Split Squat Exercise: Strength and Improve Form Guide and Video

Certain exercises help build muscle mass. Others improve balance or coordination. And some can increase your endurance, getting your blood pumping and your heart racing.

But what if there was one move that did it all? As it turns out, there is: the split squat exercise.

Split squats are like a secret weapon in your training arsenal. They are effective for working different muscle groups, quick to master and relatively easy to do in the gym or at home.

Ready to learn how to do it right? read it

What is a Split Squat?

Split squats are a unilateral (one-sided) exercise designed to build lower body strength and promote balance. The split squat achieves the following goals by targeting the following muscles:

• Quads
• Iska
• the calves
• The glutes
• abs (core)

Benefits of Split Squats

Along with building strength in the lower body and core, split squats are great for:

• Improve balance - Adding split squats to your workout routine can increase your sense of balance. That's because the exercise targets your adductors, the muscles in the middle of your thigh that stabilize your pelvis and keep you balanced while walking.
• Correcting muscle imbalances – Since split squats work one leg at a time, it's easier to identify and correct strength differences between the right and left sides. If one leg feels weaker, you can isolate that side until both legs are equal.
• Improving athletic performance – For anyone who plays sports, split squats offer a cross-training experience. After all, many athletic movements—including running and jumping—are unilateral. By strengthening both legs, developing stability and increasing mobility, the split squat exercise prepares you for any activity.
• Increase resistance - As with many exercises, split squats get your heart pumping. Performing multiple sets of these single-sided squats can improve your overall fitness, helping you tackle other workouts without feeling out of breath.

How to do the Split Squat exercise

Because you don't need any specialized equipment to do split squats, you can do them anywhere. Here's how.

Step 1: Position your body

First, find a space in the gym and stand with your feet hip-width apart, facing the front. Take a big step forward, planting your heel on the floor and lifting your front leg. Leave the back leg slightly bent.

From there, stand tall, arms at your sides and chest facing forward.

Step 2: Get down to Earth

When you feel stable, begin to bend both legs until the back knee almost touches the floor.

At your lowest point, your front shin should be straight up and down with your knee aligned above it. Your back knee, on the other hand, will stay behind your hip; You should feel a stretch in your hip flexors.

Step 3: Stand up

To complete your first rep, press off the floor, driving your front heel into the floor. As you return to the starting position, lift your front leg while maintaining a slight bend in your back leg.

Step 4: Switch sides

After completing a set of split squats on one side (we suggest 10-20 reps per set), work on the other side. Bring the back leg forward, send the front leg back and repeat the exercise on the opposite side.

Tips and tricks for doing Split Squats

Whether you're a beginner or a pro, this guide from our fitness experts will help you stay safe and train at a high level when doing split squats:

• Use a stable surface for balance - Split squats are as much about balance as strength, so getting the exercise under control can be challenging for first-timers. If you need help standing, you can hold onto a chair, counter, or other solid surface for support. As your strength and coordination improve, you will be able to complete your split squats without assistance.
• Make it as straight as possible – You may feel a natural tendency to lean forward as you land, but try to fight it. By keeping your back straight, you can enjoy all the benefits of each split squat and reduce the risk of spinal injuries.
• Keep your back knee lifted – For best results, do not let your back knee touch the floor. Keeping your knee elevated ensures there are no "rests" during your set, allowing you to get the most out of your workout. However, if you need to rest your knee on the floor between reps, you may find it more comfortable to place a cushion or small towel on the floor.

Split squat variations to try

For an added challenge, try these variations on the split squat exercise.

Weighted Split Squats

Weighted splits increase the difficulty of the standard version by adding weights to the mix.

To perform this variation, follow the steps above, but hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand. Make sure to keep your arms straight as you raise and lower your body.

As always, we recommend starting with lighter weights before moving on to heavy equipment.

Bulgarian Split Squats

To increase the difficulty even more, try the Bulgarian split squat. In this exercise, you'll perform your squats with your back foot on an elevated surface, such as a weight bench or yoga block. Simply place the top of your back foot on a firm surface and complete a set of squats as normal.

If the standard Bulgarian split squat is still not enough for you, you can also do it with weights.

It's time for Split Squats and much more

There may not be a perfect exercise, but split squats are pretty close. By incorporating the split squat exercise into your workout routine, you can increase your stability, endurance, and lower body strength at the same time.

Now all you need is a nice and organized place to work. Powered by Chuze Fitness. With convenient locations across the country, we have everything you need to perform any variation of the split squat, as well as any other exercise you can think of.

To get started, explore our membership options and find the Chuze Fitness facility that works for you.

Sources:

National Center for Biotechnology Information. Anatomy, bony pelvis and lower limb: adductor major muscle. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534842/

Fit very well. How to Do the Bulgarian Split Squat: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes. https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-do-a-bulgarian-split-squat-4589307

Reviewed by:

Ani is Vice President of Fitness at Chuze Fitness and oversees the group's fitness and group training departments. He has a 25-year career in club management, personal training, group exercise and teacher training. Ani lives with her husband and son in San Diego, CA and loves hot yoga, snowboarding, and wellness.