Table of Contents:
Bulgarian Split Squat
Video taken from the channel: Men’s Health
Get MORE GLUTE ACTIVATION on your BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT!!
Video taken from the channel: Buff Body
The ULTIMATE Bulgarian Split Squat Tutorial
Video taken from the channel: Squat University
Bulgarian Split Squat…You’re Doing It Wrong
Video taken from the channel: Coach PJ Nestler
How To: Bulgarian Split Squat
Video taken from the channel: ScottHermanFitness
How to PROPERLY Bulgarian Split Squat To Grow Your Quads
Video taken from the channel: Colossus Fitness
Single Greatest Leg Exercise (NO MISTAKE!)
Video taken from the channel: ATHLEAN-X™
Here are the steps to perform the Bulgarian split squat correctly. Place one leg on the riser or bench in one of two positions: top of the foot on the bench or with toes and ball of the foot on the bench. Place your other foot in front, planted flat on the floor.To get moving: Start by standing about 2 feet in front of a knee-level bench or step.
Lift your right leg up behind you and place the top of your foot on the bench. Your feet should still be about While engaging your core, roll your shoulders back and lean slightly forward at the waist, beginning.The Bulgarian split squat is a single leg exercise that targets the hamstrings, glutes, and quads. Although this exercise does resemble the movement of a basic lunge, it’s quite a bit different. While a lunge requires you use both legs simultaneously, the Bulgarian split squat focuses entirely on one leg at a time.
Bulgarian split squat is a great lower-body strength exercise that tones the quads and glutes. Engage your core and your glutes and lower down with control. Most of.
Bulgarian split squat newbies should swap the barbell for a kettlebell, two dumbbells, or a sandbag while they master the move, while advanced lifters should try moving the barbell into the front.If you’re new to Bulgarian split squats, here’s a a crash course: Begin by placing the toes of your right foot on a bench, box, stair or chair, with your left leg straight.The rear foot elevated split squat (aka the Bulgarian split squat) has become my primary lower body strength exercise. I don’t back squat, rarely front squat, and when I do, it’s usually with lighter weights. (Please, hear me out before you slap the wuss tag on me and search for the next “do.Bulgarian Split Squats Build Very Strong Legs.
I feel that people dismiss Bulgarian split squats because they’re hard to do. You try them and you can only use light weight due to balance issues, so you dismiss them. This is the equivalent of drinking one beer and saying you hate beer and will never drink it again.
It’s an acquired taste.How to do Bulgarian split squat. BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL? | Unique Cover Auditions on Got Talent, Idols and X Factor | Top Talent Duration: 19:26. Top Talent 17,925,231 views.The Bulgarian split squat is a terrific way to build single-leg strength, add lower-body mass, and improve hip mobility—except when it’s done with a long stance.
When your front foot is too.Unlike the classic ones, Bulgarian split squats require good physical form, as the load on the legs increases several times. Judging by the muscle atlas presented above, the number of muscles involved in the exercise is much larger than with regular squats on both legs.How To Do Split Squats Start in a kneeling position on the ground.
Squeeze the glute of your front leg tight. Stand tall pressing through the heel of your front foot, and the “ball” of your back foot.Performing the Bulgarian split squat with ideal alignment, especially under load, is the best way to prehab your lower body! Two main compensations reviewed in this video are excessive contralateral pelvic drop and posterior pelvic rotation. With all movements it is important to consider mobility, strength, and motor control.
How to do Bulgarian Split Squat: Step 1: Place a barbell across upper back with an overhand grip and feet in a staggered stance with left foot forward. Step 2: Place your back right foot on a 6-inch box. Begin exercise by lowering body straight down until your back knee almost touches the ground.The ULTIMATE Bulgarian Split Squat Tutorial Duration: 8:18.
Squat University 47,536 views. 8:18. The Only Way You Should Be Doing Bulgarian Split Squats! (BUTT GROWTH)
List of related literature:
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from Glute Lab: The Art and Science of Strength and Physique Training |
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from Stability, Sport, and Performance Movement: Great Technique Without Injury |
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from Bodyweight Strength Training Anatomy |
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from Respiratory Muscle Training E-Book: Theory and Practice |
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from Science of Flexibility |
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from Kettlebells For Dummies |
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from Implant Dentistry E-Book |
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from The Shaolin Workout: 28 Days to Transforming Your Body and Soul the Warrior’s Way |
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from supta tadasana, as you lengthen the right leg and press the foot on the wall, bring the left leg up, and place the right foot against the right upper groin, as the left groin releases toward the inner knee and the outer knee lifts toward the outer hip. | |
from Yoga and Scoliosis: A Journey to Health and Healing |
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from Instructing Hatha Yoga: A Guide for Teachers and Students |
249 comments
Very helpful. These always felt awkward to me when performing and now I know I was positioned way too far from the bench. Cheers!
Hello god child I want your help my left knee so weak because of that my acl tear. So what can I do? Plz help me
This is the ONLY exercise that gives me soreness on my thighs and Glutes. Amazing no doubt, a real eye opener when I first did it
These have changed my life.
