Bulgarian Split Squat

Place the bar either on the front of your shoulders like a front squat or behind your neck. Place one foot well out in front of the other in a staggered position with your rear foot placed firmly on top of a bench or box no higher than 18 inches. Set your core and maintain an erect torso as you descend as deep as possible with your front heel firmly on the floor. You should feel a stretch in your rear leg's hip flexor region as you descend. Drive upward and exhale as you pass the halfway point during the ascent. Complete all the repetitions with one leg, then switch to the other to complete the same number of reps. This is 1 set.

Unlike the regular split squat where you attempt to push close to 50 percent of the load with the rear leg, the Bulgarian split squat uses the rear leg only for balance as the forward leg does the bulk of the work.

TIP: As with lunges and stepups, try holding the bar in the front position to increase intensity.