How to do a Bulgarian split squat: bench height, foot position and lean

Your front leg does the work

In 26 trained men, the front foot carried about 84% of the downward force, so it's a genuine single-leg exercise. Your back leg is a kickstand for balance.

Source 1

Bench at about knee height or lower

That's the coaching standard: the American Council on Exercise (ACE) uses a bench "about knee-height", and one study used the length of each person's shin. We found no study comparing heights, so go lower if your back hip or knee complains.

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Stand about a leg's length in front

Start with your calves touching the bench, then step forward just short of a forward lunge, as the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) suggests. A longer stance works your hip more.

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Leaning is a choice

In one study, a moderate forward lean raised glute and hamstring activity without lowering the activity of the main thigh muscles. Staying upright, with your knee travelling forward, works the knee and quads more.

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A lot of hip work for the weight you hold

In one study, about half the back-squat load gave similar muscle activity, and in another, the hip worked 44 to 47% harder per leg than in a back squat at the same effort.

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As good as squats for strength, in short trials

Rear-elevated split squats improved the back squat as much as back squats did over 5 weeks, and single-leg and two-leg training built similar amounts of muscle in pooled trials.

Sources 9, 10, 11

Your back leg is a kickstand

The front foot carried about 84% of the downward force in 26 men, so your back leg adds little. ACE cues you to push the top of your back foot into the box; that's a coaching cue, and the force data say your front leg does most of the work.

Sources 1, 2

Knee over your middle toes

Keep your front knee in line with your toes. NASM lists a knee caving inwards as a common mistake.

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Depth

Lower until your front thigh is about level with the floor, as NASM describes, with your back knee close to the floor. Too little depth is on NASM's list of common mistakes, because it limits the work your legs do.

Source 12

Breathing

Breathe in on the way down and out as you stand. With heavy dumbbells, a short brace at the bottom is fine if you're healthy, as our squat guide explains; with high blood pressure, breathe out through every rep.

Cues that help

"Front leg does the work"; "drop the back knee straight down"; "whole front foot down"; and "chest proud, slight lean". These are coaching cues, not tested in trials.

Source 1

About knee height or lowerMixed evidence

This is the coaching standard, not a tested rule: ACE uses a bench or box "about knee-height", and one study set the height at the length of each person's shin. We found no study comparing bench heights, so treat the height as our editorial starting point.

Sources 2, 3

Go lower if it pinches

If the front of your back hip or your back knee pinches or strains, use a lower step, as our move page advises: a stair or a low box works.

Laces down or toes tucked?

NASM and our move page rest the top of the foot on the bench, toes pointing down. Some people prefer their toes tucked under; we found no study comparing the two, so use whichever lets you balance without cramping.

Source 12

No bench?

A sturdy chair, sofa, low box or stair works, as long as it won't slide. A suspension strap turns it into the suspended split squat: in 30 adults, a suspended lunge drew more hamstring, glute and inner-thigh activity than a standard lunge.

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Start with NASM's set-up

Stand with your calves touching the bench, then step forward "just shy of where you would be for a forward lunge".

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Check it at the bottom

At the bottom, your front shin should be roughly vertical or tipped a little forward, with your front heel down. If your heel lifts or your knee shoots far forward, move your front foot further out; if you feel overstretched at the front of your back hip, bring it in (our check).

A longer stance works your hip moreEmerging evidence

In 9 trained men, a stance of 1.3 leg lengths raised the load on the front hip by about 29% compared with a stance of 1 leg length (94 against 73 newton-metres). In split squats, longer steps shifted work from the knee to the hip.

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A shorter stance works your knee more

A short stance pushes your knee further past your toes and asks more of the front of your thigh. For healthy knees that's a choice, not a fault.

Sources 6, 14

Leaning raised glute and hamstring activity in one studyMixed evidence

In one study using EMG (electromyography: sensors on the skin that measure muscle activity), Aygun-Polat and colleagues found that a 40-degree forward lean raised the activity of the glutes, the outer hamstring and the rectus femoris (the quad muscle that also crosses the hip) in 21 female athletes, without lowering the activity of the other quad muscles. It's one study in one group, so treat it as a pointer rather than a rule.

Source 3

More lean, more work at the hipEmerging evidence

In 9 trained men, more trunk lean raised the load on the front hip further.

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Upright works the knee and quads moreMixed evidence

An upright trunk tends to push the knee further past the toes and ask more of the quads, a pattern seen across squatting exercises.

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Where coaches disagree

NASM calls excessive forward lean a mistake that "increases lower back strain"; many coaches teach a lean for the glutes. The one EMG study supports a moderate lean as a valid choice. It doesn't show harm from a lean with a long spine, and it can't say leaning "turns off" your quads, because those didn't change. Our view: pick by your goal, keep your spine long, and save big leans for lighter loads.

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The front leg carries about 84% of the forceEmerging evidence

In 26 trained men working up to their 5-rep maximum, the front foot produced about 84% of the downward force, a share that rose a little as the load got heavier, so the back foot adds little.