Im tall with tight tendons, these really help me focus weight on my quads with absolutely no knee pain or tightness or anything!
i still squat, and use kettlebells, but these have been my answer to focusing on quad development (along with going flat/deep-enough on regular squats)
Such a good alternative or complement to squats, they really allow me to just hold heavy weight and complete reps without any weird tension on the knees
I do this at home every other day 90 each leg without weights
Great…great great…love the focus on the proper motions!!!! excellent
I find it hard to balance on this exercise, how do I fix this? Please help.
wow my front foot needs to be so much closer. thanks for the tip for knee alignment over the middle of your foot. glad i found your channel!
I believe the message but it might be even more believable if you looked muscular, like you practice what you preach.
Every now and then, you find an exercise that you can try to master and feel an amazing effect from practicing it.
The Bulgarian banana split.
Jeff, you look just as young today as you did 3 years ago. I’m putting it down to your fitness level, nutrition, mentality and drive for success (got that from your London Real interview). You’re inspiration to the rest of us. Thank you.
Can anyone comment on the optimal height of the platform/bench for the “resting” leg to assist the correct execution of the exercise?
I’ve been doing them wrong for months. The full potential starts today! Thanks Jeff!
Would you recommend do weight bulgariam before or after squats?
Hater alert!! The front leg is not doing the work the front glute should be doing the work and should be further forward so as not to crowd the space between, which pushes the front knee forward. While some forward translation of the front knee is normal, moving the foot forward will reduce patella tendon sheer. (Just some advice from a fellow traveller try it first before you let your ego get hurt we are here to learn from each other
I’ve learned so much from this channel. Thanks very much for making such excellent and professional training publicly available!
Finally, something the Bulgarians contributed in society lol
I am not sureon the position of my foot. I am 6’1 and my legs are long so if I put my foot too close
Holy crap talk about feeling the burn. I’ve been doing regular dumbbell squats for years and I’ve never felt as much burn in my legs as I have after doing this exercise. Seems to be much better for my lower back too. Just having issues with keeping my balance so far. I’m hoping my balance will get better with time because I like this exercise.
Aren’t you supposed to to carry some weight when doing this?
How far away from the chair/bench should you be standing in order to do this properly?
How much weight would you recommend for ladies during Romanian deadlift?
Hi everybody, I got an issue with this exercise: I only feel the back leg (the one on the bench) when am doing this exercise, is it something in the form or is it just how it should fee
l…?
Excellent demonstration of proper form and great tips to engage the glutes even more! Keep it up!
why does no one seem to recommend doing a split squat with the rear foot on the floor? it feels less likely to injure yourself, you’re not leaning forward making it possibly bad on knees… balance feels safer… the only negative i can think of is that you’re not getting as low of a squat. i’m new to trying to put my rear foot elevated and maybe just need to keep practicing but i wonder is it worth it, compared to rear foot on the floor, and is it that different? weighted with dumbbells specifically.
Jeez I wish every channel started like this. Sooooo many have sooo much unnecessary fluf
Should the foot on the bench be on your toes or resting on the shoelaces
This was super helpful!! Thank U!! Will share it on Facebook right away!!
Very nice tip….Gonna definitely make a couple of adjustments and give this exercise another try.
“focus on the knee” thanks man. I was wondering why I sometimes felt it in the glutes and sometimes didn’t feel anything.
Is this video about the Single Greatest Leg Exercise or the Greatest Single Leg Exercise?
Question, can’t you just do Smith machine lunges to ensure your back posture is correct??
I don’t have hamstrgins, but I have hamstrings if that’ll work
How do you explain to the athlete where to position their feet. I have some that are so close to the bench/pad but their front leg is in great alignment like you were showing. I have 5’2″ and 6’4″ athletes:0)
With the crease in the hip ma’, drop it thru the quad, drop it thru the quad, drop it thru the quad
If you want to work your glutes when doing the split squat you need to adopt a wider (further forward) stance. You can avoid arching your back by leaning your upper body further forward and keeping a neutral spine. Weight still in your front leg.
The only thing I don’t get is I used to be able to do the Bulgarian Split Squat Jumps before but then started doing these instead now that I’ve been doing these for about 6 months I can’t do those jumps wtf?!?
I have always hated these. Now I know why…I was doing it wrong.
Thank you for taking the video from various angles, it really helped!
Great video! When I perform these I sometimes get some hip/low back pain on the right side of my body. The pain presents itself when I have my right leg elevated. Any ideas on what might be causing this?
Wow! I didn’t think us Bulgarians would come up with a move so fancy looking. OoO
Seriously underrated content. Regardless of how much Cavalier makes he is technically underpaid, for the simple reason that he provides high-level insights and knowledge for free that people have paid and still pay a LOT of money for. Out of all the many sites and channels I’ve followed over the years, AthleanX on Youtube has been my trusty reference work and has provided solutions and cues that have helped me adapt to exercising with a back injury more than any other source, Including scientific journals (should be obvious). AthleanX is to exercise what Examine is to me for supplements a sorta neverending Uber-FAQ.
