Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat 6s · no sound

Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat

A rear-foot-elevated split squat loaded with dumbbells — one of the highest-return single-leg exercises for quads and glutes.

Primary muscle
Glutes, Quads
Equipment
Dumbbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Movement
Squat
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How to do it

  1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand a long stride in front of a knee-high bench.
  2. Place the top of your back foot on the bench and set your front foot far enough forward to keep the knee stacked.
  3. Brace your core and stand tall, with shoulders pulled back and chest up.
  4. Lower yourself by bending the front knee until your back knee is just above the floor.
  5. Pause briefly at the bottom with the front thigh roughly parallel to the floor and the torso upright.
  6. Drive through the front-foot heel to stand back up to the starting position, then repeat for reps.

Common mistakes

  • Setting the front foot too close to the bench so the knee tracks far past the toes and gets overloaded.
  • Letting the front knee cave inward, which loads the joint and weakens the glute drive.
  • Pushing off the back foot to stand instead of driving through the front-leg heel.
  • Leaning too far forward so the lift becomes a hip hinge and pulls work out of the front quad.

Muscles worked

Primary
GlutesQuads

Good to know

What muscles does the Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat work?
Mainly the glutes and quads.
What equipment do you need for the Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat?
It uses dumbbells. Without it, the Pistol Squat (Assisted) and the Single-Leg Step-Down train the same muscles the same way.
Is the Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat good for beginners?
GymVim rates it intermediate. For a beginner-rated exercise on the same muscle and movement, see the Band Squat.

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