The Bulgarian squat (single-leg dumbbell squat) consists of performing a squat on one leg with the back foot placed on a raised platform.
Raising your leg on the bench creates instability and increases the exercise's range of motion. The instability of the Bulgarian squat forces you to find balance, forcing the small stabilizer muscles in your hips and quadriceps to work.
Performing squats with a greater range of motion increases muscle stretch, improves your mobility and tone the muscles in your glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps.
This exercise can also be used to correct muscle imbalances that some may have acquired over the years by limiting themselves to bilateral leg movements.
- Come to a standing position holding dumbbells at your sides with a neutral grip.
- Place the back foot on a bench or platform to increase range of motion.
- With your torso straight or slightly tilted forward, lower yourself by bending your front knee and hold until your front thigh is nearly horizontal.
- Ideally, the angle between the leg and thigh forms a right angle in the bottom position.
- You can squat down a little more, but don't let your knee touch the floor. Hold this low position for a moment.
- Push off with your front foot and straighten your leg to return to the starting position.
- Repeat the exercise until you reach the required number of repetitions.
Training tips
- Ideally, the foot resting on the seat should be placed at knee height or slightly lower. If you place your back foot too high, you risk causing the lumbar spine to hyperextend.
- If you want to accentuate your quadriceps while bending your leg, move the front foot back slightly. Conversely, if you want to focus on your glutes and hamstrings, increase your stride length.
- Make sure your feet are still hip-width apart, or slightly wider. You should not align your raised foot directly behind your front foot, as this may make it more difficult to balance. You may need to hop or move your front foot to find a safe and stable position.
- Remember, your back foot is only there to help you stay balanced. The movement and effort in the exercise are performed on the front leg.
- As with all squats and lunges, a common and major mistake during the Bulgarian squat is to allow the front knee to move in or out, thus losing alignment with the toes on the same side. This puts a lot of stress on the knee, especially during single-leg exercises, where only one leg bears the weight and resistance.
How to strengthen the legs with Bulgarian squats with dumbbells?
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