The squat is one of the most effective exercises when it comes to shaping your rear and toning your thighs. Personal trainer Tim McComsey shows you how to take your squats to the next level with this variation on the classic.
Hold the bar high on your back. Place one foot well out in front of the other in a staggered position with your rear foot firmly on top of a bench. Set your core and maintain an erect torso as you descend as deep as possible with your front heel firmly on the floor. You should feel a stretch in your rear leg's hip flexor region as you descend. Drive upward and exhale. Complete all your repetitions with one leg, then switch to the other leg to complete the same number of reps.
Unlike the regular split squat where you attempt to push close to 50 percent of the load with the rear leg, the Bulgarian split squat uses the rear leg only for balance as the forward leg does the bulk of the work. Your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves will burn, but they’ll thank you for it later.
