Using a wedge is better than using a blocky item such as a small weight disc (5lb or 10lb plate).
Hold onto a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells if loading is desired.Choose an object to elevate the heels by about 1 inch.The further the knee travels forward, the more the quads will activate. This is because as you elevate the heel you will place a greater load on the front part of the foot, and therefore, the knee is going to bend further forward to a greater extent. While you will still achieve muscle activation in the glutes and hamstrings, just like the Bulgarian split squat, this alternative will target the quads more. The heel elevated split squat requires placing an object such as a wedge or weight plate underneath the heel of the front foot. You should be able to feel your hip muscles such as your glutes, hamstrings, and adductors more when you focus on rotating your pelvis forward towards the front leg. If you are not using load, try to raise the arm opposite to your front leg, and reach forward. Stand back up whilst maintaining a soft bend in both knees.Descend in the split squat until your back knee almost touches the ground.Maintain a vertical shin angle of the front leg.Keep the back flat, and shoulders, hips, and back knee in a vertical line.Hold on to a pair of weights such as dumbbells or kettlebells, or hold no weight at all.Choose an object to elevate the feet about 6 to 12 inches off the ground.This places more emphasis on the hamstrings and hip adductors, which are the groin muscles. The front foot elevated split squat can be thought of as the opposite of a Bulgarian split squat.ĭuring the Bulgarian split squat, the rear foot is elevated to load the front leg more and keep the center of gravity near the front of the foot, which targets the quads and glutes more.ĭuring the front foot elevated split squat, the front foot is elevated so that the pressure is closer to the heels of the front foot, and therefore load into the heels a bit more. 9 Best Bulgarian Split Squat Alternative 1. The Bulgarian split squat and its alternatives are great squat exercises if you experience low back pain. This is an important consideration to make when selecting a substitute for the Bulgarian split squat, as exercises that place both feet on the same plane (like a barbell squat or deadlift) will NOT be a good alternative. Whether you are training the left leg forward or right leg forward, the other leg will be placed in a different position. One Leg At A TimeĪ key component of the Bulgarian split squat is that it trains the legs one at a time. use more glutes than quads), so you can pick the variation that best suits your training goals. Some of the variations that we’ll discuss below may have greater activation in one area over another (i.e. Therefore, when we select an alternative to the Bulgarian split squat we want to look for variations that use similar musculature. Glutes (Gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus).Research shows that muscles worked in a Bulgarian split squat are: Let’s have a look at what the Bulgarian split squat does. Train the legs in a unilateral fashion i.e.Target similar muscle groups as the Bulgarian split squat.What Makes A Great Bulgarian Split Squat AlternativeĪ great Bulgarian split squat alternative should achieve the following: In this article, I will break down the best Bulgarian split squat alternatives, discuss what they train, how they differ and explain how best to perform them. The 9 best Bulgarian split squat alternatives are:
However, there are alternatives to the Bulgarian split squat that can help make the movement more or less difficult, and activate different areas of the lower body. The Bulgarian split squat is one of the most commonly used single-leg lower body exercises to target the glute and quad muscles.
0 kommentar(er)
