This week for Wednesday write up we are going to talk a little bit about why we are doing bulgarian split squats so much in the programming. I am sure that lots of you have noticed the regular appearance of this movement being superset with front or back squats and also deadlifts. So let’s dive in a get a little nerdy and dissect and do some learning of why we like it so much.

Here at Outlier we started putting split squats into the mix in our strength program because this move accomplishes a ton for the body. Movements that challenge the body one side at a time are a great way to develop better balance and coordination throughout the body. Spitting the body up also allows for the different sides to work independently without the stronger side taking the lead. This can help level out imbalances caused from bad posture, long time injuries or asymmetrical sport hobbies like soccer, golf, skateboarding etc etc… With the split squat we also get a bonus punch of flexibility work. While one leg is in front working to squat the weight, the back leg is forced to stretch into almost a coach stretch. It is a strong active stretch position where the hip flexors are forced to stretch as well as hold weight and help support the torso. For most people the hip flexors are very tight and can be hard to stretch, split squats offer a potent stretch as well as strengthening at the same time. A good thing to note is that typically when ever someone has an extremely tight muscle group this means that the opposing muscle group on the other side of the body is probably under developed. In the case of tight hip flexors this can mean that their glutes are underdeveloped and not as strong as they should be. During the squatting motion of the split squat the pelvis is typically held in a position where the glutes are forced to work in overdrive. Especially the gluteus medius and minimus, these are the smaller slabs of muscle on the outside of the butt. When the leg is forced to balance on one foot, these muscle have to stabilize in a much greater fashion than when their partners on the other side of the hips are squatting also. A well balanced hip with flexible hip flexors and strong glutes will last a long time as well as the knees that live downstream. Split squats really help build legs that are well rounded and strong. Now let’s talk a little bit about why you typically see them so devilishly mixed in with large movements rather than by themselves.

We opt to superset in the split squats with movements like deadlifts and squats for a few reasons. I am sure you have noticed that we typically cycle similar movements throughout the weeks. These movements are going to be the larger movements that strengthen the body as a whole. In the classes we need to get you warm, get you strong and also get you sweating and hopefully if you listen to the coach you get a little more flexible all within the hour. In order to try and get the most bang for your buck we will superset strength movements. In the case of the split squats we put them after the deadlifts and squats so that the smaller muscle groups and focus areas have to activate more because we tire out the larger muscles with the big movement first. In the case of coupling them with the deadlifts, you notice that the hips and hamstrings get extra pumped and worked. While with the back squat split squat combo the quads and glutes balance the work load a little different. As well, the smaller muscle groups that we want to strengthen typically respond well to high rep movements. This is also why you see 8 reps on both sides prescribed after the heavy deadlifts or squats. These high rep sets help get blood flow in the nooks and crannies of the hips that get neglected by low rep high weight squats and deadlifts. In addition to helping provide a nice corrective exercise aspect to strength days and making your training more productive and safe, the split squats have one more main benefit. Heavy high rep split squats make your butt really big… and who is ever gonna complain about having a bigger butt? NO ONE.

So make sure to make it in for split squats! Don’t skip them. Keep adding weight and try to make progress on them just like you would on your back squat or your clean!

Coach P