What equipment do you need for the smith machine bulgarian split squat?

You need smith machine and flat bench to do the smith machine bulgarian split squat.

What is a good smith machine bulgarian split squat?

For men, a good smith machine bulgarian split squat is about a 72.5 lb estimated one-rep max, the Gold (intermediate) standard in Kovo. Beginners start near 25 lb and elite lifters pass 132.5 lb. For women, the standards run from about 15 lb to 80 lb. The tier table above lists every rank from Bronze to Champion.

Legs · Smith Machine

Smith Machine Bulgarian Split Squat

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

Equipment: Smith Machine
Difficulty: Intermediate
Logged as: Weighted reps
Movement: Squat
Mechanic: Compound

Find more:Quads exercises Machine exercises

How to do it

Set your rear foot on a bench behind you and position yourself under the Smith bar. 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 a stable bar path from the Smith machine.

Common mistakes

Letting the front knee cave inward, pushing off the back foot, or bouncing out of the bottom position.

Muscles worked

The smith machine 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

Smith Machine Bulgarian Split Squat strength standards

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

Bronzee1RM25 lb
Silvere1RM45 lb
Golde1RM72.5 lb
Platinume1RM100 lb
Diamonde1RM117.5 lb
Champione1RM132.5 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 smith machine 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.