Bulgarian Split Squat
How to Do It
Stand a stride in front of a bench, lacing the top of the rear foot on it. Brace and lower the back knee toward the floor by bending the front leg, keeping the front shin fairly vertical and torso slightly forward. Descend until the front thigh is near parallel, then drive through the front foot to stand. Reps, then switch.
Why It Works
Elevating the rear foot shifts the load heavily onto the front leg, building deep single-leg quad/glute strength and stability through a long range with a strong balance and hip-control demand.
Hockey Transfer
Directly overloads single-leg push-off strength specific to skating; deep front-leg loading builds stride power and the unilateral stability that supports edges, turns, and resilience of the knee and hip.
Coaching Cues
- "Down toward the floor, not forward"
- "weight in the front heel"
- "tall torso, control the descent"
Common Mistakes
Front knee caving; standing too close (knee jams forward); rushing the eccentric
Progression / Regression
hold DBs or add a pause/tempo
lower the elevation or do a split squat (rear foot down)
Primary Muscles
Energy System
Strength/neural
Put it to work
on the ice.
This exercise is part of a fully periodized 12-week off-ice program — built by a sport scientist who coaches at the national level.
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