Liftworthy
ExploreTrainFeed
Liftworthy

Every exercise ranked by research, by lifters and by results. Find what’s S-tier for your goal, then train it.

Rankings
  • All rankings
  • Add an exercise
  • Build a workout
About
  • How scores work
  • The app
  • Your tiers
Legal
  • Privacy
  • Terms & community rules
General training information, not medical advice. If something hurts, stop and see a professional.
  • Explore
  • Train
  • Feed
  • You
Explore/Glutes

Bulgarian Split Squat

DumbbellCompoundTakes some practiceOne side at a time
Front
Back
Primary Secondary

Works

Quads, Glutes

Also adductors, hamstrings

You need

Dumbbells, Bench

How to do itPictures · 3 steps
1Start
2Bottom
Main musclesAlso working
  1. 1Rear foot on a bench, laces down
  2. 2Drop the back knee straight down
  3. 3Lean forward slightly for more glute, stay upright for more quad

Most common mistake

Front foot too close, so the heel lifts.

Watch a demo

Good for

  • Ranked #1 for basketball, #1 for skiing and #1 for cycling
  • Loads the muscle while it’s stretched
  • Carries straight over to basketball

Compare with

vs Step-Upvs Reverse Lungevs Walking Lunge
A
For racket
#5 of 19
See the full list →
Research
75
Scored by hand
Results
Soon
From the app
How lifters rate itBe the first
S
A
B
C
D
F
Why research scores it 75
TransferStrong
Injury protectionStrong
PracticalityStrong

Single-leg strength for lunging and pushing off.

Research behind these criteria

  • Transfer: Seitz et al., 2014 · Markovic, 2007 · Blagrove et al., 2018 · Rønnestad & Mujika, 2014
  • Injury protection: Lauersen et al., 2014 · van Dyk et al., 2019 · Harøy et al., 2019 · Webster & Hewett, 2018
How scores work

Machine taken? Swap to

  • SLateral BoundBodyweight
  • AMed Ball Rotational ThrowOther
  • ACable External RotationCable
  • SLateral LungeDumbbell

Takes

None yet
needed to post
280