Bulgarian squat: what it is, what it’s for (and how to do it)

The Bulgarian squat is a leg exercise that mainly works the quadriceps and glutes, promoting the strengthening and hypertrophy of these muscles. Therefore, the Bulgarian squat is a great exercise to include in your lower body training routine.

This exercise can be performed with just your own body weight or using dumbbells, and it can also be done with cadence, which can make the exercise more intense.

It is important that initially the Bulgarian squat is done under the guidance of a physical education professional so that guidance is given and the movement is performed correctly.

What is it for

The Bulgarian squat is used for:

• Promote the strengthening and hypertrophy of the quadriceps, which is the muscle present in the front of the leg;
• Strengthen the glutes;
• Promote muscle definition in the lower limbs;
• Stimulate joint flexibility;
• Reduce stress on the lower back, which is easier to do with traditional squats.

To give more emphasis to the muscle group, the physical education professional can indicate some variations. To increase the work of the quadriceps, you can do the movement with a straighter torso, while to work the glutes more, it is recommended that the torso is slightly tilted forward.

How to do the Bulgarian squat

The step-by-step guide to doing the Bulgarian squat is as follows:

1. Stand with your back to a bench or chair;
2. Take a big step forward;
3. Place your back foot on the bench or chair;
4. Keeping your abdomen contracted, go down, flexing your front knee and trying to touch your back knee to the floor;
5. Then, stretch your front knee until it is in a semi-flexed position and perform the movement again.
6. After completing the repetitions with one leg, you must follow the same step by step with the other leg in front.

To intensify the exercise, the physical education professional can indicate cadences, that is, suggest that the downward movement be slower, in 4 seconds, and the upward movement faster, in 2 seconds, for example.

Bulgarian squat step by step

Bulgarian Dumbbell Squat

The Bulgarian dumbbell squat is a variation of the exercise that helps to intensify the work of the muscles, as there is additional weight, which can make the movement more difficult and make the muscles work harder. Normally, the use of dumbbells is done by people who can already perform the movement without difficulty.

So, to do this variation, simply hold a dumbbell on each side and perform the squat movement. If you have difficulty balancing, you can do the exercise with just one dumbbell, which must be held by the hand on the side of the leg that is resting on the bench. In other words, if the right leg is supported on the bench, the dumbbell must be held in the right hand.