Way to Use Bulgarian Split Squats

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
21

[quote]K-man wrote:
Nate Dogg wrote:
*Note: Yes, I do use and believe in using leg curls and leg extensions within my training despite what everyone may say or believe on T-Nation. They do serve a purpose in your training program.

If you (awesome athlete, strong like hell-you use 20lbs for bulgarian, and big like…) say so than it must be true.[/quote]

I’m sure you’re an expert in the strengh training world, so please shower us with your knowledge.

I haven’t used leg extensions or leg curls in my workouts for more than seven (or more) years. I recently added them to some of my workouts, and yes, they do make a difference despite what many will claim here (they’re evil and bad for your knees!). If you have been sticking to the “basics” for numerous years, leg extensions and leg curls (and other exercises) offer a nice alternative and relief from constantly pounding your body into the ground with heavy weights.

Trust me, I’ve put in my time on squats, benches, deadlifts and all the other basic lifts.

Just because I used 20lb dumbbells for three high-rep sets of Bulgarian Split Squats, it doesn’t reflect my athleticism or strength levels. Which, I believe are quite good for my size. And after all the heavy sets of deadlifts, my legs were already fried. So the light-weight Bulgarians were a nice change of pace.

Remember, there is no need to blindly follow everything that is written by the authors for T-Nation. Just because someone says leg extensions (or lighter weights) are a waste of time, it doesn’t mean it’s true.

Go tell a bodybuilder that all those “isolation” exercises suck and he’s doing it all wrong. In fact, I believe CT has recommended leg extensions, leg curls, direct arm work, direct shoulder work and other exercises in many of his programs geared toward bodybuilding.

But you’re the expert. So I must be wrong!

22

[quote]smallmike wrote:
K-man wrote:
Nate Dogg wrote:
*Note: Yes, I do use and believe in using leg curls and leg extensions within my training despite what everyone may say or believe on T-Nation. They do serve a purpose in your training program.

If you (awesome athlete, strong like hell-you use 20lbs for bulgarian, and big like…) say so than it must be true.

Um…was that an insult? I really don’t think you’ve been around here long enough to insult one of the regulars…[/quote]

2 - 20 pound dumbbells = 2 x Nates body weight.

23

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
smallmike wrote:
K-man wrote:
Nate Dogg wrote:
*Note: Yes, I do use and believe in using leg curls and leg extensions within my training despite what everyone may say or believe on T-Nation. They do serve a purpose in your training program.

If you (awesome athlete, strong like hell-you use 20lbs for bulgarian, and big like…) say so than it must be true.

Um…was that an insult? I really don’t think you’ve been around here long enough to insult one of the regulars…

2 - 20 pound dumbbells = 2 x Nates body weight.[/quote]

LMAO!

24

[quote]Nate Dogg wrote:

*Note: Yes, I do use and believe in using leg curls and leg extensions within my training despite what everyone may say or believe on T-Nation. They do serve a purpose in your training program.[/quote]

I agree 100%. I must admit though, that I’ve never done a significant amount of BSS training. Apparently I’m missing out. Comments?

25

[quote]TornadoTommy wrote:
Nate Dogg wrote:

*Note: Yes, I do use and believe in using leg curls and leg extensions within my training despite what everyone may say or believe on T-Nation. They do serve a purpose in your training program.

I agree 100%. I must admit though, that I’ve never done a significant amount of BSS training. Apparently I’m missing out. Comments? [/quote]

It’s a great unilateral exercise. It requires a significant amount of balance and flexibility while holding weights at your sides or on your back.

It also targets the quads very well and it’s a great exercise that will carryover for athletic pursuits!

However, don’t forget that there are other similar exercises that work just as well (various lunges and step ups).

26

try isometric bulgarian squats,
hold at the bottom and squeeeze ur glutes as tight as u can for 15 - 20 secondss

27

this may not be useful, and may in fact sound as dumb as hell, but…with regard to the DB/BB thing, I have sometimes done them holding a DB on the back of my neck, like a BB. Im not sure if this would work with larger weights, but I found a small DB fits there nicely.

28

[quote]scoober wrote:
this may not be useful, and may in fact sound as dumb as hell, but…with regard to the DB/BB thing, I have sometimes done them holding a DB on the back of my neck, like a BB. Im not sure if this would work with larger weights, but I found a small DB fits there nicely. [/quote]

It seems like it would be a bit awkward to hold a dumbbell behind your neck. If you can, use an Xvest or load up a backpack with weights (books, water jugs, etc.).

29

[quote]digitalairair wrote:
try isometric bulgarian squats,
hold at the bottom and squeeeze ur glutes as tight as u can for 15 - 20 secondss[/quote]

I second this. Do you do these weighted?

30

[quote]IRoNStaLLion wrote:
it seems like many ppl here are fans of bulg split aquats… so i was wqondering what would be the best way to them for gains in strength, speed etc…

with dumbells (cons–hard to balance, limits weights, pros-core is more involved, grip gets recruited aswell)

barbell (don’t like these, scary to do especially if you lose balance)

or with the smith machine (pros-blance not an issue, can really focus on hitting the leg muscles… cons–its the smith machine)

thanks[/quote]

Usually dumbells. I like to also do them with a bar in the front squat position, and the overhead squat position, as well as with a single dumbell overhead-same or opposite hand as front foot, and with a Zercher hold.

