Bulgarian Split Squat

The Bulgarian split squat is a rear-foot-elevated split squat — the back foot rests on a bench or box roughly knee height, placing nearly all loading demand on the front leg. The hip flexor of the rear leg is stretched throughout the movement. The front quad and glute do the work. Because the range of motion is deep and the balance demand is real, most people find this exercise humbling at weights far below what they squat bilaterally.

Front foot position sets the training emphasis. A foot placed directly under the hips biases the quads — the shin stays more vertical and the knee travels forward over the toes. A foot placed further forward increases the hip angle at the bottom, loads the glute more, and is friendlier to the knee. Experiment with both; most programs benefit from cycling between them.

The rear foot on the bench is a source of friction for everyone who starts. The hip flexor stretch on that side is often the limiting factor early on, not leg strength. Spend time in deep lunge stretches before training to reduce this. Once the hip flexor lengthens and the balance improves, strength jumps quickly.

In LiftProof, the Bulgarian split squat appears in lower body accessory slots, typically after the primary squat or deadlift. Log it with per-leg reps — both sides matter. Progress is slower than bilateral movements, but consistent small load increments over a block produce significant single-leg strength.

• Place the rear foot on the bench with the top of the foot flat — not the toes
• Front foot far enough out that the shin stays close to vertical at the bottom
• Drive through the front heel, not the ball of the foot
• Stay tall through the torso; the chest does not come forward
• Descend to where the rear knee nearly touches the floor

• Front foot too close to the bench — drives the knee far forward and overloads the patellar tendon
• Rear foot on the toes — causes balance problems and ankle strain; use the top of the foot
• Collapsing the front knee inward — cue external rotation and use lighter load until it is stable
• Cutting depth short — the glute does not load effectively unless you reach near-floor depth with the rear knee
• Rushing the eccentric — a fast drop removes control and places sudden load on the hip and knee

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• lunge→
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