Is there a difference between split squats and Bulgarian split squats? I know the Bulgarian ones you elevate your back leg but I didn’t know if when someone says split squats there is a separate exercise or if they are just leaving off the Bulgarian.
I’ve always thought Split Squats were tha same as a static lunge. Basically set-up in a lunge position and kill all the reps for one leg before switching. Hope this helps…
and split you dont.
[quote]Playboy wrote:
Is there a difference between split squats and Bulgarian split squats? I know the Bulgarian ones you elevate your back leg but I didn’t know if when someone says split squats there is a separate exercise or if they are just leaving off the Bulgarian.[/quote]
The split squats are like a lunge, but you leave that forward foot out there after each rep, instead of bringing it back to square on with the other trailing leg, as Jimmy said.
Bulgarian squats are with the trail leg elevated, and are the most difficult by far imo.
Having said that, I do bulgarian squats, but still call them split squats, lol.
One thing’s for sure, they are very difficult if you have never done them. Using a barbell isn’t as easy to dump if you have to, where DB’s are simple to drop. The only time I see that happening is if you are still struggling with balancing yourself, and ramping up to heavy weight at the same time. The balance is tough to get down at first.
I use sets of 6 or sets of 10 each leg. The latter will really have you breathing hard.
Great exercises whichever you do.
ToneBone
Hmm… i never really thought about adding them. But i quite fancy adding a bulgarian to the end of a quad session… 1 set 50 reps or so… be killer! I can see the grooves and striations it will help bring out already…
[quote]Joe Joseph wrote:
Hmm… i never really thought about adding them. But i quite fancy adding a bulgarian to the end of a quad session… 1 set 50 reps or so… be killer! I can see the grooves and striations it will help bring out already…
[/quote]
Sets of 50 for bulgarians?! You are nuts! 
I do think they are a good choice for the end of a workout though. Also, I really like the reverse lunges off a step or bench from Eric Cressey’s article a few weeks ago. I really feel these in my quads.
[quote]Joe Joseph wrote:
Hmm… i never really thought about adding them. But i quite fancy adding a bulgarian to the end of a quad session… 1 set 50 reps or so… be killer! I can see the grooves and striations it will help bring out already…
[/quote]
I don’t see how in hell you could do one set of 50 reps each leg AFTER a session of legs prior??
Cmon now…you’re killing me.
EDIT: I was taking the wrong tone on re-read.
I haven’t done yet. But i am going to try it…
I am not on about 225lb here… just some light weight for burns… like 95lbs (20kg and bar) or something.
Maybe standard lunges depending on how i feel.
Whats wrong with that, is it too much? I havent done them before…
Vader: There is no way i would be able to do reverse lunges off a step though! - that would be a step too far for me, my nervous system would just let my leg collapse! lol!
Joe
hey man, i will bow down to you if you can do a set to 50 with 90 lbs on your back for a bulgarian squat
lol! maybe youre right!! ill have to try it now just because i fucking said it! SHIT!! Looking at it maybe 90lbs is too much as it is just 1 leg isnt it! lmao!
it started out as this…
“Hmm… i never really thought about adding them. But i quite fancy adding a bulgarian to the end of a quad session… 1 set 50 reps or so… be killer! I can see the grooves and striations it will help bring out already…”
And now it seems i HAVE to fucking do em!! Me and my mouth… :')
I’ll give em a go - not promising 90lbs though! Ill post the true account, my word on that.
[quote]Joe Joseph wrote:
lol! maybe youre right!! ill have to try it now just because i fucking said it! SHIT!! Looking at it maybe 90lbs is too much as it is just 1 leg isnt it! lmao!
it started out as this…
“Hmm… i never really thought about adding them. But i quite fancy adding a bulgarian to the end of a quad session… 1 set 50 reps or so… be killer! I can see the grooves and striations it will help bring out already…”
And now it seems i HAVE to fucking do em!! Me and my mouth… :')
I’ll give em a go - not promising 90lbs though! Ill post the true account, my word on that. [/quote]
I got up to using 57.5lb DB’s a while back and jesus H, that was f’ing tough as hell for me, sets of 6 btw.
I’m not huge and/or strong, but I did have the big boys at the gym taking a keen notice of it at the time too, lol.
I switched over to the DB’s after a while, I didn’t like the thought of dropping on a vulnerable knee by accident if something went wrong with balance etc. With the DB’s I figure less of a chance for something like that to happen.
ToneBone
Yeah that makes sense… DB’s…
Fair enough, maybe i was a little too generous with 90lbs!!
I’ll play with them when i am in the mood and see what it is MORE LIKELY to be IRL!! I had got that number from standard lunges, i do 10 at 60lk total with a bar… but i wasnt thinking - bulgarians are going to be so much harder, and i bet 50x lunges with 40kg is asking too much too! maybe 25…! lol
Thanks for the reality check 
Joe
I used to do DB bulgarian split squats on a separate day from back squats, and i think that really helped my quads to get bigger. I also did some hamstring curls afterwards. I would probably add some calf work too since i neglected my calve training.
[quote]D Public wrote:
I used to do DB bulgarian split squats on a separate day from back squats, and i think that really helped my quads to get bigger. I also did some hamstring curls afterwards. I would probably add some calf work too since i neglected my calve training. [/quote]
Yeah that’s what I did too, it kicked ass.
My routine at that time is in the T cell Alpha titled:
“Leg Blastin Routines.”
Great exercise, started doing them at sets of 10, but as the weight got ramped up it became increasingly hard breathing and very difficult to get 10 reps out of it, especially when you dump the knee all the way till you hit the ground every time. A lot of guys stop short, which is way easier with the heavier weight.
Anyway, now I do em as heavy as possibe for sets of 6. Good to switch that up too.
Can’t beat the pump from them, it’s fucking crazy.
ToneBone
They actually sound great! Thanks for recommending them lads!
I think instead of putting them on the end as i previously considered (and after realising they seem REALLY fucking hard) I think i will put them in my program in a more stable, higher, position for a few weeks…!
Ta!
To really make them interesting joe
this is what i call more interesting…, growwwlll…!
[quote]Qaash wrote:
To really make them interesting joe
I am missing the variation i think… whats different, that the back leg comes off the bench?
[quote]Joe Joseph wrote:
Qaash wrote:
To really make them interesting joe
I am missing the variation i think… whats different, that the back leg comes off the bench?[/quote]
Joe, the first guy has his front leg elevated, thus creating a deeper squat, the gal has a different deal with front foot placement though also. Her front foot is farther away from the bench.
The farther forward the front foot, the more hip/ham dominant the exercise becomes, and frankly harder to nigh impossible to actually drop the trail knee to the ground, and the closer the front foot is to the bench, the more it becomes quad dominant, and easier to drop trail knee to the ground.
Both ways kick ass, but now you have a variable that comes in handy depending on what you’re after.
Oh, and yeah, growwwwllll or something like that, lol!
Yowza what a nice bod.
ToneBone
[quote]Joe Joseph wrote:
this is what i call more interesting…, growwwlll…!
Yeah, your clip does look better