You look like a guy that calls everyone “Dude”. Are you that guy dude?
Thank you. Always helpful understanding the details. Truly paints the picture and helps me focus on proper technique.
Guys, I’m really curious to know the name of the lat pull down bar in the background to the left. Its the silver bar that looks like it slides along with the two handles. (I know it sounds like I’m skipping legs day by asking this question…haha)
Why did you cut away at 1:50. Your video would have been more informative if you had shown the actual correction of the error.
Would it just be to move a bit further out, to target the hamstrings more?
How can the camera man not put the camera on his legs ♂️
is this exercise activating the glute muscles on the leg that’s resting on the bench or the other one?
Hdhfusjdh I just felt it all through my legs! I felt some burn on my upper back though so I probably need to fix my posture. Look straight ahead, helps with balance.
Brilliant tutorial! This video corrected a lot of my form mistakes, and gave me a few very useful cues; can now do this exercise with no knee pain.
Thanks a ton! Very useful!
Dude the fact that you went right into the video without giving a 2 minute intro/life story about how Bulgarian split squats changed your life earned you a sub, keep it up bro
I’m 45 now and here because I had my left ACL reconstructed 15 years ago and as a result my left quad is smaller than my right.I took up running about 6 months ago and need to increase leg strength to get faster Thanks for the vid
your cameradude cut off your feet alot in the latter part of the video. Looking at foot placement is pretty important when learning this exercise.
great felt an immediate difference and isolation in my glutes vs the straight torso method
Great video. I was just doing these in the shed this morning. Thanks for the tips x
How do you do these with retroverted hips? I find that if I keep my lead foot in line with my shoulder I can’t get any deeper past 90 degrees hip flexion without twisting my spine or caving my ankle in.
Dude… 5 seconds in and already starting the actual content. Most intros are as long as this entire video. Subscribed.
My problem is I feel a lot of it in my hip. Is that normal? Or I have a nearly impossible time balancing.
Hey thanks. Can you tell me alternatives to this excercise please xx
Buena compadre, excelente explicación! Toma tu búlgaro like!
It started hurting really bad pretty deep on the front of my hip through to my the lowest point on my lower back when I did this exercise. Does anyone know what could be the cause of this pain?
You were demonstrating a leg training exercise, but the cameraman seemed to be more interested in your face and upper body. For example, at 2:13, you talked about “taking 3 steps” by actually demonstrating it, but your lower body was completely out of frame, so are people supposed to just imagine how you performed it? This video is not about your chest or your face. Let’s zoom out properly and focus on how the legs and, in fact, the whole body, work.
I hate this exercise so much, because no matter how much I do it, every single time it makes me sore. But I still do it. I dread this exercise like no other tho.
I am bulgarian and still don’t know why this is called that way
I hate this move, I struggle every time. I’m always doing it wrong.
I did it the wrong way like he showed us at the end. Last thing I can remember is that he was standing behind me and I was crying….
All I held while doing this was 45 lb dumbbells and I literally felt like my legs were going to explode. These are killer exercises and highly underrated.
Good video.
But damn dude I can’t believe those are actually mistakes….
Honestly the first and second error they’re like goldielocks and 3 bears.
The middle one which is correct is like the porridge that is just right.
Well i mean ur taller then me would a short person only need 2 hoops to get into the right position???
Ok to do this with back leg against a wall instead of on a bench?
Which leg am I supposed to feel something in? I keep reading it´s the front leg, but I feel it in the back leg. Am I doing it wrong?
Urgh yes it is so annoying when people on YouTube give lessons and yet have bad Postures like that. Most of them don’t even have their feet flat on the bench. They are so ignorant
I have better balance for pistol sqauts rather doing these
Maybe because i do these weighted
will the movements you described in the video help with balance? That’s a major reason I struggle with these exercises and just half ass the reps. That’s why I’m here looking for how to do these.
2:58 buy that shirt came off real quick lol. Thanks for an informative video:-)
best instruction I’ve seen for this exercise, thanks for that…
I always wondered why this exercise hurt me! Thanks for correcting my bad form!
This exercise led me a to a grade 3 rectus femoris strain. Listen to this guy!
I am super happy that y’all made this specific video because I always struggle with this exercise.
Would’ve been more helpful (for me) if the whole movement was in the shot, as in from head to toe. Now it was only visible what the upper body should look like + front knee. ♀️
How do I stand if I want more glute activation? And which leg is working the glutes more, the one on the floor or the one one the bench?
