The dumbbell Bulgarian split squat builds strong, muscular quads and glutes without a heavy back squat. One leg does the work, so a pair of dumbbells goes a long way.

Most people push off the back leg like it's a second working leg. It's a kickstand. The other thing they ignore is the front foot, and where you put it decides whether the set hits your quads or your glutes.

What the Bulgarian split squat is and why it works

It's a unilateral squat. Your back foot sits up on a bench or a Bulgarian split squat stand, and your front leg does almost all the work. It builds the quads and the glutes.

I'm a huge fan of it, and I'll load it however I can: barbell, safety bar, kettlebells, dumbbells. Because you're only on one leg, you don't need a ton of weight compared to a double leg squat. That makes it a great way to build bigger quads without heavy back or front squats.

It also builds single leg strength and gives you a chance to clean up how your ankle, knee and hip move together. And since you're driving one leg at a time, you really get to feel that leg working.

Quads or glutes: where to put your feet

I set the stance based on what I want out of the set.

• For quads: stand closer to the bench, stay upright and let the front knee travel forward.
• For glutes: step further out and hinge the torso forward slightly.
• For a bit of both: take a more neutral stance where you're not stretched way out.

Watch the bench height too. If it's too high, it pulls your hip open too much. Before I load anything, I like to sit down on the bench, get a nice stretch and feel out which position feels balanced.

Going narrow for more quad

If you want this to be a quad exercise, go narrow. The narrower the better, because it forces that front knee out in front of you. A wider stance puts less in the quad and more in the hip and glute.

There's a limit. Get too narrow and your front heel starts lifting. If that happens, just slide the foot out a little until the heel stays down.

How to do a dumbbell Bulgarian split squat

1. Set the back foot. Hold the dumbbells at your sides and place your rear foot up on the bench or pad. That back knee should sit basically under the hip, not cocked out to the side.
2. Get tall. Torso high, front heel down, toes down. Lock the core in and keep the abs engaged so you're not arching hard through the low back.
3. Lower straight down. Let the back knee bend and let the front shin control the depth. Nice and smooth, under control. You should feel the quad load up.
4. Let the knee travel. The front knee goes out over the toes, roughly over the second toe. You don't need to shove it out. Just don't let it cave in.
5. Drive up through the front leg. Push through the front heel and midfoot. The back foot is a kickstand. It's there for balance, not to help you stand up.

Think about letting your hip sink right down over that front heel, with the hips, knees and ankles all working together. In my split squats, about 90 percent of my weight is on the front leg.

Common Bulgarian split squat mistakes

Mistake	What it does	The fix
Stance too short	The knee jams forward, the front heel lifts and your balance goes	Slide the front foot out until the heel stays flat
Pushing off the back foot	The back leg isn't relaxed, so you end up fighting yourself	Treat the back foot as a kickstand and drive through the front leg
Torso collapsing forward	Usually shows up when the weight gets heavy and pulls the work away from the quads	Keep the torso high and drop the load until you can stay tall
Half reps	You never load up the front leg at the bottom	Sit nice and low and get full depth on every rep
Front knee caving in	The knee tracks inward instead of over the toes	Keep the knee out over the toe the whole way down and up

Sets and reps for Bulgarian split squats

For the dumbbell version, I program 3 sets of 8-12 reps per leg. That's my starting point.

The nice thing about this exercise is how many ways you can train it. Go heavy in the 3-5 or 5-10 rep range for strength. Go 10-15, or even 15-25, if you want to build up a bunch of metabolites and chase serious growth in the quads and glutes.

Either way, you don't need to use a ton of weight. One leg at a time is plenty hard.

If you're building a full lower body day, pair it with a heel elevated goblet squat for more quad work, or a hip thrust if glutes are the priority.

Bulgarian split squat variations

Barbell Bulgarian split squat

Same movement, with the bar on your back in a high bar position like a back squat. Tight upper back, step out of the rack, put your foot on the pad and descend nice and low into that front leg. The same stance rules apply.

Barbell split squat (the beginner option)

If the Bulgarian version is too much balance for you right now, start here. Both feet stay on the floor, so it doesn't take as much balance or strength.

Unrack, walk back a little and slide one foot back. You're up on the back toe and that back foot is a kickstand. Stay upright and let the back knee go toward the ground. A narrow stance gives you more knee bend and more quad. Move the back foot further back and you get a little less quad and a little more glute.

The two problems I see most: the back hip is tight so the hips rotate on the way down, or the front heel comes up. Go light first, build the technique, then start layering on weight.

Front foot elevated split squat (FFE)

Put your front foot up on plates, books or something about an inch or two high. Make sure the whole foot fits firmly. Raising the front foot lets you get deeper into the squat, which means more knee bend and more demand on the quads.

Drop the other leg back, stay up on that toe and descend slowly with the pressure in the front foot. Then push up through the front leg. Keep most of your weight in that front foot the whole set.

Hatfield (rack supported) Bulgarian split squat

This is one of my favorite unilateral squat variations. I use a safety bar because it sits balanced on your back, which frees your hands to hold the rack and guide yourself side to side.

You lose the balance piece. That's on purpose. There's a benefit to the balance component, but sometimes I want to drive one leg to failure without being limited by my ability to stay upright. The support lets me add more load and almost turns it into a guided, machine-style single leg squat.

It's an advanced option, but it's also great for people learning the groove. The last time I filmed it I did five sets of five, working up from 100 to 120 kilos.

FAQ

Is the Bulgarian split squat a quad or glute exercise?

Both. Stand closer to the bench and stay upright for more quad. Step further out and lean forward slightly for more glute.

Should my back knee bend?

Yes. Let the back knee bend as you go down, but keep that leg relaxed. All it does is help you balance.

How heavy should I go?

Lighter than you think. You're on one leg, so you don't need anywhere near your double leg squat weight to get a lot out of it.

What if the Bulgarian split squat is too hard to balance?

Start with a regular split squat with both feet on the floor. It takes less balance and strength, and the same stance rules carry over.

The bottom line

Pick your front foot position for quads or glutes, leave the back foot alone and sink straight down. You'll be surprised how light the dumbbells can be and still wreck your legs.

Training legs at home? Start with my free dumbbell program, or get every J2FIT program in one app for $29/month.

Coach Mike Dewar, MA, USAW2. Founder, J2FIT Strength & Conditioning. 20+ years coaching, D1 and D3 strength coach.