Experienced athletes actively include Bulgarian squats in their training programs, which requires serious physical training. But beginners sometimes do not even have a clue what it is and what kind of load these exercise gives the muscles. The sooner you start to master them, the more productive your trainings will be. After all, they are very effective and diverse.
Features of split squats
Bulgarian squats are performed on one leg, so they are often called split. One leg is pulled back and put on a small bench. The second squats, bending at the knee. In this case, the following muscles are worked out:
- quadriceps;
- gluteal large, medium and small;
- biceps femoris;
- body muscles;
- back;
- calf.
Unlike the classic ones, Bulgarian split squats require good physical form, as the load on the legs increases several times. Judging by the muscle atlas presented above, the number of muscles involved in the exercise is much larger than with regular squats on both legs.
From a technical point of view, this is also not the easiest exercise. Firstly, all the work will have to be done with the muscles of only one leg. Secondly, in parallel with this, balance must be maintained.
But all these difficulties lead to excellent results:
- target leg muscles are worked out as efficiently as possible;
- the ability to control the load on different legs: if one lags behind in muscle development, it should be trained more;
- the skill of maintaining balance is being developed, which is very important in many areas of human life and in sport in particular;
- flexibility of the hip joints is developing, which attracts women to the exercise;
- gluteal muscles get a good stretch;
- due to the fact that the body does not need to be bent forward, the load on the spine is negligible.
So, despite their difficulty in performing, Bulgarian squats remain one of the most effective in terms of training and stretching quadriceps and gluteal muscles. Well, and, of course, we must not forget stacksteroids shop that during intensive exercises enough calories are burned, and this is already the way to lose weight (if the goal is not an increase in muscle mass).
Another effective exercise for losing weight and pumping the buttocks is plie squat.
Bulgarian lunge execution technique
Before doing a Bulgarian lunge, you should carefully study its technique. One wrong move – and the risk of injury increases to the maximum.
To protect your ligaments and joints, adhere to the following scheme:
- Stand with your back to the bench. Take one leg back and rest your toe on it.
- Set the second leg a little forward, 15-20 cm from the body.
- Arms are either straightened along the body, or are in the lock in front of the chest.
- Slow down. At the lower point, the thigh of the front leg should be parallel to the floor, and the knee of the back should almost touch it. The casing should remain straight throughout and keep upright.
- Hold in the lower squat for a couple of seconds.
- After that, gently bend the knee of the front leg and straighten.
Such squats are difficult to do with a correct technique from the first try due to the fact that you need to somehow maintain balance. However, with regular training, this problem gradually disappears.
Split squat variations: dumbbell split squat and barbell split squat
Depending on your goal over time you can improve Bulgarian squats technique and complicate them. There are different variations of this exercise, and each of them can additionally work out some other muscle groups in your body.
Keeping balance in a split with dumbbells is much easier than with a barbell, since the load on the spine is reduced. You can take one dumbbell in each hand and lower them along the body. Recommended weight – no more than 5 kg. Or take only one dumbbell and keep it constantly in front of the chest.
With a barbell, it is better to perform Bulgarian squats in Smith machine, because this will reduce the risk of falling and loosening the body in different directions under the weight of the projectile, which will negatively affect the condition of the spine.
Execution technique:
- Place the barbell on your traps (not on the neck).
- Put one leg behind on a bench. Here it is no longer necessary to focus solely on the socks: you can put the whole foot on the bench.
- Put the other leg forward by 1 step.
- Sit down slowly. Neither calves nor knees should touch the floor.
- You can’t look down.
- The back remains flat.
- After a couple of seconds, stand up.
For such exercises, it is recommended to use a minimum weight. When you learn the technique, it is advisable to do without weight at all or to do a Bulgarian split squat with 1 kg dumbbells.
Try different options to see which ones will help you reach your goal faster. Start with the classics and gradually complicate it. Otherwise, the muscles will get used to the same load and stop responding to it.
Db split squat technique tips
To quickly get a kickback from this squat, you need to know a few tips that experienced athletes and coaches share:
- Bulgarian split is always an increased load on the knee joint, since all the weight is concentrated on one leg. Therefore, they are contraindicated in people with knee problems.
- Due to the sophisticated technique, it will be difficult for beginners in sports to master them. Choose such squats for your workouts only if you have already managed to get well pumped up.
- If you pick up a barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell, keep in mind that heavy weights are not used in splits.
- Watch for the anatomy of the joints, which plays a very important role in the Bulgarian squats. The leg of the working leg must be kept strictly upright. Knee and toe point forward and exclude their turn.
- You do not need to make Bulgarian lunges just because they are popular. If the only goal of your training is to increase muscle mass on your legs, do not waste time on this exercise. Give preference to classics.
- The back should be flat all the time. Try not to bend forward.
- Watch your breath: take a deep breath with your nose and do a squat. Exhale gently with your mouth – and straighten up.
- The number of sets: no more than 3. Repeats: 10-12. Training schedule: every other day.
Bulgarian squats are good because they can be performed both in the gyms using the multi-functional Smith machine and at home, where you can take a bench or a low chair for support. External control is usually not required, therefore, for the effective implementation of the exercise, it is enough to know the technique and have normal physical training.