Thank you for posting this! I messed up my right hamstring and lower back for 2 months (had to actually do 6 weeks of physical therapy) because my trainer didn’t know what he was doing & basically did the movement wrong! Even after I told him I was feeling discomfort because I had sciatica to begin with! I should have trusted my gut.., it would have saved me time and $$
Keeping the arch and not falling/caving into my flat foot is the biggest issue I have with single leg excreises… with the help of many of your videos, I’m on my way to solving that problem one day at a time. Ty senpai.
question… what is the difference between doing something like this a split squat or whatever you want to call it, with keeping the rear foot on the ground… versus the rear foot elevated on something… i’ve read/seen online a bench is “too high” or possibly depending on our height… but then say if you’re going to keep rear foot elevated on something lower… why not just take it all the way to the ground? and get more balance? i’ve tried both… still new, getting comfortable, finding things in the gym to elevate rear foot… but i do notice rear foot elevated feels a lot more difficult… (havent found anything online about people analyzing this… possibly more quad? possibly more difficult at the bottom part of the rep with foot on ground and difficult at the mid to upper part of the rep with foot elevated or something, etc…) but also foot elevated felt sort of like using a machine… like the difference between a squat with barbell on your back versus the “smith” machine that slides up and down on poles… i think maybe that’s because rear foot elevated takes something out of the squat? maybe hips and hamstring aren’t working as hard as quads? or something… like the natural squat feeling (muscle feeling/muscles used) was taken out/changed. i have to experiment more… don’t want to hurt my knee/low back doing them… honestly they feel hard and i can’t imagine weighting them with dumbbells… i do split squats with rear foot on the ground… sort of a “static reverse lunge” i call it… and i use dumbbells pretty well… the reason i stopped doing moving lunges is i feel safer control on the (joints) knee, dropping back like a regular squat motion, using hip and hamstring to initiate pull down and movement… while not worrying about some chaotic non working leg placement balance…in a reverse lunge sliding it back and trying to find the right spot each time… i set up, get it right, keep it locked and do reps… and have enjoyed that method… my “patellar tendonitis” I think i had… has faded… by not doing forward walking lunges where tension is moving forward… also the time under tension from not alternating legs feels a more intense leg work out?
CLICK THAT NOTIFICATION BELL SO YOU NEVER MISS AN UPLOAD!
Time for some glute gains!! This one burns like crazy, but it’s totally worth it!
I find the best way to set up is to get into a couch stretch and then push off your front foot. Also I never feel these on my quads, only on my glutes
Your videos are by far the most clear when it comes to learning the form of the body weight exercises. Spectacular work
Hi! thank you for the video! one question, what do you mean by “making sure your knee does not pass your toes”? That your knee shouldnt touch the floor?
Weird question but what kind of shoes are you wearing. I want them
I barely started doing the Bulgarian split… I nee to build strength so I can do the glute strengting hehehe
OMG this may be the most frustrating exercise ever! A slightest of a mistake in form totally turns it from a strength exercise to cardio.
Yes finally I got the video that can help me with the starting position!
This is not correct either. The real Bulgarian split squat, the way Bulgarian Olympic Weightlifters did this exercise looks nothing like the “correct” explanation.
Don’t you get really tired from keeping such a high voice level in your videos? just a thought
also just having the dorsal asepct of the foot flat on the bench seems to be best for also targeting glutes.
Great great great tutorial. Simple lift that is easy to get wrong.
At first glance you would never guess, but it’s one of the most intense leg exercises out there. My quads have grown an inch in the last two months from implementing these guys. I would definitely recommend giving them a chance. The burn is insane!
Thank you so much for correcting me! I had been doing it all wrong all these years! Regards!
my one leg thigh is skinny from other leg…i recover it till 75% through this exercise and keep working on it…its help me alot.. thanks for this video helpful ☺️
I have pain in my knees for more than 4 years, it just doesn’t go away. I don’t have osteoarthritis either. But I really struggle working out on legs, I miss leg days very often, my legs are skinny because I can’t squat. Please help:(
Bulgarian Split Squat, Romanian Deadlift & Various presses named after many Russians Lifters.. These Eastern Europeans are born only to lift and lift heavy ass weights and get exercises named after them..
My traps hurts a lot the next day after doing dumbbells split squat. Is it normal?
Dictionary:bodybuilding.
Also dictionary:Jeff is the definition of bodybuilding
I just did two sets of ten per leg and I don’t think I’ll be able to walk tomorrow. What a pump!
Hi, can bulgarian squat replace the leg extensions machine at home?
Hi, can bulgarian squat replace the leg extensions machine at home?
I might add this to my workout, though I’ve been focused on my abs.
That’ so helpful!! I had no idea i wasn’t doing it correctly! Thank you!
You shouldn’t call it doing it wrong when you are showing others how to do it wrong… The back leg can be farther out if she keeps her back arch up and has better form.. Smarten up
I felt some pain on my knee doing this exercise for the first time, but I followed your tips and i pushed my standing foot a bit further and it feels much better now! Thanks for the tips, keep up the good work!
What’s up guys Jeff Cavaliere athleanX.com and in today’s video…oh wait
@Coach PJ Nester.. was just looking things up about form. I did this exercise, probably wrong. Day after my knee was swollen, had a bad knee popping while i stretched it (outerside) and on top of that my hip snaps too. (Kneecap was slightly blue) The Snapping and popping doesn’t hurt. I wonder what could cause this due to performing this exercise? I’m worried i torn something in the leg Does this sound familiar to someone here? Thanks
Seriously one of the most difficult exercises I’ve done.. I can do like 10 reps and my legs start burning
He’s wrong on one thing…sorry. You can tilt the torso quite far forward on the ascent and still maintain a vertical tibia…you’ll just place greater load on on the ham/glutes in that shape then in a vertical torso rise, which will favor the quads. Same principle applies with low bar / high bar squats. Easy to feel in 2 or 3 reps. Both good but the force vector will change. Just try it.
