Intermediate

TRX Bulgarian Split Squat

Placing the trailing foot in the suspension cradle removes the stable bench and forces the front leg to do nearly all the work while the hips fight to stay square. It is a superb single-leg quad and glute builder that also exposes side-to-side imbalances. Great for athletes and anyone wanting knee-friendly unilateral leg volume.

Equipment
TRX
Body part
Glutes, Quads
Type
Balance, Strength
Browse by movement
Lunge
Muscles worked
Target
Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis, Gluteus Maximus
Secondary
Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus, Adductor Magnus, Gluteus Medius
Tertiary
Erector Spinae, Gastrocnemius Medial Head

How to do it

  1. 1

    Set one foot behind you in the foot cradle with the strap hanging at mid-calf height.

  2. 2

    Hop the front foot forward until you find a balanced split stance.

  3. 3

    Brace your trunk and keep your chest tall.

  4. 4

    Bend the front knee and sink straight down until the thigh is roughly parallel.

  5. 5

    Keep the front shin stacked and the hips level as you descend.

  6. 6

    Drive through the front heel to stand, keeping tension on the back foot.

  7. 7

    Complete all reps, then switch legs.

Tips

  • Let the back foot glide slightly; do not push against the strap for stability.
  • Keep most of your weight on the front heel, not the toes.
  • Shorten your stance to bias the quads or lengthen it to bias the glutes.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Hanging the cradle at knee height instead of mid-calf. The rear leg starts propping you up and the pelvis tilts, so the front leg gets an easier rep than the count suggests.
  • Standing too close to the anchor, so the strap hangs at an angle and drags the rear leg forward underneath you rather than trailing straight down.
  • Starting the rep while the strap is still swinging from the hop into position. Let it settle first, or the first two reps are a balance scramble rather than leg work.
  • Rotating the torso toward the strap side to stay upright, which drops one hip and turns the rep into a twist. Check that your belt line stays level through the descent.
  • Picking up dumbbells before a clean bodyweight set is possible. The suspended rear foot already makes this harder than the bench version, and the load usually costs you depth and square hips.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the TRX Bulgarian split squat should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Two to three sets of six to ten per leg with bodyweight only. Count a rep only if you controlled it from top to bottom without the strap pulling you around; six honest reps beat twelve scrappy ones here. When ten per leg feels smooth, slow the descent to three seconds before you think about holding anything. A single light dumbbell in the opposite hand is the next step, since it also asks the trunk to resist the tilt.
What can I do instead of the TRX Bulgarian split squat if I have no suspension trainer?
Put the rear foot on a bench, a couch or a low chair for a standard Bulgarian split squat; you lose the instability but keep the loading, and you can hold heavier dumbbells. Gymnastic rings hung at mid-calf height do the same job as the straps. If you want the wobble without a strap, put the rear foot on a rolled towel on a slick floor and let it glide.
What is the TRX Bulgarian split squat good for and who is it for?
It gives you knee-friendly single-leg volume with almost no equipment, and because the rear foot cannot support you, it exposes side-to-side differences and hip control problems that a bench version can hide. Athletes, travelers and home trainers get the most from it. It is a poor choice for heavy loading, since balancing on one leg with a swinging rear foot caps the dumbbells you can safely hold, and it needs an anchor point you genuinely trust.

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