The Best Science-Backed Lower Body Workout

Have you ever wished for lean, toned legs and firm glutes? If that's the case, this should be your go-to move. 

You should be training your legs regardless of your fitness goals (fat loss, muscle gain, or improved sports performance). Most people should train them at least twice a week, especially since they're a frequently overlooked body part. 

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Of course, you can target your lower body with a variety of exercises such as squats, lunges, step-ups, hip thrusts, deadlifts, leg curls, and so on. All of these exercises are excellent for increasing strength and muscle mass, and they should be included in your regular workout routine to complete your lower-body workout. The Bulgarian split squat, on the other hand, is the number one lower-body movement for leg development.
Here's how to do the world's most popular lower-body exercise, as well as four reasons why it's so good for leg strength. 

The Bulgarian Split Squat 

From a standing position, place your back foot on a bench or couch and step out 2 to 3 feet away from the bench with your other foot. Start by lowering your body straight down, using control, until your back knee is almost touching the ground and your front knee is in a runner's lunge. Return to standing by driving through your front heel and flexing your quads and glutes. On each leg, perform 10 reps. Now you can see why the Bulgarian split squat is so powerful. Start practicing Bulgarian split squats without weights. Once you've mastered the movement, try it with two dumbbells. Instead of two dumbbells, you can hold one kettlebell with both hands out in front of you.

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• Strengthens Your Quadriceps and Glutes 

Because of our modern lifestyles and daily activities, many of us are quad-dominant. As a result, we lack strong glutes, which help to stabilize our knees and maintain a healthy lower back. You should do more glute-targeted exercises to combat this problem. The Bulgarian split squat can work your quads and glutes in this case, especially if you lean your torso forward to make the movement more hip dominant.

• Improved Sporting Ability 

Split squats are an excellent strength-training exercise if you participate in sports. Why is that? Most sports require you to spend a significant amount of time on one leg, either partially or fully. Furthermore, many of the functional activities we engage in throughout the day necessitate a greater amount of weight bearing on one leg than the other. Training in those conditions is also a good idea.

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• It Boosts Hip Flexibility

Many people, like quad-dominant people, have tight hip flexors as a result of prolonged sitting. Because the Bulgarian split squat elevates your back leg, you'll feel a great stretch in your hip flexors and quads as you lower yourself down, which will aid in hip mobility.

• It Balances Out Your Strength Disparities

Particularly when it comes to our legs, we all have one side of our bodies that is stronger and/or tighter than the other. (You can see this in some people more easily when they squat or deadlift—usually there's a shift in the hips or a preference for one side.) Exercises that target one leg at a time should be performed to even out any strength imbalances in your lower body. The Bulgarian split squat can help you improve balance and strength by working on one leg at a time, in addition to improving hip mobility. 

Include this fantastic exercise in your workout routine, and you'll reap the benefits!