How to do the Bulgarian Split Squat
Step by step
- Stand a couple of feet in front of a bench and rest the top of one foot on it behind you.
- Set the front foot far enough forward that the knee can stay over the ankle.
- Lower straight down by bending the front knee, dropping the back knee toward the floor.
- Keep your torso tall and most of your weight on the front foot.
- Drive up through the front foot to standing, then finish the set and switch legs.
The thing people get wrong
Drop the back knee straight down and keep weight on the front foot - do not push off the rear foot to help.
Coaching cue
Keep your front heel flat on the floor from the first rep to the last.
Stay safe
Use a stable bench around knee height; a wobbly or too-high surface twists your back knee.
Make it easier or harder
- Easier: Rest your rear foot on a low step instead, or lower only partway down.
- Harder: Pause for two seconds at the bottom of every rep.
Muscles worked
- Primary: Quads, Glutes
- Secondary: Hamstrings, Core
What to do instead
Same job, different movement — useful if you don't have the equipment or it doesn't feel right today.
Daily Coach builds this into a real weekly plan. It picks the exercises for your equipment and experience, swaps around injuries you tell it about, and tracks what you actually lifted.