Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat

Muscles worked by the Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat

Primary

GlutesGluteus MaximusQuadsQuadriceps Femoris

Secondary

AdductorsHip AdductorsLower BackErector SpinaeGlute MediusGluteus MediusHamstringsHamstring Muscles

Also called: glute, glutes, gluteus maximus, buttocks, butt, quad.

Equipment

Barbell

Also called: bar, olympic barbell, straight bar, olympic bar, power bar.

How to do the Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat

1. Set a barbell across the upper back and stand about two feet in front of a flat bench, facing away from it.
2. Place the top of one foot on the bench behind you, with the front foot far enough forward to keep the shin close to vertical when you lower.
3. Brace the trunk and lower the back knee toward the floor by bending the front hip and knee.
4. Descend until the front thigh is about parallel to the floor, keeping the chest up.
5. Drive through the middle of the front foot to return to the start.
6. Complete the repetitions on one leg, then switch.

Form tips

• Keep most of the weight on the front leg; the back foot is only there for balance.
• Keep the front knee tracking over the toes and the torso upright.
• Use a lighter load than in a regular back squat, and set up the bar and a safe way to drop it before you step into position.

At a glance

Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat in German & Spanish

Descriptions, instructions and tips ship in all three languages in the JSON.

Related exercises

• Banded Squat
• Barbell Back Squat
• Bodyweight Squat
• Box Squat
• Bulgarian Split Squat
• Deep Squat Hold
• Dumbbell Front Squat
• Dumbbell Pistol Squat

Exercise data (JSON)

The record below is exactly what exercises.json ships for this exercise — names, descriptions, instructions and tips in English, German and Spanish.

{
  "id": "barbell-bulgarian-split-squat",
  "name_en": "Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat",
  "name_de": "Langhantel Bulgarische Kniebeuge",
  "name_es": "Sentadilla Búlgara con Barra",
  "description_en": "A single-leg squat with the rear foot raised on a bench and a barbell held across the upper back. The heavy, unilateral load works the quadriceps and glutes of the front leg and challenges balance and hip mobility.",
  "description_de": "Eine einbeinige Kniebeuge mit auf einer Bank erhöhtem hinterem Fuß und einer Langhantel auf dem oberen Rücken. Die schwere einseitige Last beansprucht Quadrizeps und Gesäß des vorderen Beins und fordert Gleichgewicht und Hüftbeweglichkeit.",
  "description_es": "Una sentadilla a una pierna con el pie trasero apoyado en un banco y una barra sobre la parte alta de la espalda. La carga pesada y unilateral trabaja los cuádriceps y los glúteos de la pierna delantera y exige equilibrio y movilidad de cadera.",
  "category": "strength",
  "force_type": "push",
  "mechanic": "compound",
  "difficulty": "advanced",
  "equipment": "barbell",
  "body_part": "upper_legs",
  "primary_muscles": [
    "gluteus_maximus",
    "quadriceps"
  ],
  "secondary_muscles": [
    "adductors",
    "erector_spinae",
    "gluteus_medius",
    "hamstrings"
  ],
  "goals": [
    "hypertrophy",
    "strength"
  ],
  "tags": [
    "leg_day",
    "requires_bench"
  ],
  "variation_group": "squat",
  "is_unilateral": true,
  "is_bodyweight": false,
  "instructions_en": [
    "Set a barbell across the upper back and stand about two feet in front of a flat bench, facing away from it.",
    "Place the top of one foot on the bench behind you, with the front foot far enough forward to keep the shin close to vertical when you lower.",
    "Brace the trunk and lower the back knee toward the floor by bending the front hip and knee.",
    "Descend until the front thigh is about parallel to the floor, keeping the chest up.",
    "Drive through the middle of the front foot to return to the start.",
    "Complete the repetitions on one leg, then switch."
  ],
  "instructions_de": [
    "Leg eine Langhantel auf den oberen Rücken und stell dich etwa 60 cm vor eine flache Bank, mit dem Rücken zu ihr.",
    "Stell den Fußrücken eines Fußes hinter dir auf die Bank; der vordere Fuß steht so weit vorn, dass das Schienbein beim Absenken nahezu senkrecht bleibt.",
    "Spann den Rumpf an und senke das hintere Knie Richtung Boden, indem du vorderes Hüft- und Kniegelenk beugst.",
    "Geh runter, bis der vordere Oberschenkel etwa parallel zum Boden ist, die Brust bleibt oben.",
    "Drück dich durch die Mitte des vorderen Fußes zurück in die Ausgangsposition.",
    "Führe alle Wiederholungen auf einem Bein aus und wechsle dann."
  ],
  "instructions_es": [
    "Coloca una barra sobre la parte alta de la espalda y ponte de pie a unos 60 cm de un banco plano, de espaldas a él.",
    "Apoya el empeine de un pie en el banco detrás de ti, con el pie delantero lo bastante adelantado para mantener la espinilla casi vertical al bajar.",
    "Contrae el tronco y baja la rodilla trasera hacia el suelo flexionando la cadera y la rodilla delanteras.",
    "Desciende hasta que el muslo delantero quede aproximadamente paralelo al suelo, manteniendo el pecho erguido.",
    "Empuja con el centro del pie delantero para volver a la posición inicial.",
    "Completa las repeticiones con una pierna y luego cambia."
  ],
  "tips_en": [
    "Keep most of the weight on the front leg; the back foot is only there for balance.",
    "Keep the front knee tracking over the toes and the torso upright.",
    "Use a lighter load than in a regular back squat, and set up the bar and a safe way to drop it before you step into position."
  ],
  "tips_de": [
    "Verlagere den größten Teil des Gewichts auf das vordere Bein; der hintere Fuß dient nur dem Gleichgewicht.",
    "Halte das vordere Knie in Linie mit den Zehen und den Oberkörper aufrecht.",
    "Nimm weniger Gewicht als bei einer normalen Langhantel-Kniebeuge und bereite die Stange sowie einen sicheren Weg zum Ablegen vor, bevor du in Position gehst."
  ],
  "tips_es": [
    "Carga la mayor parte del peso en la pierna delantera; el pie trasero solo está para el equilibrio.",
    "Mantén la rodilla delantera en línea con las puntas de los pies y el torso erguido.",
    "Usa una carga menor que en una sentadilla trasera normal, y prepara la barra y una forma segura de soltarla antes de ponerte en posición."
  ],
  "met": 6.0,
  "images": {
    "flat": {
      "start": "images/flat/barbell-bulgarian-split-squat-start.webp",
      "peak": "images/flat/barbell-bulgarian-split-squat-peak.webp"
    }
  }
}

Fetch just this exercise

const { exercises } = await fetch(
  "https://exercise-dataset.com/exercises.json"
).then(r => r.json());
const ex = exercises.find(e => e.id === "barbell-bulgarian-split-squat");

Free for personal and commercial in-app use with attribution (“Exercise data by RepDB”) — see the license and ready-made attribution snippets. Redistributing the data as a dataset or API is not permitted.