How to Do a Bulgarian Split Squat: A Beginner's Guide

If squats and lunges feel comfortable and you want a move that makes each leg work on its own, the Bulgarian split squat is a great next step. You rest your back foot on a bench and squat down on your front leg. It looks simple and feels hard. This guide covers the setup, the cues, easier versions, common mistakes and a 4-week plan that fits around your running.

What is a Bulgarian split squat?

A Bulgarian split squat is a split squat with your back foot raised on a bench, step or box, also called a rear-foot-elevated split squat. The name is usually traced to a Bulgarian weightlifting coach who lectured in the US in the late 1980s, although how central the move really was to Bulgarian training is debated.

Unlike a lunge, your feet stay put and you simply move up and down, with more of your weight on the front leg. In one force-plate study of 26 men, the front foot produced around 84% of the total vertical force, so it is close to a true single-leg exercise.

What muscles does the Bulgarian split squat work?

• Quads, on the front of your front thigh, do much of the work, especially out of the bottom.
• Glutes on the front leg help drive you up and finish tall.
• Adductors and hamstrings help steady your hip.
• Hip stabilisers and core keep your pelvis level and stop you wobbling sideways.
• Back leg: the front of your back hip gets a stretch.

A slightly longer stance with a small forward lean tends to bring in more glute, while a shorter stance with an upright chest tends to load the quads more. Neither is wrong, so pick whichever feels steadiest.

Why does single-leg work help runners?

Running is a series of single-leg landings and push-offs. Two-legged lifts like squats build plenty of strength, but they let your stronger side quietly do more of the work. Single-leg moves make each leg carry its own load.

• It shows up differences between sides. Many people find one leg is steadier or stronger, and training each side separately helps the weaker one catch up.
• It trains hip and knee control. Keeping your knee in line while balancing on one leg is a similar job to the one your hips do on every stride.
• It supports running economy. A 2024 review of studies in middle- and long-distance runners found strength training can improve running economy, meaning you use less energy at a given pace, though the effect varied by method and speed.
• It is kind on your back. You can work your legs hard with light weights or none at all.

Strength work is no guaranteed shield against injury, and the evidence on single-leg training for injury prevention is mixed, but stronger legs and better control are a sensible goal.

How do you set up the bench and your feet?

• Bench height: lower than you think. A standard gym bench is usually around 40 to 45 cm, roughly knee height for many adults, which is a lot of range at first. Start on an aerobics step, low box or the bottom stair, around 15 to 30 cm, and move up to knee height once you can do clean sets of 8 on each leg. Higher than knee height rarely helps beginners.
• Back foot: laces down or toes tucked. Rest the top of your foot on the bench, or tuck your toes onto the edge. Laces down feels steadier for many people.
• Front foot: use the sit test. Sit on the edge of the bench, reach one leg straight out and plant your heel where it lands. Stand up, put your back foot on the bench and do a slow test rep. At the bottom, your front heel should stay flat and your shin should be roughly upright or tilted slightly forward. If your heel lifts, move your foot forward. If you get stuck halfway down, bring it back a little.
• Width: train tracks, not a tightrope. Keep your feet about hip-width apart side to side. That one change fixes most early wobbles.

How do you do a Bulgarian split squat, step by step?

Practise with bodyweight first, and film one set from the side if you can.

1. Set up. Back foot on the bench, front foot in position, hips facing forward, hands on your hips.
2. Brace. Stand tall, breathe into your belly and gently tighten your core.
3. Lower straight down. Bend your front knee and let your back knee drop towards the floor, like a lift going down.
4. Keep your front knee in line. Let it travel forward over your toes without caving inwards.
5. Find your depth. Go down until your front thigh is about parallel to the floor, or as low as you can with your heel down and hips level.
6. Drive up. Push the floor away through your whole front foot. The back leg is only there for balance.
7. Switch legs. Do every rep on one side, then the other, starting with your weaker side.

What are the easier versions to start with?

Move up a rung when you can do 3 sets of 8 on each leg with good control, and step back down if your form slips.

• Rung 1, supported split squat. Both feet on the floor in a long split stance, one hand on a wall, rack or sturdy chair. Ideal if balance is the issue.
• Rung 2, split squat with no bench. The same move, hands on hips, no support.
• Rung 3, supported Bulgarian split squat on a low step. Back foot on a step of around 15 to 30 cm, one hand lightly on a support.
• Rung 4, bodyweight Bulgarian split squat. No support, step up to knee height.
• Rung 5, weighted. A dumbbell in each hand by your sides, or one at your chest in a goblet hold.
• Rung 6, tempo or pause. Take three seconds to lower, or pause at the bottom. Handy with light weights at home.

Holding a support is not cheating. It lets your legs learn the movement while your balance catches up.

What are the most common mistakes, and how do you fix them?

How many sets and reps should you do?

For most beginners, 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps per leg, twice a week, is plenty. Rest about 60 to 90 seconds between sets and finish each set with a rep or two in reserve. Stick to bodyweight for the first week or two. Once 3 sets of 10 per leg feel controlled, add a light pair of dumbbells, often around 4 to 8 kg each, and drop back to 8 reps. Expect sore legs for a day or two after your first sessions.

What does a 4-week Bulgarian split squat plan look like?

Do two sessions a week, with at least one easy or rest day between them. If your balance is already good, start at week 2.

If week 4 feels comfortable, repeat it and add weight in small steps.

How do Bulgarian split squats fit into a hybrid week with running?

Place them where they support your runs rather than leaving your legs flat.

• Pair them with easy days. Do them after an easy run or on a non-running day, never the day before a long run or hard session.
• Run first on double days. If running is your priority, run first and lift afterwards.
• Ease off before races. In the last week or so before a race, drop to one light set or leave them out.
• Keep hard leg days apart. Avoid HIIT and heavy leg work on back-to-back days.

A simple beginner week: Monday, split squats plus upper body; Tuesday, easy run; Wednesday, rest; Thursday, split squats plus core; Friday, rest; Saturday, longer easy run; Sunday, short HIIT session or rest.

This is where a plan that treats running, strength and HIIT as one helps, so your leg days support your runs instead of competing with them. Edge Pro builds a fully personalised plan around your goals, ready within 24 hours, with a real coach you can message anytime about your form or a busy week.

This article is general guidance, not medical advice. If you are new to exercise, returning from injury, pregnant, or managing a health condition, speak to your GP before starting, and see a physio for any niggle that does not settle.