Looking to grow your peach? In the words of the brilliant RuPaul, you better work. And we’re not talking about doing hundreds of squats. No one has time for that.
When it comes to the ultimate butt-lifting move, Bulgarian split squats trumps regular squats. “The traditional squat is a more quad-based movement,” says Teddy Savage, the lead personal trainer at Planet Fitness. “The traditional squat is a more quad-based movement. With Bulgarian Split Squats, the flexion and extension of the hips throughout the motion really activate the glute and hamstring muscles together, providing a deeper range of motion.”
Bulgarian split squats are a killer workout for your glutes but can also be a killer to execute correctly. It’s one reason people have a love-hate relationship with this move. Thankfully, personal trainers have given us all their tips and tricks for acing this workout.
🩺 SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week 💊
Related: How To Get A Bigger Butt: Best Workouts & Food Plan
How To Do a Bulgarian Split Squat
Bulgarian split squats are an exercise where you work each leg using an elevated platform. Here are the steps:
- Sit on a bench or squat rack and stretch out your feet in front of you, keeping your knees slightly bent.
- Keep one foot in that outstretched spot and stand while placing your back foot on the bench.
- Safely lower yourself so the trailing knee almost touches the floor like a lunge position. Do not let your front knee go too far past your toes.
- Push the heel of your front foot into the ground to rise back up into the starting position.
Video: Are the Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat and Bulgarian Split Squat the Same Exercise?
What Muscles Do Bulgarian Split Squats Target?
The exercise works on muscles in the glutes, quads and hamstrings, says Jay Silva, a personal trainer and running coach at TeachMe.To. Indirectly, it also works core muscles because it stabilizes the body when sinking and rising back up.
Savage explains that the stabilizing muscles in the core and hips and squatting mechanics allow people to target posterior chain muscles. These are muscles in the back side of your body, running from the upper back to the calves. “It stretches the hamstring in the eccentric phase of the motion and then allows you to really contract the glute muscle as the primary mover to bring you back to the starting position,” he adds.
Related: 11 Best Quad Workouts & Exercises to Do At Home
Why Are Bulgarian Split Squats So Challenging?
The most common reason Bulgarian split squats are so hard to execute is that people do not have the right form.
Improper foot placement
Savage says people often have their back foot on a platform that’s too high, which can strain the hip flexor. Additionally, if the foot is too close to the bench, you can add unnecessary pressure to the knee.
Sergio Pedemonte, a personal trainer and CEO of Your House Fitness, says people will try to compensate for their foot position by adjusting their front knee. To compensate for the added pressure, people’s knees cave to the inside versus the outside, eliminating glute activation. The knee needs to stay in the center.
Not activating the core
If the core is not properly engaged, Savage says you will lose your posture. You need to keep the chest up high to work the quadriceps. A slight lean forward can help better stretch and work the glutes. However, if you don’t brace your core throughout the movement, you can tilt too forward and put more pressure on the knees. Additionally, a person not engaging their core can lean excessively backward when rising.
Using too much weight
Bulgarian split squats require holding your balance on one leg, Silva says. When you’re still working on your form, adding weight can make you lose the position and create a less effective glute workout. Additionally, using a weight that’s too heavy increases the risk of possible injury.
Using your body weight is enough to get a good glute workout. Once you can complete three sets of 10 to 12 reps with your body weight, Silva advises gradually adding small weights.
Related: 9 Exercises to Do If Your Knees Hurt When You Squat
Recommended Rep Range To Grow Your Glutes
Do 3 to 4 sets with 8 to 10 reps for a good glute workout. Once you master form and balance, Savage says adding heavier weights can help grow those lower body muscles. If so, he says to limit repetitions to 4 to 8 reps.
Up Next:
Related: Feel the Burn! 26 of the Very Best Leg Exercises, Straight from Trainers
Sources:
- Teddy Savage is the lead personal trainer at Planet Fitness.
- Jay Silva is a personal trainer and running coach at TeachMe.To.
- Sergio Pedemonte is a personal trainer and CEO of Your House Fitness.