How to Do a Bulgarian Split Squat: Proper Techniques for Maximum Health Benefits & Muscles Targeted

Key Takeaways

• The Bulgarian split squat is an excellent exercise for targeting the quadriceps, glutes, and core muscles.
• For proper form, keep your balance with the back foot elevated and weight evenly distributed on the front foot.
• You can build strength, and improve balance and stability—all at once. 
• SOLE SW101 Dumbbells are a great accessory to your Bulgarian split squats if you’re looking to make your workout more challenging. 

The Bulgarian Split Squat

The Bulgarian split squat's unique setup allows for a deeper range of motion, targeting muscles that are often left out in traditional squats. 

Before you get started, make sure you have: 

• Strong bench or plyometric box for lifting your back foot.
• Dumbbells or kettlebells—optional to add more resistance and to make the exercise harder.

Why You Should Try Bulgarian Split Squats

A Lower-Body Workout

When you're doing a Bulgarian split squat, you're mainly working your quads—but your glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles also get a workout. That's why it's such a good exercise for building lower body strength and stability. 

Plus, because your back foot is raised, you can get a greater range of motion and work your muscles even more deeply.

Balance and Stability

Because you're balancing on one leg, you're engaging stabilizing muscles that often don't get enough attention. Aside from improving athletic performance, this can also help you avoid injury in everyday life. 

Bulgarian split squats improve joint stability and muscle coordination.

How to Start

You should start by standing a couple of feet away from your bench or box. How far you stand will depend on how tall you are and how long your legs are, but usually, two or three steps away is a good place to start.

Put one foot on the bench behind you—your laces are facing down and your foot relaxed. Your front foot should be flat on the floor, with your weight evenly distributed across the whole foot so you can keep your balance and avoid putting unnecessary strain on your knees.

Performing the Squat

• Start by dropping your body down by bending your forward knee, making sure your chest is up and your core is tight.
• Make sure your forward knee is in line with your toes to prevent any injury.
• Go down until your forward thigh is level with the ground, or as far down as your flexibility will allow.
• Push up through your forward heel to return to the start position—and keep your balance throughout the move.

Speed is not the objective here. Focus on a slow, controlled descent and ascent so that each rep is performed accurately.

Common Errors and How to Correct Them

Foot Placement Matters

If your front foot is too far forward or too close to the bench, you’ll likely have bad form and put strain on your knee. Make sure your front knee is in line with your toes and doesn't go past them during the squat to correct this.

Incorrect Weight Balance

• Make sure most of your weight is on your front foot to prevent overloading your back leg.
• Keep the heel of your front foot on the ground during the entire exercise.
• Keep your spine neutral to prevent leaning too far forward.

Keeping Your Knee and Toe in Line

As you lower yourself into the squat, make sure your front knee is directly above your toes and doesn't cave in. This keeps your knee joint safe and makes sure your muscles are working evenly.

If you notice your knee caving in, work on making your hips stronger to improve control.  

Advancing and Mixing it Up

Adding Weights to Your Bulgarian Split Squat

If you want to make your Bulgarian split squat more challenging, try adding some weights. You can hold a dumbbell in each hand or keep a single kettlebell in front of your chest—just make sure you're still able to maintain your form.

Eccentric Bulgarian Split Squat

For the eccentric variation of the Bulgarian split squat, the focus is on the lowering phase of the exercise. You should concentrate on a slow and controlled descent—taking between three to five seconds to reach the bottom position. This increases muscle tension for bigger strength gains.

How Often and How Many

You should be doing this move two to three times a week. Each time you do it, you should do three to four sets of eight to twelve reps on each leg—the sweet spot for both building strength and endurance.

Once you feel confident in the movement, you can modify the number of repetitions or sets to align with your fitness objectives. For example, if your goal is to gain muscle, add more weight and do fewer reps. If you want to boost your endurance, keep a higher rep count with less weight.

How to Recover

• Give yourself at least 48 hours of rest between workouts to help your muscles recover and grow.
• Stretch and foam roll to help relieve muscle soreness and improve your flexibility.
• Drink plenty of water and eat a balanced diet to help your body recover and perform at its best.

Build an Effective Workout Routine With SOLE Equipment

The SOLE+ App provides access to hundreds of free fitness classes and personalized workouts.

Our SW101 Dumbbells offer a full set from 10lbs to 40lbs, perfect for exercises like Bulgarian split squats.  

And don’t forget about our SOLE+ App with a wide range of personalized workouts and over 3,000 classes.  

Ready to take your workouts to a whole new level? A great way to get started is to get yourself SOLE’s SW101 Dumbbells!

Frequently Asked Questions

Which muscles are engaged during the Bulgarian split squat?

The main muscles targeted during a Bulgarian split squat are the quads, but you’ll also be engaging the glutes, hamstrings, and core. 

What is the ideal height for the bench?

A bench or box should ideally be knee-high when performing a Bulgarian split squat to allow you to maintain a correct posture and balance.

Are Bulgarian split squats suitable for beginners?

Indeed, Bulgarian split squats are suitable for beginners, but start with bodyweight—and once you get stronger, you can grab some weights. 

How can I make Bulgarian split squats more effective for muscle growth? 

To make Bulgarian split squats more effective for muscle growth, add dumbbells. With our SW101 Dumbbells, you can progress from 10 lbs to 40 lbs (maybe?) without having to dedicate an entire wall to dumbbell storage!