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Split Squat / Bulgarian Split Squat

Draftstrength90%intermediate⬤ strong evidence
View FHIR resourceFHIR R4 ActivityDefinition — the interoperable form of this exercise

Positions & Range of Motion

Start
Standing in a staggered stance, front foot flat on the floor and rear foot behind on the ground or elevated toe-down on a bench, tall trunk, hips square
End
Bottom of the descent with the rear knee lowered toward the floor, front shin near-vertical, front knee tracking over the second toe and hip/knee deeply flexed
Range of Motion
~0–90°+ front-knee and hip flexion under load, returning to full extension

How to Perform

Staggered stance squat with rear foot on ground or elevated on bench. RFESS produces BF 76.1% MVIC (vs 62.3% standard), glute med 54.9% MVIC, and H/Q ratio of 0.83 (vs 0.69 standard). ACL-reconstructed limbs show 7.3% lower vGRF, 12.8% reduced knee contribution, and 9.8% increased hip contribution.

Watch on YouTube↗

Opens a YouTube search for “Split Squat / Bulgarian Split Squat”

Equipment:benchdumbbells
Starting position: standing

Coaching Cues

  1. 1

    Tall trunk, vertical front shin — front-leg quad and glute share the load

    (verbal)
  2. 2

    Lower the back knee toward the floor

    (verbal)
  3. 3

    Push the front foot into the floor to stand tall

    (verbal)
  4. 4

    Front knee tracks straight over the second toe

    (tactile)

Evidence-Based Dosing & EMG Data

Recommended Dosing

3×8-12 reps per leg at 60-80% 1RM, 2-3x/week [Mausehund 2019]

EMG Activation Data

RFESS: BF 76.1% MVIC, glute med 54.9% MVIC, H/Q ratio 0.83 [Mausehund 2019]. Muscle forces scale more with load in split squat vs bilateral squat [Kipp 2022]

Muscles Involved (6)

Primary Movers

Quadriceps Femoris— Front leg — comparable to bilateral squat
Gluteus Maximus— Similar peak values to bilateral squat [Mausehund 2019]

Secondary Movers

Hamstrings (Group)— 76.1% MVIC RFESS — higher coactivation [Mausehund 2019]

Stabilizers

Gluteus Medius— 54.9% MVIC — pelvic stability in unilateral stance

Lengthened / Stretched

Iliopsoas— AUDIT: Rear-foot-elevated position drives rear-leg hip extension, passively stretching the rear hip flexors.
Rectus Femoris— AUDIT: Rear hip extension + knee flexion passively lengthens RF on the trailing leg.

Easier Variations ↓

1

Standard Split Squat

Rear foot on ground. Lower H/Q ratio (0.69) but easier to balance.

2

Bodyweight Only

Master the pattern before adding external load.

Harder Variations ↑

1

Deficit Bulgarian Split Squat

Front foot on a small plate for increased ROM.

2

Loaded RFESS

Add barbell or heavy dumbbells. Forces scale more than bilateral squat [Kipp 2022].

Target Movements (3)

Knee ExtensionTibiofemoral Joint
Knee FlexionTibiofemoral Joint
Hip ExtensionHip Joint (Coxofemoral)

Why This Exercise Matters

Everyday activities this exercise helps you do — essential means it directly trains the capacity the task needs:

Stair ClimbingFloor Transfers (Sit-to-Floor-to-Stand)Running and Jogging

Goals This Helps With

Rehab, performance, prevention, and mobility goals this exercise supports — essential means it's a cornerstone:

Improve Single-Leg StrengthperformanceImprove Your SquatperformanceFall Preventionprevention

Evidence Sources (2)