Props to Christina for holding that squat as long as she did, just watching made my legs burn.
Great video, I’ve been struggling to get these right for some time and I always wondered why my inactive leg always had more of a burn in it then the one I was squatting with.
I don’t like bulgarian split squat because of my hip and femur built, I always end up cramping my hip because my natural squat position is with knees out to the side and with split stance I can only push my knee forward to have balance and not to the side
the videos are always helpful
ill be mindful next time im doing them
thank you
I performed this exercise and i was in immense knee pain after and have been for about 3/4 weeks. i had swelling and bruising of the knee and sometimes my knee would feel numb and tingle or would feel like i had pressure on it. i rested and have not done any lower body workouts for about 2 weeks and its improved slightly but whenever i do exercise it starts to ache again and i will get random shooting pains. when i first injured my knee is hurt to touch and i was limping. my knee pain started a year ago and i think it was due to bad form on the leg press and usually i am fine with split squats. However, this time round i obviously was not. i also find that when i do barbell squats my knees shake and my heel does not stay on the ground. any advise on what this could all be about? my Instagram is sophiemfit if you wanted to contact me through there if its easier.
For some reason these are SO hard for me to do. Can’t even really do 5 without wanting to quit
One of the most underrated exercises. Keep up the good work Scott!
This is exactly what I was looking for. I have limited flexibility in my left foot after a bone fusion surgery, so I am unable to perform traditional barbell squats. Looking at this example, the foot did not flex that much throughout the motion, so I should be able to substitute this into my plan in place of the squats.
Thanks for the demo. I just did these for the first time. It was much harder than I thought it would be.
0:21 What is the difference with a “normal split squat”?
I thought “bulgarian (split) squat” and “split squat” were synonyms.
Your channel is my favorite fitness channel. Just wanted you to know
Such an Athleanx title for a video love your content!!!!!
When my right leg is front I get more burn but when I do with left in front i fell less burn please help me
Great video. I’d been wondering why my back leg and foot were hurting constantly during bulgarians. I was doing the exact position at the start. Thanks!
I’m so glad I found your video. Now I can do these properly!
shouldnt the front knee more or less stay stationary? even in the “correct” way, her knee is shooting forward. AthleanX made a video on the BSS where he demonstrated the movement with a stationary knee. even if his knee did move, it was only a slight jut forward
Is there a rule of thumb for measuring how far, for example, your heel should be from bench?
Thanks for the tip. It will be helpful. You missed the set up ques though.
Just in time:) | Can you give some tips on what to do to recover from patellar tracking and patellofemoral syndrome?
Funny I do this when I warm up for squats..And didnt even know it was an exercise
lol I was doing that long stance too! ahahahahahahaha! Thanks for correct demonstration!
You’re supposed to move your hip not your knees, so knee and tip of the toes are constantly in a vertical line to each other. This is terrible form if you want your knee to survive longer than a few years.
You got straight to the point. Thank you so much. You gave exactly what I asked for, and nothing unnecessary
David Roche brought me here during the Covid 19 Lockdown, hahaha
Gyms are closed. I only have a set of adjustable dumbbells at home to work with. So I can’t load up my legs with barbell back squats or deadlifts. I have resort to the bulgarian split squat to get the proper amount of load per leg. Thank you.
I hurt my left glutes today at the gym cuz I did the bulgarian split squats wrong, so pretty much u just have ur forward leg parallel with your body and your other leg hanging or on top yeah?:)
Can you get glute activation from a Romanian deadlift without weights? I couldn’t feel much when I tried going without
When he’s facing the camera He looks like his head and his whole body is tilted to the right
I wouldn’t advise people extend their foot like that. Putting a lot of weight on a very weak joint. Instead stand on the foot or rest something below the joint to prevent strain and injury on the ankle joint. I don’t understand why examples tell you to stretch it out like this and add weight.
Like Beyonce sung… “All the single leg, all the single leg!”
Brilliant video…gym vet here…under lockdown in Japan…no gyms open….just about to start doing these…big thanks.. subscribed
I’m sorry but this exercise is terrible. Keeping your balance during the movement is easier said than done and your rear foot will hurt like crazy (regardless of the stance showed on the video) so the only way I see one progressing is doing it as your first exercise; I’m sorry but I’ll stick with regular Squats. Maybe it’s a super advanced exercise but I don’t see the point. I just ditched it in favour of more reps in Squat and Glute Raises.
If you really have a desire to do an unilateral leg move just go with Lunges and leave this shit to the bulgarians
Don’t put the back foot so high, and you’ll have no problem. The back leg for the squat is to high. Use a chair so you can hold yourself straight. I never have a problem. The back leg, should be at half the height it is in the video. Try it for the Bulgarian Squats, and you’ll see I am right.
