Bulgarian split squat

Dumbbells, bench

Also called bss, rear foot elevated split squat, rfess

Rear foot up on a bench, dumbbells at your sides. Lower straight down on the front leg, then drive back up.

Movement

Main movers get full credit for a set, helpers half.

Lower body

Scores 1-5 averaged over sources. Tap a rating for the claims behind it. Claims are our summaries of the linked sources, fact-checked by AI.

Muscle growth higher is better4.3
Very good; among the better picks for the muscle. 4 sources.
- 4/5 Called a baller lunge variant; hips back and foot forward gives a big glute stretch, and the straight-hip back leg quad also gets hit hard. Renaissance Periodization, Top 5 Glute Exercises For Muscle Growth @ 7:10videoExpert opinion2025checked by AI
- 4/5 Deeper glute stretch than a barbell squat and recruits upper glutes, but harder to overload and very tiring for quads. High A. Jeff Nippard, The Best & Worst Glute Exercises (According To Science) @ 6:07videoExpert opinion2025checked by AI
- 5/5 Huge quad stretch, unilateral, brutally fatiguing so he programs two sets; S tier. Jeff Nippard, The Best & Worst QUAD Exercises (Ranked Using Science) @ 9:41videoExpert opinion2024checked by AI
- 4/5 Best lunge for quads with light dumbbells, since the front leg carries more bodyweight and a narrow stance shifts load. Jeremy Ethier, The Best Science-Based DUMBBELL Legs Exercises For Size And Symmetry @ 4:35videoStudy2020checked by AI
Loaded stretch higher is better4.0
Hard in the stretched position. 1 source.
- 4/5 Letting the back leg fall into stretch and pushing the hip back gives a strong stretch on glutes and the elevated leg's quad. Renaissance Periodization, Top 5 Glute Exercises For Muscle Growth @ 8:11videoExpert opinion2025checked by AI