Bulgarian Split Squat
Single-leg power + change of direction
How to do it well
The set-up and the rep in full, then the cues the app shows on the exercise card — the short version, for the moment you are standing in front of the bar.
Set-up
Stand about a stride in front of a bench, facing away, and rest the top of the back foot on it. Hold dumbbells at your sides. Most of the weight goes on the front foot; adjust its distance until the front shin is close to vertical at the bottom of the rep.
The rep
Lower straight down with the torso upright until the back knee is just off the floor and the front thigh is about parallel. Pause, then drive up through the whole front foot. Finish every rep on one leg before switching, and start each set on the weaker side so it sets the number.
On the exercise card
- Vertical torso
- Pause at bottom
- Tempo
- 3s down
What goes wrong, and the fix
| What goes wrong | The fix |
|---|---|
| Pushing off the back leg | The back leg is there for balance only. If you can feel it driving, shorten the stance or lower the load. |
| The front knee caves inward | Keep the knee tracking over the second toe. Slow the lowering until you can hold the line. |
| A stance that is too short | The front heel lifts and the knee shoots forward. Step the front foot further out. |
Make it easier, or harder
- Easier
- Split squat with the back foot on the floor, bodyweight only.
- Harder
- A pause at the bottom, the front foot raised on a plate for more depth, or a heavier pair of dumbbells.
How Train Smart prescribes it
The sets and reps below are the authored starting point. The actual weight you see is calculated from your own last top set and the week you are in within your four-week block.
Sport happens on one leg at a time. This loads each leg heavily without a heavy bar on the back, and it exposes a difference between the legs that a back squat lets the stronger side hide.
| Program | Session | Sets × reps | Load |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFL | Lower Power | 3 × 6/leg | 20–24kg DBs |
| Rugby League | Max Strength (Lower) | 3 × 8/side | DBs |
| Cricket | Speed & Strength | 3 × 8/side | DBs |
| MMA | Explosive Power + Posterior | 3 × 8/side | DBs |
What it trains, and who trains it
- Region
- Lower body
- Prescribed in
- AFL · rugby league · cricket · MMA · gymnastics · general fitness · bodybuilding · bodyweight training
If you cannot do this one
Rack taken, kit missing, or it does not suit you. These are the swaps the app offers, matched by movement pattern and body region — each with the reason it is a fair substitute.
| Alternative | Why it works as a swap |
|---|---|
| Back Squat | Max lower-body strength under the bar |
| Front Squat | More upright — quad + core emphasis, great for cleans/sprinters |
| Goblet Squat | Easy to load, joint-friendly, great depth |
| Box Squat | Controls depth, easier on the knees, builds drive out of the hole |
| Pause Back Squat | 2s pause at the bottom — kills the bounce, real strength out of the hole for collisions |
| Tempo Front Squat | 3s down — quad eccentric for jumpers + sprinters |
This exercise, in a program that knows why it is there
Train Smart puts this movement in the right session, at the right point in your block, at a weight calculated for you — and swaps it automatically if you do not have the kit.
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