Split Squat
The split squat is a stationary single-leg squat: you hold a long split stance with both feet planted, sink the back knee towards the floor and stand back up without stepping. It works the front leg's quadriceps and glutes, with the hip muscles steadying the pelvis, and it is the starting point for loaded split squats and lunges.
Also called: Static Split Squat, Bodyweight Split Squat, Stationary Lunge, Stationary Split Squat · Equipment: bodyweight · Pattern: squat
Step by step
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips or clasped at your chest.
- Step one foot back and set it on the ball of the foot. Keep the feet hip-width apart, as if on two rails, and make the stance long enough that both knees reach about 90° at the bottom.
- Put most of your weight through the whole front foot. Brace your trunk, stand tall and keep your hips square to the front.
- Bend both knees and sink straight down until the back knee is just above the floor. Let the front knee travel forward over the middle toes while the front heel stays down.
- Drive through the whole front foot to stand back up, keeping the torso upright.
- Finish each rep tall with both legs nearly straight and your feet still in place. A hand on a wall or rail is a common way to steady the set.
- Complete all reps on one side, step the back foot forward to stand, then switch legs.
- Sink straight down, back knee towards the floor
- Push the floor away through the whole front foot
- Front knee over the middle toes
- Chest tall, hips square to the front
- Weight on the front leg, back foot for balance
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Quadriceps: vastus lateralis | Prime mover | C |
| Quadriceps: vastus medialis | Prime mover | C |
| Quadriceps: vastus intermedius | Prime mover | D |
| Gluteus maximus | Prime mover | C |
| Quadriceps: rectus femoris | Secondary | C |
| Adductors | Secondary | C |
| Gluteus medius/minimus | Stabiliser | C |
| Hip flexors | Stabiliser | D |
| Erector spinae | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Stance too short
Fix: Lengthen the stance so both knees reach about 90° at the bottom, front heel down.
Feet on one line
Fix: Set the feet hip-width apart, as if on two rails, before the first rep.
Front knee caving inward
Fix: Keep the front knee tracking over the middle toes for the whole rep.
Driving off the back foot
Fix: Keep most of your weight on the front foot and use the back foot for balance.
Cutting depth short
Fix: Sink until the back knee is just above the floor on every rep.
Bouncing out of the bottom
Fix: Pause for a moment with the back knee just above the floor, then drive up.
What the research says
Rehab & prehab · first choiceGeneral fitness · first choiceEndurance · first choiceSport performanceFat loss & conditioning
- Single-leg transfer — A meta-analysis of 14 training studies found single-leg training carried over more to single-leg jumping, and two-leg training more to two-leg strength. Neither showed a clear edge for sprinting or change of direction.
- Load and reps — Research comparing loads finds muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure. When bodyweight sets become very long, many lifters progress to holding dumbbells or to the rear-foot-elevated version.
- Effort — Studies show sets that finish a few reps short of failure capture most of the growth benefit, and true failure adds only a small extra return.
- Depth — In a 10-week squat study, full-depth training grew the glutes and inner thighs more than half-depth training, while front-thigh growth was similar. No study has compared split-squat depths directly.
- Volume and frequency — Research links more weekly sets for a muscle to more growth, with diminishing returns. Around 10 or more hard sets a week has been associated with more growth than fewer than 5, and training a muscle about twice a week is a common way to spread that volume.
Log the split squat in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.