Bulgarian Split Squat: Technique, Muscles and Swaps
Load card
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Muscle group
- Legs
- Main muscles
- quadriceps, gluteus maximus
- Also working
- hamstrings, adductors
- Mechanics
- Compound
- Pattern
- Split squat
- Level
- Intermediate
The Bulgarian Split Squat, also known as the rear foot elevated split squat, is an intermediate compound bodyweight movement. It places your rear foot on a bench or box while you perform a split squat with your front leg. This unilateral approach forces your lead leg to handle the bulk of your bodyweight.
This exercise trains your legs, specifically targeting the quadriceps and gluteus maximus as the main movers. Your hamstrings and adductors act as supporting muscles to stabilize your hips and knees throughout the movement.
How to do it
Stand a few feet in front of a knee-high bench or box, facing away from it. Reach one leg straight back and rest the top of your foot on the bench.
- Keep your chest up and brace your core.
- Lower your hips straight down until your front thigh is nearly parallel to the floor.
- Allow your back knee to drop toward the floor without resting your weight on it.
- Keep your front foot flat on the floor with your weight distributed evenly.
- Push through your front foot to return to the starting position.
Sets, reps and load
Start with 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions per leg. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds between sets to maintain proper form.
Since this is a bodyweight exercise, increase the difficulty by slowing down your descent rather than adding external weight.
Common mistakes
- Front heel lifting. Take a slightly longer step forward and keep your front foot firmly planted.
- Using the back leg too much. Focus on pushing exclusively through your front leg and treat the back leg only as a kickstand for balance.
- Caving the front knee inward. Actively push your front knee outward so it tracks directly over your middle toes.
- Torso falling too far forward. Brace your core and maintain a consistent torso angle throughout the entire movement.
Make it easier or harder
Easier
- Standard split squat with both feet on the floor.
- Assisted Bulgarian split squat holding onto a rack or wall for balance.
Harder
- Paused Bulgarian split squat with a three-second hold at the bottom.
- Bulgarian split squat jumps to add an explosive element.
Before you load it up
- Deep knee bending can be uncomfortable with some knee problems. Limit the depth to a range that feels fine.
- Balance is part of the challenge. Hold a wall or rail if you are unsteady or have a history of falls.
Swaps and related legs exercises
Same muscle group with different equipment:
- Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat Dumbbell
- Kettlebell Front Rack Lunge Kettlebell
- Banded Squat Resistance band
- Dumbbell Calf Raise Dumbbell
More bodyweight options:
- Bodyweight Squat Squat
- Calf Raise Ankle plantarflexion
- Nordic Hamstring Curl Eccentric knee flexion
- Pistol Squat Single-leg squat
Browse all bodyweight exercises or every legs exercise.
When to see a doctor or physio
- Sharp pain in your front or back knee joint.
- Pinching sensation in your lower back or hips.
- Numbness or tingling running down your leg.
This page is general training information, not medical advice. If you are new to strength training, managing a health condition, pregnant or coming back from an injury, check with a doctor or physio first.
How this page was made. Exercise data (equipment, muscles, mechanics, level) compiled by the Unite Journal Crew as a general anatomy guide, cross-checked against the public-domain free-exercise-db list. Text drafted with AI assistance and edited by the crew; see our house rules. Last checked October 2026.