How To Split Squat - The Ultimate Step By Step Guide To Master This Lower Body Exercise

How To Master The Split Squat.

Build your fitness, body, and strength from the ground up.

Over the next several weeks I will show you how to progress through all the popular movements and exercises you perform at the gym.

The one advantage of being stuck at home is that you can work your way through and refine your technique for many of the common exercises that you perform at the gym.
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With the explosion of HIIT and groups, many of you are doing advanced versions of basic exercises without ever having received proper instruction from the ground up.

I see it all over exercise videos.

People are doing exercises like the Split Squat without mastering the basics first.

In this series of videos, starting with the split squat movement pattern, you will learn where to start and how to progress and how to get stronger with every movement.

This first exercise pattern, the split squat, is a foundational movement for true single leg work like the lunge and step up.

Make sure you can do the exercises in the right order before moving to advanced versions.

This is a step by step guide to really mastering the Split Squat exercise. 

No matter what level of training or fitness you are at, you will learn something from this video series.

Follow the instructions below and progress through the split squat levels and challenge yourself to be perfect with every repetition of the exercise.

SPLIT SQUAT 1 - TRX ASSISTED SPLIT SQUAT.

Follow the instructions in the video to master level 1.

Once you can perform 15 perfect repetitions on each leg, move to level 2.

SPLIT SQUAT 2: BAND ASSISTED SPLIT SQUAT

Now we move to our level 2 Split Squat progression.

This will be very similar to Level 1 so it may be too easy for you.

Once again, when you can perform 15 perfect repetitions on each leg, move to the level 3 version.

SPLIT SQUAT 3 - THE BODYWEIGHT SPLIT SQUAT.

Now we are on to the full Bodyweight Split Squat.

You should be able to perform 15 reps of the previous two versions without collapsing your knees inwards, without falling forward and without tilting your upper body side to side.

Once you can perform 15 repetitions of the Bodyweight split squat on each leg, you can progress the exercise by:

• Adding Dumbbells.
• Adding a Barbell.
• Pausing at the bottom of each repetition.
  
• Adding little quarter reps at the bottom of each rep.
  

Once you can do 10-15 repetitions on both legs with weight, you can move to level 4.

SPLIT SQUAT 4 - FRONT FOOT ELEVATED SPLIT SQUAT

​Here is the level 4 version which requires a bit more mobility, stability and strength.

Once again, when you have mastered the bodyweight version, you can progress this version of the split squat in numerous ways.

You can:

• Add dumbbells to increase the load.
• Place a barbell on your back.
• Take pauses at the bottom of each rep.
• Increase the height of the step.
• Perform quarter reps at the bottom.

There are endless versions of this exercise that will keep your challenged for months.

SPLIT SQUAT 5 - REAR FOOT ELEVATED SPLIT SQUAT AKA BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT.

Now we come to our final and most difficult version of the split squat. The Rear foot elevated split squat.

This definitely requires a little more stability and mobility as well as a good base of foundational strength from the other options.

When you master the bodyweight versions, you can increase the difficulty by:

• Add dumbbells to increase the load.
• Place a barbell on your back.
• Take pauses at the bottom of each rep.
• Increase the height of the step.
• Perform quarter reps at the bottom.

There you have it.

That was the complete, step by step guide to mastering the Split Squat.

I am sure there are versions I may have missed as new versions of exercises come out all the time.

But if you take the time to master the progressions of the split squat, you will be able to perform even more advanced versions when the time comes.

You will build up good balance, mobility, functional strength and hopefully prevent injury by going through the progressions above.

I hope it helped.

Send me an email if you have any questions or leave a comment below.

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