Dumbbell Goblet Bulgarian Split Squat
A rear-foot-elevated split squat with the load at the chest — a staple single-leg exercise for the quads, glutes and balance.
How to do it
- Stand a stride's length in front of a bench and place the top of one foot on the bench behind you.
- Hold one dumbbell vertically at chest height, cupping the top with both hands close to your sternum.
- Set your front foot flat with your knee tracking over your middle toes and your torso slightly forward.
- Lower straight down by bending your front knee until your back knee hovers just above the floor.
- Pause briefly at the bottom with your front foot planted and chest up, without tipping forward.
- Drive through your front heel and midfoot to stand back up, keeping your back leg relaxed.
Key technique cue
Chest up, knee tracking out — pause at the bottom, don't bounce.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Standing too close to the bench, so the front knee shoots forward and the work shifts off the glutes.
- ✕ Letting the front knee cave inward on the way up, which stresses the joint and cuts glute work.
- ✕ Pushing off the back foot for help instead of loading the front leg cleanly through the rep.
- ✕ Rushing the bottom and bouncing out of the hole, missing the hardest part of the exercise.
Benefits
- ✓ Builds quad and glute size on each leg independently.
- ✓ Exposes and corrects strength imbalances between sides.
- ✓ Improves single-leg balance and ankle and hip control.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 -
Step 2 -
Step 3 You are here - Dumbbell Goblet Bulgarian Split Squat
- Barbell Split Squat
- Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat
- Front-Foot-Elevated Split Squat
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Step 4
About the exercise
The Dumbbell Goblet Bulgarian Split Squat is a single-leg squat with the back foot on a bench and one dumbbell held at chest height. It hammers the front leg's quads and glutes through a deep range while exposing any side-to-side imbalance an athlete has been hiding behind bilateral exercises. It is a workhorse accessory in any serious lower-body program. Include it in hypertrophy blocks, athletic conditioning for runners and team-sport athletes, or home programs where a bench and one dumbbell are all the equipment you have. It pairs especially well with the regular split squat in a beginner-to-intermediate progression.
Updated
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