Legs
Split Squat
A lunge where your feet stay in place: you lower straight down and come straight back up. It builds your quads and glutes one leg at a time, and the fixed stance lets you hold heavier dumbbells.
- Works
- Quads, glutes, adductors, core
- Equipment
- A pair of dumbbells
- Load
- Medium to heavy
How to do it
- 1Stand with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Take a long stride, one foot forward and one back, and lift your back heel.
- 2Square your hips to the front and stand tall, with most of your weight in your front foot.
- 3Lower straight down until your back knee is just above the floor. Hold for a moment.
- 4Push through your whole front foot to come back up, feet staying where they are. Finish your reps, then switch legs.
Cues
- Hold at the bottom.
- Back knee drops straight down to the floor.
- Front heel stays down the whole time.
Common mistakes
- Stance too short. If your front heel lifts or your knee feels jammed, slide your back foot farther back.
- Front knee caving in. Keep it pointing over your middle toes on the way down and on the way up.
- Bouncing out of the bottom. Lower under control and hold for a moment before you push back up.
Easier
Go lighter, don't go as low, or hold a wall or chair with one hand for balance.
Harder
Take 3 seconds on the way down and hold the bottom for 2 seconds, or move on to the Bulgarian split squat.
Try it: 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps per side, or 30 seconds on and 30 off per side.
What's the difference between a split squat and a lunge?
In a split squat your feet stay planted for the whole set and you just go down and up. In a lunge you step out and back on every rep. The split squat is easier to balance, so it's a good way to load your legs heavy.
