My Humps My Humps
- Holly
- Apr 17, 2019
- 6 min read
Lately the only hump that's been on my mind is my steadily growing one - my belly! BUT, in honor of hump day I thought I would talk about one of my favorite exercises for that booty! There are so many great ones out there, but I feel like this is one that often gets forgotten or brushed aside.
The Bulgarian split squat. Not only does it tone and strengthen the glutes, it also strengthens the quads, hip flexors, hamstrings, and other muscles in the posterior chain. Because this exercise is also done unilaterally (meaning you only work one side at a time), it works to reduce muscle imbalances, and it will also challenge your focus and balance.
Here's the breakdown on what this exercise is and everything else you need to know about it.
What it is: The Bulgarian split squat is a single leg squatting motion. It is performed standing in a split stance, with the back foot supported on a bench, box, or whatever else you have of the proper height. Starting with legs extended, you lower the back knee to the floor, then driving through the front heel and making sure that your knee does not extend in front of the mid foot, press back to your starting position. You would complete all reps on one side and then switch to the other side. You can see my prego-demo video below.
[ Please note that my hips are slightly more anteriorly tilted than I would like them to be, but it's just where my body is right now during pregnancy. Normally I would want to see a slightly more neutral hip positioning at the beginning of the movement.]
What you'll need: A bench, box or something else to prop your foot up on that is about knee height. This height will allow you to reach full depth of the movement, but won't compromise proper form. Doing these with body weight can be challenging so start there, but once you have mastered that, you can add loading with a barbell, kettlebells, or my personal favorite, dumbbells. Just note that how you choose to load the exercise will have a slight effect on how this exercise works. For instance, if you choose to load with a dumbbell in each hand, the load is more balanced and will focus more on the posterior chain. However if you were to load with a barbell in the front rack position, or even with a kettlebell in a goblet position, you will be stressing your midline more, drawing your focus away from the posterior chain. Neither is wrong, they are all excellent variations, but it is something to be mindful of.
What they do: The Bulgarian split squat is an intense strength builder and hits your entire lower body in one movement. As long as you are doing them correctly, it's also very difficult to injure yourself while doing them. Working unilaterally also allows you to build strength evenly on both sides, not allowing your dominant side to take over. It's also been proven that when working one side, through indirect stimulation, the other side is still receiving gains! Ummm... score! This is called cross-education of muscles (for more info check out the American Physiological Society Journal).
I specifically like these movements because I feel like I have greater control over the glute contraction. After a heavy squat day I know my quads are gonna be shot, but often my glutes and hamstrings feel fresh or just minorly fatigued. After doing heavy sets of these guys, my butt is always really sore (and I LOVE it).
Why you should be doing them: So some people look at these and say, "Why wouldn't you just squat?" And my response would be, well - you could- but you would be missing out on some additional benefits. Like your typical squat, your quads are engaged during the descent of the motion, at the bottom your glutes and hamstrings activate to bring you back to the top. Because you are on one leg your hip flexors, as well as your core and some of your back muscles, are providing stabilization throughout this movement. This movement can also be beneficial for those with poor ankle mobility or with lower back issues. Individuals with these ailments often struggle to get full depth in a squat while remaining in the proper positioning, whereas because of the split stance, it tends to not be an issue. This is great because it allows someone who normally can't work the end range of motion build significant strength there.
Common mistakes: Like any exercise, it's only worth doing if you are doing it right! Here are the common pitfalls to avoid.
Too long of a stance: Make sure that your hips and back are in alignment when performing this exercise. Some people start in an overextended hip position, which does not allow the glutes to activate fully. It also will effect how the movement is loaded. If you are in an overextended position, the bulk of the weight is not over your center of gravity, therein not allowing your working leg to absorb the weight as it should. Instead you will find that you need to press into your back leg more for balance and for strength. This overextended position will also add strain to your lower back.
Hips not remaining square: When you are performing this movement your hips should remain square. It is super common for your hips to get a little twisty on the descent of this motion. This is normally due to tight hips or lower back (often specifically its the piriformis that is tight). Some people complain that they can't reach full depth without twisting their hips, but like with any movement, if you cannot stay in good form through the entire range of motion, you shouldn't be doing it. Instead shorten the range of motion and go to where you can while keeping the hips square in front of you. For those that are having trouble visualizing what "keeping the hips square means," imagine that you have headlights on your hip points facing forward. Those lights should remain level with each other through the entire range of motion. If at any point one light juts down or up, then the hips are no longer square. Another culprit for twisty hips is that the load is too heavy. If you were able to keep your hips square the set before at a lighter weight, return to that weight and do not use the heavier loading until you can perform the movement properly.
Too short of a stance: Just like being too long, being too short in your stance also puts you at risk for injury. This will cause the knee to drive forward and jut out past the mid foot. When this happens your quads are no longer the primary load bearer, your KNEE is, and that's not what you want. Make sure that when you descend in the motion, that your back knee actually descends closer to the bench, allowing your front knee to stay tracking over the ankle and at no point juts past the mid foot.
Toes curled: Some people perform this exercise with their toes curled under like a lunge. I've actually seen the Bulgarian split squat taught this way so I'm reluctant to say definitively "It's wrong," but here's why I don't do it. The purpose here is to be working unilaterally and when your toes are curled under your inactive leg is just naturally going to work more. It's easier to press out of the bottom of the movement when your toes are curled under because you are physically recruiting more muscle. When the foot is flat behind you, pressing is not only more difficult, but depending on the surface, a little uncomfortable which works well because it forces you to rely on your front leg like you should be. Try it both ways - you'll see what I mean!
If you are new to this movement, or new to resistance training in general, I would recommend doing 3 or 4 sets, 8-12 reps (each side), with no loading, resting at least one minute between sets.
Add this exercise into one of your routines and let me know what you think! I promise, if booty gains are what you want, then you need these babies in your life!
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