Answers exactly the questions I was asking myself yesterday! Please, please continue the perfect home workout series with legs, back, etc.! The chest video is great!
THis guy give better info and instructions than that Scott Herman guy, who has more view. I don’t understand why this is so. This is much more informative.
I’m just waiting for the “Coach PJ Nestler is Doing It Wrong” youtube channel.
O. M. G. I can’t believe I’ve been doing them wrong this entire time! I tried the technique you showed here in this video, and immediately felt a huge difference! Also, the movement was way more fluid and easier to execute. My booty locked up on me at one point, so I can tell I was definitely hitting the right muscles. Thanks so much for the video.
Every video is basically telling you to crunch your abs stack your ribs and keep your back straight xD
Great technical breakdown…I’ll be focusing on technique when I do my single leg split squats w/rotation tomorrow.
I always wondered why my back leg was burning so much doing this exercise. This cleared up a lot.
This channel is amazing. Right to the point and very clear, thank you!
Her left foot is bothering methat sucker is all twisted, i think that foot and knee should be repositioned!
Subscribed, going to incorporate these in my calisthenics workouts! Someone commented on my videos and said I should try the bulgerian split squat. The exercise name itself already grabbed my attention, you look awesome and displayed a great form of this exercise thank you!
Here’s my concern. The front leg is not straight. There is an angle between my knee and hip /. I’m 6 3 as well. Should I continue with back and hungarian lunges?
Is it okay if your back foot rolls out? When I do these my back foot ankle wants to roll out. I hope this makes sense.
when adding kettlebells, I’ve seen peeps keeping the weight at their sides or resting on forearms up at the chest…is there a difference or benefit between either one?
not a single Bulgarian, who can explain how to do Bulgarian Split Squat
I am not sure on the position of my foot. I am 6’1 and my legs are long so if I put my foot too close
I think you can explain the position without actually having to touch her
If you have a plica syndrome, u can not already do squads…
I thought your front leg wasn’t supposed to that close to the leg that’s on the bench
By far the best and most informative way on how to do split squat. Thank You!
I feel these in my glutes at the top a lot, am I doing something wrong?
For me, this is the go to excercise for anyone who (like me), for whatever reason, cannot use barbell for squats. Unweighted high reps great for strength endurance activities (e.g. hillwalking) & weighted for hypertrophy and strength.
did these today while zercher holding a 125lb barbell for 10 reps… took every ounce of my strength to not scream like a bitch lol these are absolutely NO JOKE.
Wow that’s nice.. my physical therapist had me doing these the wrong way…excellent.
Great video. I shared it on our gym Facebook page. Thank you
amazing video, oke oke. I have a question. If you have the opportunity to do both lunges and bulgarian split squats? which one of these is a better single leg exercise?
I did these for the first time today, I found it pretty hard to keep my balance… any tips? Or will this just improve over time?
I’ve found doing it the “right way” gives me so much knee pain. Moving the front leg far forward and keeping my hips aligned straight seems to alleviate that though the focus of force ends up being more….. Is it ok to do this?
great tips! will do these today on my legs day!! very clear explanation and demonstration.
Yay! Now I can go to the gym and look like I know what I’m doing.
It’s amazing how many different videos on youtube tell you the correct way! And they’re all different! Jeff at athleanx says to keep that front foot further out so when you squat the knee is at 90° so basicly the way you say is wrong! I for one am confused and don’t know who to belive anymore!”
After doing this my arse hasn’t been the same since. Brings all the tops to the yard
Is it still considered bulgarian split squat if you plant your toes on the bench (just like the thumbnail)? Is it less effective since it’s easier for you to get balanced?
As always, changing lives out here, Jeff! I could not do lunges or split squats worth a damn and get my form & rhythm right. This completely corrected it & is killer where it should be (in the muscles) and causing no knee pain at all. You’re a godsend
Very helpful thanks! This is a great way to build quads at home or at least maintain size and strength for experienced lifters who weigh a lot. 😉
What a stupid fucking move. Put a bar on your back and stop being such a bitch. Stop being so fucking lazy
I have notice i have a great inbalance while doing splits squats what can i do to correct that?
I usually just do normal squats and i tried these for the first time yesterday. My butt cheeks are so sore, its like my first time working out type of sore. I cant even sit down without being in pain!
I just started bulgarian split squats and was wondering why my quads burn sooo badly. Really glad to come across your video. Keep up the good work!
Lol, if I can arch back in a split position and grab my back leg with both hands and touch my head to my back leg, then putting my leg far behind me isn’t going to put my back under any more pressure than it’s already used to.
Awesome….it’s very timely for me…I did it today and it was completely wrong…thank you for the video
Put your lead foot out at the desired distance, then pop your rear foot on the bench no hopping needed, chief!
Hey! I feel very much unbalanced while doing it with two dumbells..
please tell how could balancing be maintained
If using dumbbells. Just in one hand? Or can we use two dumbbells in both
absolutely ridiculous video. There is nothing wrong with stepping out further and a wider stance, you just lean forward and stop trying to stay so upright, then it becomes more hamstring/glute dominant instead of just stepping closer which uses more quad.
