What equipment do you need for the barbell bulgarian split squat?

You need barbell, squat rack, and flat bench to do the barbell bulgarian split squat.

What is a good barbell bulgarian split squat?

For men, a good barbell bulgarian split squat is about a 162.5 lb estimated one-rep max, the Gold (intermediate) standard in Kovo. Beginners start near 50 lb and elite lifters pass 315 lb. For women, the standards run from about 27.5 lb to 165 lb. The tier table above lists every rank from Bronze to Champion.

Legs · Barbell

Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat

How to do the barbell bulgarian split squat, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.

Equipment: Barbell
Difficulty: Advanced
Logged as: Weighted reps
Movement: Squat
Mechanic: Compound

Find more:Quads exercises Barbell exercises

How to do it

Set your rear foot on a bench behind you and unrack a barbell onto your upper back. Lower straight down until your front thigh is near parallel, then drive through the front heel to stand tall and repeat.

1Front-leg quad and glute drive, with steady balance through the whole rep.

Common mistakes

Letting the front knee cave inward, pushing off the back foot, or losing your torso position by tipping forward.

Muscles worked

The barbell bulgarian split squat mainly works the quads and glutes, with the hamstrings, lower back, and calves assisting.

QuadsPrimary
GlutesPrimary
HamstringsSupport
Lower BackSupport
CalvesSupport
Upper AbsMinor

Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat strength standards

See how your barbell bulgarian split squat ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.

Bronzee1RM50 lb
Silvere1RM97.5 lb
Golde1RM162.5 lb
Platinume1RM232.5 lb
Diamonde1RM277.5 lb
Champione1RM315 lb

Find your rank

Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.

Weight (lb)Reps

Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.

Kovo programs the barbell bulgarian split squat for you and tracks it every session.

We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.

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More quads exercises

See all quads exercises →

Last reviewed April 2026.