Source 1

A lot of hip work for the weight you holdEmerging evidence

In one study of 9 trained men, about half the back-squat load gave similar muscle activity, with more outer-hamstring activity than the split squat. In 20 trained men, the Bulgarian split squat was hip-dominant like the back squat, with less demand and movement at the knee. In 8 rugby players, the hip worked 44 to 47% harder per leg than in a back squat at the same 10-rep effort.

Sources 7, 15, 8

How it compares with other single-leg movesEmerging evidence

At loads people could lift 6 to 8 times, split squats, single-leg squats and Bulgarian split squats drew similar glute and outer-quad activity in 11 people, and the Bulgarian drew more hamstring activity. In 11 female athletes, a single-leg squat with the back foot raised on a pad drew more activity from the gluteus medius at the side of the hip and from the hamstrings, and less from the quads, than a two-leg squat at the same relative effort. In 20 trained women, it drew more outer-thigh activity than the hip thrust.

Sources 16, 17, 18, 19

As good as back squats in short trialsEmerging evidence

In 38 untrained adults, 8 weeks of single-leg or two-leg free-weight training improved strength and power equally. In 18 rugby players, 5 weeks of rear-elevated split squats or back squats improved both lifts, 40 m sprints and agility equally. In 33 rugby players, step-up and back-squat training each carried over to the other lift.

Sources 10, 9, 20

Each builds its own kind of strength bestEmerging evidence

Pooling the trials, single-leg training improved single-leg jumping more, and two-leg training improved two-leg strength more. Across 24 trials, muscle growth was similar.

Sources 21, 11

Heavy Bulgarians built strength and muscleEmerging evidence

In 24 trained men, 6 weeks of heavy Bulgarian split squats (4 sets of 10 at 80% of their maximum, three times a week) raised their maximum by about 13% and the thickness of the front thigh muscles by 9.3%.

Source 22

Less weight on your back, though spinal load wasn't measuredMixed evidence

Single-leg squats produced similar hamstring, calf, hip and abdominal activity with far less weight on the bar (28 against 135 kg). The authors suggest them where spinal load is a concern, but none of these studies measured the load on the spine.

Sources 23, 7

What the studies don't cover

Most studies measured young trained men for a single session or a few weeks. No study has compared bench heights or back-foot positions, or counted injuries.

Dumbbells at your sides

Add them once bodyweight reps feel smooth, as our move page says. It's the easiest way to load the exercise heavily.

A goblet hold

One dumbbell held upright at your chest, elbows close to your ribs, as ACE describes. It helps you stay upright.

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One dumbbell in the opposite hand

In lunges, holding a weight on one side raised trunk muscle activity on the other side, so it adds a trunk challenge.

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A barbell

Across your upper back, in a rack, with a weight you can control on one leg; learn it with dumbbells first, as our barbell Bulgarian move page advises.

Smith machine and suspended versions

Our closest Smith machine demo keeps both feet on the floor. The suspended split squat puts your back foot in a strap, which our move page rates as demanding as the Bulgarian, with the moving strap to steady.

How heavy?

In one study, about half the back-squat load gave similar muscle activity. Compare yourself with yourself: add reps to the top of your range, then weight.

Source 7

vs the split squat

The Bulgarian puts more of the work on your front leg and drew more hamstring activity at the same relative effort, with similar glute and outer-quad activity at heavy loads.

Sources 16, 7

vs the back squat

In one study, about half the back-squat load gave similar muscle activity, and per leg the hip works harder and the knee less. Two-leg squats build more two-leg strength and single-leg work more single-leg strength, with similar muscle growth, so do both if you can.

Sources 7, 8, 15, 11

vs the lunge

There's no step, so it's steadier than a walking lunge but harder to balance than a split squat. It loaded the kneecap a little less than a lunge in a ranking of 35 exercises (4.7 against 5.1 times body weight).

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Step 1: split squat

3 sets of 8 each leg. Move on at 3 sets of 12 each leg without support: our move page asks for a steady split squat before the Bulgarian.

Step 2: reverse lunge

3 sets of 8 each leg, until it's controlled with your front heel down.

Step 3: Bulgarian split squat, holding a support

2 or 3 sets of 6 to 8 each leg, from a low step up to a bench at about knee height. Move on at 3 sets of 10 each leg with only a light touch on the support (our editorial starting point).

Step 4: no support

3 sets of 6 to 10 each leg, the move page's dose. Move on at 3 sets of 12 each leg, smooth.

Step 5: add weight

Dumbbells at your sides or a goblet hold: 3 sets of 6 to 10 each leg, stopping 2 or 3 reps short of failure. Add reps to the top of the range, then weight.

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Beyond

The barbell Bulgarian in a rack, the suspended split squat, and the pistol squat, which has its own guide. A coaching ladder for older clients puts the bodyweight version in its middle tier and the loaded version in its most complex tier.

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How long it takes: our estimate

Five weeks of rear-elevated split squats twice a week raised both split squat and back squat strength in rugby players, and 6 weeks of heavy sets raised the Bulgarian maximum by about 13% in trained men. Our estimate, not a trial result: your balance usually settles within 2 to 4 sessions if you hold a support.

