Split squat
A lunge that stays in one place. Your feet stay planted while you move straight up and down between them.
The movement
Split stance
01 Split stance
Long stance, both feet planted, torso upright.
02 Bottom
Drop straight down; front shin near vertical.
How to do it
Setup
- Take a long stride position with your front foot flat and your rear heel up.
- Keep both feet planted for the whole set, hip-width apart rather than in a straight line.
Execution
- Lower straight down until your rear knee is close to the floor.
- Keep your torso tall and your weight in your front heel.
- Drive up through your front leg, with your rear leg helping only slightly.
Form cues
- The front leg does the work; the rear leg only balances you.
- Move straight down and straight up, without drifting forward.
Common mistakes
- Standing with your feet in a line, which makes balance the whole exercise.
- A stance too short, which pushes your front knee well past your toes and lifts your heel.
Worth knowing
- A folded towel under your rear knee gives you a consistent target for depth and a softer landing.
General guidance, not medical advice. See how Setkit works.
Notes
The split squat takes the stepping out of a lunge and keeps the useful part, which is one leg doing most of the work through a long range. Because your feet never move, you can concentrate entirely on going up and down. That makes it the best lunge variation for adding weight and for learning the position.
It also tells you what is wrong. A front heel that lifts means your stance is too short. Wobbling sideways means your feet are too close to one line. A rear thigh that burns out before the front leg tires means you are pushing off the back foot. Fix the stance and the exercise teaches itself.
Once bodyweight sets feel controlled, hold dumbbells at your sides. When those feel strong, put your rear foot up on a bench. That is the Bulgarian split squat, which is the same movement with the back leg no longer able to help.