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Tonal Coach Kendall Wood performing a Bulgarian split squat.

How to Do a Bulgarian Split Squat: Single-Leg and Lower-Body Strength

Build balance and strength with the Bulgarian split squat. Learn proper form, target muscles, ideal sets, and effective alternatives.

The Bulgarian split squat is one of those exercises that looks deceptively simple until you try it. Then you realize just how much balance, leg strength, and focus it asks of you — yet how satisfying it feels to nail.

The Bulgarian split squat is a single-leg strength exercise that can support balance, control, and clean lower-body mechanics all in one. It has a notorious reputation even amongst celebrity athletes and Tonal users, but this guide is here to help.

Below, we detail a clean, step-by-step Bulgarian split squat, including simple cues that help you stay aligned across this exercise: hips squared, spine long and neutral, and working leg firmly planted. We'll also review tips like keeping your chest lifted, foot anchored, and how to rest your back leg on a bench or platform to create just the right amount of elevation.

Because so much of the work happens on one leg, this exercise encourages you to notice what your hips and knees are doing through the full range of motion.

With solid form down, you should feel the front glute and quad doing most of the work, but the entire lower body contributes to Bulgarian split squat balance and stability.

Done with the right pacing, technique, and depth, the Bulgarian split squat can help you understand how your body moves, where you feel strong, and what positions feel most natural. And we'll even toss in some alternative options if you're brand new to single-leg training.

Contents
  1. Bulgarian Split Squat: Step by Step
  2. Bulgarian Split Squat: reps & intervals
    1. Average Duration of Bulgarian Split Squat
    2. Estimated Calories Burned
    3. Recommended Number of exercises Per Week
    4. Warmup & Cool Down Exercises
    3.
  3. Muscle Groups Targeted
  4. Equipment Used for Bulgarian Split Squat
  5. Who This Exercise is Best For
  6. Answers to FAQs about Bulgarian Split Squat
  7. Concluding words on Bulgarian Split Squat

Bulgarian Split Squat: Step by Step
1. Set up with your back foot elevated.
  • Stand about a stride’s length in front of a workout bench, stable chair, or low platform.
  • Place the top of your back foot on the bench.
  • Your front foot should feel stable, with your toes pointing straight forward and your weight centered through the heel and mid-foot.

2. Square your hips and lengthen your spine.
  • Keep your hips facing forward.
  • Focus on keeping your torso (the space between your ribs and pelvis) tight and working as one, preventing you from arching your lower back.
  • Slightly lean your torso forward, keeping your spine neutral.

3. Lower straight down.
  • Bend your front knee as you lower your hips.
  • Descend until your back knee is close to the floor and your front thigh is parallel, as long as it feels comfortable.
  • Maintain your slightly-forward torso lean, keeping the movement slow and intentional.
  • Back leg stays relaxed. It's job is for balance, not to provide any power or motion.
4. Maintain front knee alignment
  • Your knee should follow the same direction as your toes, not collapsing inward.
  • Note: If you feel pressure or instability, try adjusting your starting distance off the bench. Keep shortening or lengthening your stance until the movement feels smoother.
5. Press through your front leg to rise.
  • Push down evenly through your heel and mid-foot. (Picture pushing the ground away.)
  • Drive your torso upward, keeping your hips and shoulders rising together.
  • Avoid rushing or bouncing out of the bottom hold. This is not an exercise you need to perform "fast."
6. Complete all sets on one side, then switch legs.


Reset and repeat. Each rep should feel like a controlled, fluid motion. If your balance wobbles you can pause, breathe, and re-center before continuing.

Bulgarian Split Squat: reps & intervals

Note: Your rep range should be tied to your personal fitness goals, be that beginner stabilization, strength, muscle endurance, or growing muscle mass.

  • Muscle growth: 6-20 reps
  • Strength endurance: 8-12 reps
  • Max strength: 4-8 reps

  • Beginner intervals per workout: 2-3 working sets total
  • Intermediate intervals per workout: 3-4 working sets total

Average Duration of Bulgarian Split Squat

  • One Bulgarian split squat rep: ~4-6 seconds (2 seconds down, 2-3 seconds up)
  • One set: ~40–60 seconds, depending on rep range and other factors.

Remember, there's no need to rush! A good setup, proper form for your body, and cleanly transitioning between targeting alternative legs should be your focus to get the most from Bulgarian split squats.

