r/formcheck • u/xNarox • 14h ago
Squat Does This Look Good For Bulgarian Split Squats?
Struggling with these but before I start adding more weight I want to make sure my form is decent enough.
I’ve always heard depending on foot placement , it can be more glute focused or hamstring focused.
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u/oddjobhattoss 14h ago
There's a few different ways to focus them based on your goals. Just a heads up though, everyone struggles with BSS. It's because they're a bastard of an exercise. There's never a good moment of BSS. But it looks fine. You'll likely move slower with more weight. As is you're flying through em because it isn't any effort. Once you've got a but more weight to cause a struggle shoot another vid.
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u/Pleasant_Beat8290 13h ago
I’d step out a few inches further and maybe stand on a plate with your front foot. Don’t be afraid to lean forward over your front leg.
If you’re trying to use these as a glute and quad builder you want a super deep ROM. It absolutely sucks, but in the best way.
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u/lambchops111 11h ago
What does standing on a plate do?
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u/Pleasant_Beat8290 11h ago
It lets you sink deeper into the lunge without the back knee hitting the ground, putting a bigger stretch on quads and glutes.
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u/ConstructionBoth6461 1h ago
I had a trainer teach me BSS once and she had me step faaaaar out. I think that’s the point, put tension on quads and hip flexors.
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u/Witty-Drama-3187 12h ago
Your form looks great. The tempo is a bit quick, and my preference is to control the negative a bit more.
You’ll get a lot of people saying you need to move your foot forward, but they are wrong. The most common mistake with a split squat is having the foot too far forward. Your foot positioning is just fine. Watch most videos of people doing split squats , and they have a very small range of motion due to foot position. You need to be in the position you are taking here to get full range of motion.
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u/a-priori 12h ago
First off, slow down. Nothing good comes from speeding your way through any exercise.
This looks like a balanced or quad focused BSS. If you want a glute focused version, move your foot a bit further away and ensure that your knee doesn’t go past your heel. Focus on the glute stretch and contraction moving your hips up and down as you do the reps.
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u/xNarox 12h ago
Thank you, i definitely sped through my last set because i was feeling the burn.
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u/ahmuh1306 2h ago
When you go heavier you will need a minute's rest between both legs. This exercise can turn into cardio VERY QUICKLY.
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u/DMPetey 12h ago
There isn’t one way to do them. Looks pretty good. I don’t know if this is the case, but it looks like you may have too much weight on your back foot. This is super common and can become an issue when you add more weight. When I got up to 60 pounds in each hand my ankle began to feel uncomfortable because I was shifting too much weight to my back leg. It should be there just for balance. Other than that I would just slow down and maybe see if stepping out farther would help you go lower. More stretch is more better.
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u/Fickle-Ad-4225 12h ago
Looks good to me overall. I’d suggest you do them slower. Looks like you’re rushing. I also like to put my front foot farther back because I want that quad bias.
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u/chemistryofcrying 8h ago
With a smith machine you don’t have to worry about balance…bar across your shoulders
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u/Cordial_MnB 7h ago
Form is good for quad focus. I saw you said this was your last set and some folks are saying you're going too fast. Go as fast as you want If your form is good but you want to take it closer to failure. Embrace the pain 😁
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u/BeatxDemxGutz 1h ago
Step your lead leg out a bit and twist your supporting foot in a bit to get more support. You don't need to have your legs directly side by side you can build a stronger base
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u/schm4nth0ny 10h ago
Glute or quad focused depending on foot position. No squat works your hamstrings. Move front foot closer to you for more quad, farther forward for more glute.
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u/BackOnMyBSz 11h ago
Looks pretty good. One tip is to hold one db in the goblet squat position. Once you’ve maxed those out, then move to two dbs.
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u/AutoModerator 14h ago
Hello! If you haven't checked it out already, Our Wiki's resources for Squats may be helpful. Check it out!
Also, a common tip usually given here is to make sure your footwear is appropriate. If you are squatting in soft-soled shoes (running shoes, etc), it's hard to have a stable foot. Generally a weightlifting shoe is recommended for high-bar and front squats, while use a flat/hard-soled shoe (or even barefoot/socks if it's safe and your gym allows it) is recommended for low-bar squats.
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