Best vid on this exercise on the web. Thanks. BTW this is a top 5 exercise for sexual health!
The #SquatUclub is now on YouTube! As soon as I upload a new video, “like” it and comment with the hashtag #SquatUclub ASAP. I’ll pick amongst those who do so within 1 hour of the video going live and pick one winner to start working on whatever you need help with (squat technique, an achy hip, help with back pain during deadlifts, etc). You must be SUBSCRIBED to my YouTube channel for a chance to win. Turning on notifications by clicking the little bell next to the SUBSCRIBE button on my channel will make sure you can be first in line to win every time!
I’ll reply under the winners comment so make sure you keep up on your notifications!
Mcgill says that too much lunge will hurt your hip. How can I mitigate that?
i don’t see why too low of a rear foot placement/low “bench” is a problem? it’s safe to do this exercise with your foot on the floor, why would slightly raising it be bad? if anything I feel like raising it too high is a problem for lower back and knee, and pelvis angle, etc… causing trouble… why is the magic proper height for your foot, for everybody of all heights… a bench?
When doing this exercise I get serious pain on the inside of my standing knee. Help!
So you can do these instead of 2 leg squats, if you don’t have access to a barbell and a squat rack, and see the same results?
Dr. Horschig, if I use this exercise to help with my Olympic weightlifting should I be doing this exercise in lifters or not?
What about holding 2 dumbells, one in each hand? For me, this seems like the most comfortable way to add weight. Any problems with this method?
Thank you Doctor Aaron, I’m trying to heal my patellar tendinopathy for quite some time now. Found your website’s article to be of great use. I really miss the old days when I was squatting heavy and I hope to make it back there soon..
I get a slight pain in my right groin when in the starting position, any advice appreciated? Great video btw
Now that you know how to Bulgarian split squat, here are some other How To videos to check out:
➢Fix Your Form Pocket Book: http://bit.ly/FormCheatSheet
➢Fix Your Form Playlist: http://bit.ly/FixYourForm
Fix your lat-pulldown form: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=von4DUh9soE
Cable crunch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV5PmZJIrrw
Leg press: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHPHn-OnTqE
Shoulder press: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkkCpKSccjQ
DB Bench press: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Soq7ElEu0MU
Deadlift: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHJHvV2EPsY
Face pull: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bLivsAhDFY
Close grip bench press: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1uIv77eo6I
Seated row: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A77hAjcpN1s
Time Stamps:
Common Mistakes:
1. ( 0:05)Improper distance
2. ( 0:32)Poor foot placement
3. ( 1:19)No focal point
( 2:04)Proper Form and full tutorial
It is hard for me to have balance when using the right leg in the front. Also, my knee sounds that crack as a door with no-oil in joints. Still, I will keep on trying to do the Bulgarian squat, now without the dumbbells
So glad I found this too! I was doing mine all wrong. Thanks for giving in-depth explanations! Now I can do mine properly!!
I love love love love love love your video!!!!!!! Extremely knowledgeable
You are pushing backwards and not forwards aka doing the exercise wrong.
Hi everybody, I got an issue with this exercise: I only feel the back leg (the one on the bench) when am doing this exercise, is it something in the form, or maybe should I put on more weight or is it just how it should feel…?
Doing these with barbells scares the shit out of me lol…imagine falling over with a barbell
I been doing this exercise for about a year now. Although my form is pretty good, I do struggle with balance sometimes.
When I use dumbbells I’ve tried holding one dumbbell at a time, both, and even in the goblet position. In all of these styles I find the best for balance is holding both dumbbells along my sides.
Next time, I’ll try holding them in a pressing position to see if this makes a difference.
I would appreciate some more tips on balance when doing this exercise.
Thanks!!
Why my glutes are always (literally always) sore from split squats or lunges (and from single leg deadlifts too, but as much)?
Awesome video. I’ve tried this exercise a few times and felt that I did it wrong every time. I’ll try it out again, thanks
my favorite exercise for leg which I hated the most at first but my body hates barbell for all exercises (except for hip thrust).
When i do this, my toes starts cramping on the toe which i have in the bench. Any advices?
43 y/o weekend warrior here with crazy heel pain in the morning which gradually fades as I move. But any period of rest will just bring it back. Any tips? Love the videos by the way.
Hi Aaron. With the standard position (shin and torso angle the same), is it best to push through the whole foot (as with the squat) or the heels?
the best explanation, broken down into simple steps. Thank you!
Is it true that if you lean more forward you shift focus on the posterior chain musculature?
I’m a woman and I am trying to shape my butt a little.
Will this exercise help growing my glutes? Can it help “fix” hip dips?
#SquatUClub how do We incorporate it on our weekly weightlifting program? Once a week coupled with RDL, after squats or as stand alone exercise for lower body? Thanks!
Love your content . Just a question I have SI joint pain after I squat:(. What are your thoughts on that?!
