than keeping the feet in a fixed rear-foot-elevated stance.

Related tools

Frequently asked questions

What muscles do Bulgarian split squats work?

They mainly train the quadriceps of the front leg. The gluteus maximus and adductor magnus also help extend the front hip.

How far should you stand from the bench?

Start about one long step away, then adjust until the front foot stays flat and you can lower the rear knee without feeling cramped.

Should you lean forward in a Bulgarian split squat?

A small natural torso lean is compatible with the movement. Keep the load balanced over the front foot rather than forcing one torso angle for every body shape.

Is a Bulgarian split squat a lunge?

Both use a split stance, but the Bulgarian split squat keeps both feet in place with the rear foot elevated. A lunge includes a step into or out of each rep.

Sources

  1. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb: Thigh Quadriceps Muscle. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513334/
  2. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Gluteus Maximus Muscle. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538193/
  3. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb: Thigh Adductor Magnus Muscle. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534842/

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