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How often: twice a week

Most of the trials trained twice a week, and one three times a week.

Sources 10, 9, 20, 22

Sets and reps

3 sets of 6 to 10 each leg, the move page's dose. For strength, heavier sets of 5 to 8; for muscle, 8 to 12 or more, taken close to failure, as our sets and reps guide explains. Our runner's knee plan uses 3 sets of 6 to 8.

How hard

Stop each set 2 or 3 reps short of failure, as our plans advise for big lifts.

Rest

About 90 seconds to 2 minutes between sets. With light loads, going straight from one leg to the other is fine (our suggestion).

Progression

Double progression: add reps to the top of your range, then add weight. Adding reps and adding load both worked in a trial of trained people.

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Standing too close to the bench

Your front heel lifts, your knee is pushed far forward and your balance suffers. Use NASM's set-up: calves to the bench, then a step just short of a lunge.

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Standing too far away

Your back hip is overstretched and you lean back. Shorten the stance until your front shin is near vertical at the bottom (our fix).

Bench too high

It pinches the front of your back hip or your back knee. Use knee height or lower; a step is fine.

Source 2

Pushing hard through the back foot

Your front leg should be doing about 84% of the work. Think of your back leg as a kickstand.

Source 1

Front knee caving in

It's on NASM's list of common mistakes. Keep your knee over your middle toes and use a lighter load.

Source 12

A big, uncontrolled lean with a heavy load

NASM lists excessive lean as a mistake. Lean on purpose, moderately, with a long spine, and lighten the load.

Source 12

Too little depth

It limits the work your legs do. Lower until your back knee is close to the floor and your front thigh is about level.

Source 12

Too heavy too soon

If you wobble, you're training balance rather than legs. Hold a support, and add dumbbells only when bodyweight reps are smooth.

Kneecap pain

The Bulgarian split squat is a moderate load for the kneecap, a little less than a lunge. Start with split squats in a smaller range and build up; our runner's knee plan brings in Bulgarian split squats in weeks 6 to 12.

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Pain in the tendon below the kneecap

It's a moderate load for the patellar tendon; follow the staged plan in our jumper's knee guide.

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A pinch at the front of the hip

Lower the bench if the front of your back hip pinches, as our move page says. With hip impingement or hip arthritis, set the depth by what your hip allows, as our hip guides explain.

High hamstring tendon pain

Deep positions squeeze the tendon near your sitting bone, so keep the range shorter early on, as our high hamstring tendinopathy guide explains.

Poor balance

Hold a support throughout, or use the split squat, which is steadier.

Pregnancy

With pelvic girdle pain, skip split squats or keep them small, as our pregnancy guide says.

After knee or hip surgery

Follow your surgical or physiotherapy team's stages before you raise your back foot.

Stop and get medical help

For chest pain or pressure, unusual breathlessness, dizziness or fainting, or a racing or irregular heartbeat during exercise, as our plans advise.

Call 999 (911 in the US) or go to A&E

If you have severe hip pain after a fall or injury, can't walk or put weight on your leg, or have tingling or loss of feeling in your hip or leg after an injury, the NHS says.

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Get advice from NHS 111 now

If your knee is very painful, you can't move it or put weight on it, it's badly swollen or has changed shape, it locks, gives way or clicks painfully (painless clicking is normal), or you have a very high temperature with redness or heat around the knee. In the US, contact your doctor or urgent care.

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Get an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111

If you have severe hip pain that started suddenly without a fall, your hip is swollen and feels hot, the skin around it has changed colour, or you have hip pain with a high temperature or feel unwell.

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See a GP

If knee pain hasn't improved within a few weeks, or hip pain hasn't improved after 2 weeks at home, keeps coming back, stops you doing normal activities or disturbs your sleep.

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Stop the set

If a joint pain is sharp, gets worse during a set or lingers into the next day, swap to a split squat, and see a clinician if it persists. Our knee guides use a simple rule: pain up to 2 out of 10 is fine, and up to 5 is acceptable if it settles by the next morning.

"The back leg does half the work"Emerging evidence

The front foot carried about 84% of the force in 26 men. Your back leg mostly helps you balance.

Source 1

"It's a glute exercise" (or "It's a quad exercise")Emerging evidence

It's both: the quads and glutes are the main movers. A forward lean raised glute and hamstring activity without reducing the main quad muscles, and per leg the hip worked harder than in a back squat.

Sources 16, 19, 3, 8

"You need a high bench"Mixed evidence

Coaches use about knee height or lower, and we found no study comparing heights. Use the height that lets you reach depth without your back hip or knee pinching.

Source 2

"Single-leg work is better than squats"Emerging evidence

Each builds its own kind of strength best: single-leg training more single-leg strength and jumping, two-leg training more two-leg strength, with similar muscle growth.

Sources 21, 11

"Bulgarian split squats are always easier on your back"Mixed evidence

They need much less weight on your back for similar muscle activity, but no study we found measured the load on the spine.

Sources 7, 23