Bulgarian Split Squats

[Thin Lizzy]

Why do strength coaches act like this is the greatest exercise of all time? It’s just a lunge variation with no specific applications.

I’ve heard Mike Boyle say it’s superior to back squats because there’s less danger of the lower back failing. The only reason for that is people use too much fucking weight. Just lighten the load and your back will be fine. I’m about to turn 55. I run 30-40 miles a week and still squat once a week with no lower back issues.

With Bulgarians the entire load is on one knee joint. IMO, this will eventually causes knee problems if heavy weights are used.

Rant over.

As always, apologies for the training thread.

[oldtimer1]

     I bet you could travel Bulgaria for two months and not find one Bulgarian doing the exercise.  How come when ever an odd ball exercise comes out of the Mars they call it Bulgarian? 

    It's just an exercise. No magic. If you go on sites like TNation they are always pushing exercises that a trainer came up with trying to be an exercise creator. It seems every trainer needs an exercise that they came up with. The current buzz is variations of land mine exercises.

     What's wrong with just an ordinary lunge with a barbell? Granted the back leg takes a load off the working leg but that can be compensated by using more weight. Back in the split leg Olympic lifting days guys could get into the deep lunge position with a ton of weight and come out of it.

  Congrats on the running mileage. Don't apologize for talking about training on a bodybuilding site.

[Methyl m1ke]

I use them to hit my posterior chain. They are a godsend to me at least.

[Royalty]

Why do strength coaches act like this is the greatest exercise of all time? It’s just a lunge variation with no specific applications.

I’ve heard Mike Boyle say it’s superior to back squats because there’s less danger of the lower back failing. The only reason for that is people use too much fucking weight. Just lighten the load and your back will be fine. I’m about to turn 55. I run 30-40 miles a week and still squat once a week with no lower back issues.

With Bulgarians the entire load is on one knee joint. IMO, this will eventually causes knee problems if heavy weights are used.

Rant over.

As always, apologies for the training thread.

Apology Not Accepted. Banned for Life!

[Henda]

Tried them a handful of times, balance is shit and hated them so never bothered again

[King Shizzo]

That wasn't a sub available at Publix.

[ThisisOverload]

I've never even tried one. Seems like an easy way to lose your balance and mess up your hip.

[King Shizzo]

I've never even tried one. Seems like an easy way to lose your balance and mess up your hip.

Especially if you dont add extra mayonnaise or mustard.

[Methyl m1ke]

Tried them a handful of times, balance is shit and hated them so never bothered again

They were difficult for me too. There's a reason why they're hard at first. The payoff is worth it.

[BB]

These go back to a guy named Angel Spassov. Spassov was a Bulgarian strength coach that came over in 80's, and got in with Joe Weider for a while. His big thing was the combination of split squats and heavy step ups. To help popularize his program, he and Terry Todd wrote some stories on Bulgarian and Russian training where Spassov insinuated that they were moving away from squats to more single leg training. He never outright said they were dropping back squats, front squats, etc...., but he gave you enough to get you thinking in that direction.

Fast fwd a few years, and more Eastern Bloc coaches and lifters are coming over and being asked about this, and the answers ranged from "Nope, we don't know what this is" to "Yeah, we do stuff like that when we're burnt out or as a secondary exercise."

The Bulgarian thing fizzled out back then, and Spassov went on to be a pretty wanted coach in the States -

http://www.overspeedtraining.com/spassov.html .


For what it's worth, the original Spassov Bulgarian Squat only had your back leg a little off the floor like in the below picture -

.

[Thin Lizzy]

These go back to a guy named Angel Spassov. Spassov was a Bulgarian strength coach that came over in 80's, and got in with Joe Weider for a while. His big thing was the combination of split squats and heavy step ups. To help popularize his program, he and Terry Todd wrote some stories on Bulgarian and Russian training where Spassov insinuated that they were moving away from squats to more single leg training. He never outright said they were dropping back squats, front squats, etc...., but he gave you enough to get you thinking in that direction.

Fast fwd a few years, and more Eastern Bloc coaches and lifters are coming over and being asked about this, and the answers ranged from "Nope, we don't know what this is" to "Yeah, we do stuff like that when we're burnt out or as a secondary exercise."

The Bulgarian thing fizzled out back then, and Spassov went on to be a pretty wanted coach in the States -

http://www.overspeedtraining.com/spassov.html .


For what it's worth, the original Spassov Bulgarian Squat only had your back leg a little off the floor like in the below picture -

.

Great post. It seems at best a secondary exercise that is inferior to the back squat which provides greater hip flexion, extension and allows you to use more weight.


Also, looking at that pic, it’s also very hard on the big toe of the elevated leg.

[AbrahamG]

Especially if you dont add extra mayonnaise or mustard.

A for persistence. 

[oldtimer1]

These go back to a guy named Angel Spassov. Spassov was a Bulgarian strength coach that came over in 80's, and got in with Joe Weider for a while. His big thing was the combination of split squats and heavy step ups. To help popularize his program, he and Terry Todd wrote some stories on Bulgarian and Russian training where Spassov insinuated that they were moving away from squats to more single leg training. He never outright said they were dropping back squats, front squats, etc...., but he gave you enough to get you thinking in that direction.

Fast fwd a few years, and more Eastern Bloc coaches and lifters are coming over and being asked about this, and the answers ranged from "Nope, we don't know what this is" to "Yeah, we do stuff like that when we're burnt out or as a secondary exercise."

The Bulgarian thing fizzled out back then, and Spassov went on to be a pretty wanted coach in the States -

http://www.overspeedtraining.com/spassov.html .


For what it's worth, the original Spassov Bulgarian Squat only had your back leg a little off the floor like in the below picture -

.

Great info but you left out the Bulgarian weight lifting team was telling the world they no longer squatted and it was the lunge they concentrated on. Because of the power house team they were considering the size of the country many Olympic lifters gave up the squat. Then the truth came out they were handing out misinformation about their training methods. They squatted plenty.