This is the exercise I hate most by a big margin. I feel like shit when going heavy, more than on any big compound, I don’t know what to do with my back leg since I am tall it’s alway my toes not my forefoot resting on the bench which hurts like hell which is a big issue for me. And when I finished one set and feel like I want to die I realise I only worked one leg for one set. God I even started replacing this exercise with lunges and hip thrusters because I hate it so much.
I am in need of some good advice regarding my legs/lower body, if anyone can help. I am a male, I weigh about 82kg, and my height is 1.85. Even though my upper body is very lean and muscular, my lower body(legs and ass) is fat.
My bodyfat level is quite low.
Whenever I do squats I feel like my lower body looks even bigger, in a not good way. So I stopped training my legs and focused on dropping more fat. Is there any good way to fix that? Am I doing it all wrong?
Your videos are fantastic! I’ve been a competitive Powerlifter since 98. I’ve watched countless training videos but the way you compose yourself and present all the information, totally awesome.
Hey
What your opinion for bulgh lower back.bulgarian is safe?
Only body.pt told me singel leg is safe more than 2 legs.regular squat…i have big legs.this is easy for me only body.thx
I feel a damn good stretch+contraction by putting 50-60% of my weight on the back leg. Is that bad to do it this way? Or the feeling part is important? Plus, I use to add weight with a DB in both hand, is it truly important to get only the opposite side with weight? Thank you for the good content
Their stability is really really good. I got some work to do.
I usually get tired on the on the back leg not on the one i place on the ground. Not whats exactly i am doing wrong.
Dr A watching me struggle with another movement and dropping a vid I needed once again! Lol #SquatUClub
I thought maybe using the bench was too high for my height. Great content, thanks. This is my favorite exercise for legs since I’ve had a couple back injuries, so I really like to mostly use single leg exercise… Is that a good practice for my history? I use only dumbbells and powerblocks at home.
Jeff. The cameraman is ruining the explanation moving the camera too much and taking your knee out of frame every time you mention something important about it. Smh
Hi there….gym veteran here…been training 30 years…. Was a hard core bodybuilder until having an epiphany 3 years ago and started boxing….gone are all the isolation exercises and am now doing squats, bench, pull ups, bent over rows, deadlift and military press only, twice a week. Since the world basically went into lockdown I started doing calisthenics and found I could easily work my upper body but had trouble doing serious lower body workouts. So I bought a dumbbell set from 5kg all the way up to 40kg. I don’t want to buy a power rack so was wondering if Bulgarian split squats would give me the same leg workout as my regular squats ( maxing out at 180 kgs for 4 reps )….could these do the trick?
I haven’t watched this. But I’m sure it’ll quality as always.
Great explanation! I just started doing this exercise and I can’t seem to get the hang of it yet. Gotta practice some using your tips
God i can barely do these with my own bodyweight without falling over, can i blame my flat feet?
I love these videos it has helped with my form. Can you do a video on kettle bell swings because I see people doing it different ways.
Can you please explain the reasoning behind not letting your knee travel pass your toes?
Was so tempted to click off the video just because he called me nation. Stupid. Don’t refer to your YouTube audience as nation.
Good and helpful video, especially for form correction parts. Does Anna/Ana have an Instagram account? I didn’t see it listed under the ‘Show More’ tab is the description box.
Anyone else here feel it most in the leg that’s “resting” on the bench? I’m doing something wrong aren’t I Jeff? Lol great video!!
Well fuck me…. I’m that “don’t do this” example. Knew there was a reason i was strugling so hard.
this exercise is incredible but my knee from the front right leg hurts as hell and make that sound of no-oil door; I will continue on trying this but without the dumbbells
I was curious about when the hip dips during these during lunges,. Is a hip dip due to lack of strength?
Is a hip dip something that should ALWAYS be avoided, like having a rounded back…its a no no. Is a hip dip during lunges always a no no?
Thanks for making the video for us!
Great video. Have you come across people with weak adductors causing them to favour the outside of the leg which in turn causing IT band issues?
You can’t see the floor mat where your other foot is positioned.
Person filming needs to step back to get your whole body in the frame when your demonstrating.
Apart from that it’s very informative
No wonder why my lower back was always in pain when doing this exercice . Thank you so much for this video!!
I seriously cannot thank you enough for this video. For YEARS I have struggled with Bulgarian split squats. I’ve always heard the farther you are from the bench, the more you’ll feel it in your glutes but for me doing so would kill my knees. Not the one doing the lunge, but the one resting on the bench. As soon as I would lower myself I could feel the tendons around it screaming so I’d have to stop. For the last year I’ve completely written them out of my routine because they caused me too much pain. I found your video on Monday and performed them the correct way as you show. At first it felt a bit funny setting up for it but I looked in the mirror to make sure I lowered myself at that 90 degrees with my body straight and aligned. I had absolutely no pain in my resting knee. Not only that, I immediately felt it in my glutes after only one rep. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!
I can do >100kg barbel squat, but i find this look easy squat so challenging even with few kg dumbells
What do you think about advance elevated shrimp squat? Thanks a lot