Bulgarian split squat
A split squat with your rear foot up on a bench. The hardest single-leg exercise most people can do.
The movement
Set
01 Set
Rear foot on the bench behind you, front foot well forward.
02 Bottom
Lower until the rear knee approaches the floor; stay tall.
How to do it
Setup
- Stand about a metre in front of a bench, facing away from it.
- Place the top of your rear foot on the bench behind you.
- Hop your front foot forward until the stance feels long.
Execution
- Lower straight down until your rear knee is close to the floor.
- Keep most of your weight through your front heel.
- Drive up tall without pushing off the bench.
BreathingInhale on the way down, exhale on the way up. One breath per rep keeps your balance steadier.
Form cues
- Set your front foot far enough forward that your shin stays near vertical.
- Lean your torso forward slightly and keep your chest up.
Common mistakes
- Standing too close to the bench, which cramps the knee and burns the front of the rear hip.
- Bouncing out of the bottom instead of controlling it.
Worth knowing
- Find your stance before you add weight. It takes a few sessions to work out the right distance.
- Only hold dumbbells once your bodyweight reps are steady.
General guidance, not medical advice. See how Setkit works.
Notes
Putting your rear foot up stops it helping, so your front leg now handles nearly everything through a deep range. The result is a single-leg exercise that trains the legs about as hard as a barbell squat while using a fraction of the weight. That is why it moved from physiotherapy clinics into serious strength programs.
It has a well-earned reputation for making people sore the first time. Start with two sets of eight per leg and wait a week before deciding how you feel about it.
It is also what makes a small home gym work. With one bench and a pair of dumbbells you can load your legs as hard as most people ever need to, with no barbell involved.