Estimated Calories Burned

For a full traditional session, made up of 3 rounds of 10 reps per leg:

  • Women (140–180 lbs): ~30-65 calories
  • Men (170–210 lbs): ~50-85 calories
  • Individuals above 210 lbs: ~40-95 calories

These ranges reflect the elevated demand of single-leg training. Of course, total calories burned can vary based on pace, depth, and total volume, as well as individual health and fitness factors.

Consider these just a ballpark average, not a set calculation of calories burned during physical activity in your total daily calorie expenditure.

Recommended Number of exercises Per Week

You can safely include Bulgarian split squats 1x per week, depending on your overall leg training focus.

Because this exercise is demanding — especially for beginners — many people see good results using it as a primary single-leg strength movement practiced just once per week. As you grow more comfortable with the exercise, you may expand into other squat alternatives or variations as part of your lower-body training and education.

Warmup & Cool Down Exercises

A smart warm-up routine helps you get the most out of your Bulgarian split squats while reducing the risk of discomfort or strain. Likewise, a cool down supports recovery and helps round out a complete workout.


Warm-Up (choose 1-2):

  • Walking lunges (60 sec)
  • Hip flexor stretch with gentle pulses (30-45 sec)
  • Bodyweight split squats (60 sec)

Cool Down (choose 1-2 after completing your workout)

  • Standing quad stretch (30 sec each leg)
  • Seated glute stretch (30sec each side)
  • Light hip mobility circles (45 sec)

Muscle Groups Targeted

Bulgarian split squats place a strong emphasis on the front or "working" leg, and especially on its quadriceps and glutes. Both of these work together to control squat depth and power your key upward drive.

The hamstrings come in to support hip stability, while the calves and small stabilizers around the ankle help keep the leg steady with each rep.

Because the torso stays relatively upright during a Bulgarian split squat, you may also feel your core working to help support overall balance. The core plays a crucial role in preventing rotation throughout the motion.

Finally, the elevated back leg helps increase the stretch on the hip flexor, encouraging movement capacity all while the working leg powers the whole exercise. Together, this makes Bulgarian split squats a highly thoughtful way to target single-leg lower-body strength.

Equipment Used for Bulgarian Split Squat

You can perform a Bulgarian split squat exercise easily on Tonal, at home, or in a gym. This leg and glute exercise doesn’t require much equipment. You'll simply need access to:

  • A workout bench or sturdy chair
  • Alternatives: Sturdy chair or low-edged couch.
  • Dumbbells or kettlebells (5-15 lbs.)

On Tonal:

  • A bench, box, or platform for back-foot elevation
  • Tonal Smart Handles or Smart Bar

Who This Workout is Most Effective For

The Bulgarian split squat is an excellent choice for a wide range of people, from beginners learning body control to advanced lifters supporting single-leg balance and strength.

  • Anyone working on balance, stability, or single-leg control.
  • Runners or skiers who rely on powerful strides.
  • Cyclists or other athletes who benefit from explosive leg drive.
  • Beginners exploring squat variations that reduce spinal loading.
  • Individuals wanting to identify and correct left/right strength differences, or when nursing knee or hip injury.
  • For everyday fitness, helping improve posture, mobility, and functional strength, making daily tasks like climbing stairs or carrying loads easier.

Answers to FAQs about Bulgarian Split Squat

Yes, Bulgarian split squats should work your hamstrings. During the exercise, your hamstrings kick in to assist with hip stability, but it's your front leg's quads and glutes doing more of the lifting work.

They are! Bulgarian split squats involve movement at both the knee, hip, and even the ankle, which means multiple muscle groups working at once. You get the benefits of a compound squat pattern with the added challenge of single-leg balance and coordination.

Not inherently. The exercise itself should not cause you knee pain or pressure. Always remember to have your knee aligned with your toes, and setup in a stance that feels supportive for your body. By doing so, the movement should feel smooth and controlled.

Like most workouts during pregnancy, this varies from person to person. It's critical to listen to your body and follow your healthcare team's exact guidance on what's a safe exercise protocol for you. They will work with you across considerations like proper load, pacing, and adjusting your setup and balance as your pregnancy progresses.

Concluding words on Bulgarian Split Squat

The Bulgarian split squat is a focused, single-leg strength exercise that can help you on your journey toward better balance, control, and strength.

With the right stance (i.e. attention to form) you can be on your way to meaningful confidence in how your legs stabilize and support you. It’s also adaptable, with plenty of beginner-friendly alternatives and future squat progressions, whether you’re using Tonal’s guided resistance programs or simple free weights and a chair at home.

Incorporate it thoughtfully into your weekly training, stay patient with your balance, and embrace the challenge.

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