Firm Up Your Legs with the Bulgarian Split Squat

The exercise menu for developing strong, toned, athletic legs is wide ranging, but that menu is substantially cut down when dealing with limited exercise experience and/or mobility. The back squat is the fundamental leg exercise that, in a perfect world, I would love that everybody would do on a regular basis. However, for the many Americans that suffer from back pain or lack the mobility to perform back squats with proper technique, the split squat may be a safer option.

A challenging exercise that has demonstrated itself as a valid leg developer is the Bulgarian Split Squat, oftentimes called the rear leg elevated split squat. Although similar to the standard split squat, the Bulgarian Split Squat ignites greater activity levels in the glutes and hamstrings.

To effectively perform Bulgarian Split Squats, command of balance is required. First time users of the exercise can use a PVC pipe for balance assistance, then they can move towards performing it with his/her bodyweight. The best way to improve balance is practice; while it may be quite frustrating in the beginning, the Bulgarian Split Squat will not be so difficult when balance is under control.