How to do the Bulgarian Split Squat
- Stand a few feet in front of a bench and place the top of one foot behind you.
- Set your front foot far enough forward that your heel stays planted through the descent.
- Square your hips, keep your torso slightly inclined forward, and let your arms hang naturally.
- Brace your trunk and lower straight down by bending the front knee and back knee together.
- Descend until the front thigh reaches at least parallel and the back knee drops close to the floor.
- Drive through the full front foot, especially the midfoot and heel, to rise back up.
- Finish tall over the front leg without bouncing off the back foot.
- Complete all reps on one side before switching legs.
Common mistakes
- Standing too close to bench
- Pushing off the back foot
- Front knee collapsing inward
- Front heel lifting at bottom
- Turning it into a lunge
Form cues
- Find your front-foot distance
- Drop straight down
- Keep front heel planted
- Load the front leg
- Square the hips
