Bulgarian split squat
A single-leg squat where the back foot is raised on a bench behind you.
Overview
The Bulgarian split squat is a single-leg exercise where the rear foot rests on a bench or step behind you. With most of your weight on the front leg, you lower straight down and press back up, which places a strong emphasis on one leg at a time.
Raising the back foot increases the demand on balance and the range of the front leg compared with a standard lunge. It is usually introduced once basic lunges feel comfortable, and it can be done with bodyweight or while holding dumbbells.
The movement
- 1Stand a stride in front of a bench and rest the top of one foot on it behind you.
- 2Lower your hips straight down by bending the front knee.
- 3Keep your torso tall and most of your weight on the front foot.
- 4Press through the front foot to return to the top.
Beginner notes
- A low, stable step or bench works well for the back foot.
- Holding a wall lightly can help with balance while you learn it.
- Often introduced after standard lunges feel comfortable.
A note on training information
Where it’s used
Sports this relates to:
Fitness
Strength and general fitness training — the foundation that supports every other sport.
Running
The most accessible endurance sport — no venue, just shoes and the open road or trail.
Football
The world’s most popular team sport — endless running, teamwork and community in one game.
Functional Fitness
Varied, whole-body training built around everyday movement patterns like squatting, lifting and carrying.
Related exercises
Squat
A foundational lower-body movement where you bend at the hips and knees to lower down and stand back up.
Goblet squat
A squat variation where you hold a single weight close to your chest for balance and control.
Jump squat
An explosive squat variation where you spring off the floor at the top of the movement.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Bulgarian split squat to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Movement patterns
- SquatA knee-dominant pattern: bending the hips, knees and ankles to lower and rise while keeping the torso upright — the foundation of lower-body strength.
- LungeA split-stance, single-leg-emphasis pattern: stepping or dropping into a staggered stance and pushing back up to build single-leg strength, balance and stability.
- AccelerationThe athletic pattern of building speed from a standing or slow start by driving large horizontal forces into the ground to project the body forward.
- BoundAn exaggerated, horizontal springing stride that transfers from one leg to the opposite leg with a long flight phase, amplifying the mechanics of running.
- Change of DirectionA planned redirection of the body from one movement vector to another, requiring an athlete to decelerate existing momentum and reaccelerate along a new line between two known points.
Tactics
- Offside trapA defensive football tactic where the back line steps up together to leave an attacker offside.
- Negative splitA pacing tactic where an athlete covers the second half of a race faster than the first.
- High pressA football tactic where a team hunts the ball high up the pitch to win it back close to the opponent’s goal.
- Serve and volleyAn attacking tennis tactic where the server follows their serve to the net to finish the point with a volley.
- Man-to-man markingA defensive tactic where each defender is assigned a specific opponent to track and contain.
Sports science
- ProprioceptionThe body’s internal sense of where its parts are and how they are moving — the awareness behind balance and coordinated movement.
- BiomechanicsThe study of how the body produces and controls movement — the mechanics behind every technique in sport.
- Motor controlHow the brain and nervous system organise the muscles to produce coordinated, controlled movement.
- Force and powerThe difference between how much force the body can produce and how quickly it can produce it — the mechanics behind strength and explosiveness.
Techniques
- Flip TurnA fast turn in freestyle where the swimmer somersaults at the wall, pushes off on their back and rotates to continue swimming.
- Bodyweight SquatA foundational lower-body exercise that lowers the hips by bending the knees and hips, then stands back up, using only body weight.
- Inside-of-the-Foot PassThe most reliable short pass in football, played with the inside surface of the foot for accuracy over a short to medium distance.
- Tennis ServeThe overhead stroke that starts every point, hit from behind the baseline into the diagonally opposite service box.
- Badminton ClearAn overhead stroke that sends the shuttlecock high and deep to the opponent's back court, resetting the rally or buying time.
Facilities
- Basketball courtA rectangular hard-surfaced court with a raised hoop and backboard at each end where basketball is played.
- Tennis courtA rectangular marked court, divided across the middle by a net, where tennis is played as singles or doubles.
- Volleyball courtA rectangular court split by a high net over which two teams rally the ball, played indoors or on sand.
Disciplines
- Top-Rope ClimbingA roped format where the rope runs up to an anchor at the top of the route and back down, so the climber is held from above throughout the ascent.
- BackstrokeBackstroke is swum face-up with an alternating arm pull and flutter kick — the one competitive stroke where you breathe freely because your face stays out of the water.
- Freestyle WrestlingAn Olympic wrestling style where wrestlers may attack the legs and use holds below the waist to take down and pin their opponent.
- Clean and JerkThe clean and jerk is one of the two Olympic weightlifting lifts, raising the bar to the shoulders and then driving it overhead in two phases.
- Speed ClimbingA timed format where climbers ascend a route as fast as possible, most recognizably as a head-to-head race on a standardized competition wall.