31

When I first started using this exercise a couple months ago, I also felt the strain in the hamstrings, because they seem to do a lot of balancing work, esp. at the top of the movement.

However, as I’ve gotten used to these, I have noticed more glute stimulus (if I pause at the bottom) and quad (if I go through the movement without a pause.

I usually do high reps (15+15) with rear foot on a bench and front foot placed so that the top crease of the thigh to the hip is parallel to the floor. I have been using dumbbells with straps, but that may be an issue soon, because the dumbbells in my gym don’t go very high.

Two random things about this that are worth considering–

-the quads seem to get hit hard if you do both sides in a row because there’s a double-whammy: You extend the rear leg to press yourself through the sticking point of hard reps, and then use the quad to extend the hip when you switch legs.

-Hams get hit hard if you pause, esp. at the top.

-Glutes get hit hard if you pause at the bottom of the rep.

If anybody has done this exercise with heavy loads (bodyweight or more in total loads) I have a question for you: When you work lower reps, do you think it’s a good idea to go straight from one leg to the other? Do you do weak or strong leg first, and what effect does doing a leg first or second have on which muscles are stressed when you’re working with heavier loads and maybe with lower reps?

Thanks.

32

i use the barbell… sometimes dumbbells just to see what I can do. Frankly the barbell set up is easier for me.

walk it out with a bench behind you

stand step 1 foot forward then hop the other one onto the bench and there you go.

Try bulgarian squats but holding the weight front squat style THAT really works your quads.

dumbbells are cool but I felt more limited by my grip strength than anything else. But its a great double whammy if you want to work your traps as well. I’ll do my BSS reps then a quick 10 shrugs.

33

[quote]Ross Hunt wrote:

If anybody has done this exercise with heavy loads (bodyweight or more in total loads) I have a question for you: When you work lower reps, do you think it’s a good idea to go straight from one leg to the other? Do you do weak or strong leg first, and what effect does doing a leg first or second have on which muscles are stressed when you’re working with heavier loads and maybe with lower reps?

Thanks.[/quote]

I use the barbell for my heaviest loads, and I find that the emphasis on quads, hips or hammies depends on your foot placement (how far it is away and how deep you go)

I do my weak leg first. I have no idea why.

If i’m using very heavy weight, so 4-5reps… then I rack the weight for about 5-10seconds, then go back to it for the other leg.

Thats not even for the leg fatigue but I just like to take the pressure off of my back.

34

[quote]Xen Nova wrote:
Ross Hunt wrote:

If anybody has done this exercise with heavy loads (bodyweight or more in total loads) I have a question for you: When you work lower reps, do you think it’s a good idea to go straight from one leg to the other? Do you do weak or strong leg first, and what effect does doing a leg first or second have on which muscles are stressed when you’re working with heavier loads and maybe with lower reps?

Thanks.

I use the barbell for my heaviest loads, and I find that the emphasis on quads, hips or hammies depends on your foot placement (how far it is away and how deep you go)

I do my weak leg first. I have no idea why.

If i’m using very heavy weight, so 4-5reps… then I rack the weight for about 5-10seconds, then go back to it for the other leg.

Thats not even for the leg fatigue but I just like to take the pressure off of my back. [/quote]

Thanks.

You’re definitely right about the trap effect of the dumbbell version. I use straps when I do them and usually do them the day after oly lifts and pulls, and it provides a nice mix of extra conditioning and active recovery.

35

I always do my dominant leg first, and force my other one to match it.

Here’s a question for you guys though, what kind of weight do you use compared to your back squats? Because i can get 6 reps for each leg using 2 90 pound dumbells on BSSs, but I can’t back squat more than 260 for 6 reps. Seems odd to me.

36

[quote]totti wrote:
I always do my dominant leg first, and force my other one to match it.

Here’s a question for you guys though, what kind of weight do you use compared to your back squats? Because i can get 6 reps for each leg using 2 90 pound dumbells on BSSs, but I can’t back squat more than 260 for 6 reps. Seems odd to me.
[/quote]

That is extremely odd and makes me wonder if you’re going deep enough on the BSSs?

I would say the for most people, their BSS is about 1/3 or so of their back squat.

37

[quote]totti wrote:
I always do my dominant leg first, and force my other one to match it.

Here’s a question for you guys though, what kind of weight do you use compared to your back squats? Because i can get 6 reps for each leg using 2 90 pound dumbells on BSSs, but I can’t back squat more than 260 for 6 reps. Seems odd to me.
[/quote]

Also see how far your knee goes forward when you go down. I suspect you use a lot of quad power on the Bulgarian Split Squats. Do you back squat with a wide powerlifting stance?

38

For BSSs I go as low as i can (non-working knee to the ground) and i try not to let my working knee go out past my toes. As for back squat, how wide is a powerlifting squat? I usually have my feet quite a bit further out than shoulder width. Maybe it’s just an intermuscular co-ordination issue with back squats for some reason.

39

[quote]totti wrote:
Maybe it’s just an intermuscular co-ordination issue with back squats for some reason.[/quote]

Could be it, have you been back squatting for a long time/often?

The other possibility could be a weak lower back. That’s one area that gets stressed heavily (especially PL-style) on the back squat but not as much on the BSS. So a very high BSS in relation to back squat could indicate a weak lower back (and possibly hams), relative to quads and glutes.

40

I use DBs (40s right now), pick up the DBs, then put the back foot up.

I’m currently doing them EDT style with 10 min PR zones.

LA