Setup and loading
Top of your back foot on a knee-height bench. Dumbbells hanging at your sides.
How to do the dumbbell bulgarian split squat step by step
- Facing away from the bench, rest the top of one foot on it and take a long step forward with the other.
- Lower straight down until your front thigh is nearly parallel to the floor.
- Your back knee drops toward the floor without touching it.
- Drive up through your whole front foot and finish all reps before switching.
Form cues
- Lean your torso slightly for more glutes, stay upright for more quads
- Front knee in line with your foot
- Weight on your front leg
Common mistakes
- Front foot too close to the bench
- Pushing with your back leg
- Front knee caving in
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Sets and reps for your goal
Max Strength
4 x 6-8 per leg · rest 2 min3-6 sets of 1-6 reps at 80-90% of your max (1RM). Rest 2 to 5 minutes.
Leave 1-3 reps in reserve. If your technique breaks down, lower the weight: strength is built with good reps.
Hypertrophy
3 x 10-12 per leg · rest 90 s3-4 sets of 6-12 reps (up to 15-20 on isolation exercises) at 65-80% of your max. Rest 1 to 2 minutes.
Get close to failure (0-3 reps in reserve) and control the lowering for 2-3 seconds. Accumulate 10-20 sets per muscle per week.
A guide for healthy adults. Adjust the load to your level and see a professional if you have an injury.
Check your form
Film yourself from the side or ask someone to watch, then tick what you get right.
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Sports it suits
Gear for this exercise
- Adjustable dumbbellsSave space and replace a whole dumbbell rack at home.
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Variations and similar exercises
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