Written by D'Annette Stephens NASM

A balanced training program incorporates bilateral compound movements, such as squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. Bilateral exercises require both limbs to work at the same time. In these exercises, however, your stronger side might compensate for the weaker limb, leading to muscle and strength imbalances. You must add unilateral exercises to your training program to fix these imbalances. 

A unilateral exercise involves working one side of your body at a time. By doing this, you are still working both sides of the body equally [1]. You may be curious as to how both your sides are working if only one side is moving. A theory called cross-education explores how your contralateral muscles on the unworked side are still stimulated during unilateral training [2]. This effect aids in injury prevention and rehabilitation. This is an added benefit to using unilateral patterns in a training program. 

One of the best examples of this archetype is the split squat. The split squat mainly targets your quads and glutes. Because it requires more muscular focus, the split squat is great for strengthening athletic movements such as running and jumping. 

In addition to rehabilitation and athletic performance, adding unilateral patterns into your training program assists in avoiding overtraining and utilizing your core stabilizer muscles. Read along to learn more about the ins and outs of the unilateral split squat.  

The split squat fits into the knee-dominant lunge category of exercises.  This group of exercises utilizes hip extension and internal rotation. The difference between a lunge and a split squat is movement. Lunges tend to move the feet forward and back—adding a cardio component to the strength exercise. In contrast, a split squat is stationary. To perform a proper split squat—place one leg in front of you and the other behind. Move up and down vertically. 

There are two types of split squat progressions—ipsilateral and contralateral. When loading the split squat with a kettlebell or dumbbell, the side you place the weight on determines if it is ipsilateral or contralateral. In an ipsilateral pattern, the load is placed on the same side of the working leg. In the contralateral, the weight is placed on the opposite side of the working leg. These two splits challenge balance when used correctly in a training program. If you struggle with balance, a great way to start a split squat pattern is with the barbell. A barbell split squat keeps the upper body extended. Be aware not to overextend your lower back, as it could lead to injury. 

Research has shown that split squats display greater activation from the gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, and hamstrings than a traditional back squat. Making this a great accessory lift to make your squat pattern stronger. 

Understanding the difference in biomechanics, how weight can be placed and transferred in this exercise, and the muscles worked allows for more advancement in program design. 

The split squat is a unilateral compound exercise that works multiple muscles in the lower body. If you experience back pain, the split squat is a great option because it unloads your spine, focusing on hip mobility and flexibility. Performing a split squat focuses on the following muscles:

The hamstrings don’t play a huge role when performing the split squat. They tend to activate at the top of the movement, assisting the hips. To understand this further, let’s look at the hamstring’s function. The hamstring crosses at the knee and hip joint. It controls knee flexion and hip extension. The three parts of the hamstring are [3]:

The glute is the largest muscle in the human body. During the split squat, the glutes achieve maximal stimulation at the movement’s top. There are two parts of the glute muscles activated during a split squat [4]

The quad plays the main antagonist in the split squat. When performing the split squat, you place about 85% of your weight in your quad. The quads become most activated during the lower position of the split squat [5]. 

Four heads of the quadricep assist in knee extension, and one head functions in hip flexion. 

The great thing about the split squat is that it will place more emphasis on the quads, glutes, or hamstrings based on torso placement. 

Challenging your balance is a great way to activate your core. The side on which the weight is placed determines which part of the abdominals is used. [6]

Unilateral training can help most people. For the general population, being balanced aids your everyday life, especially as you get older. For athletes, unilateral patterns like split squats reflect on the field and court, like sprints or lay-ups. Below are some main benefits of adding split squats to your next training program: 

Split squats are the ultimate test of balance and stability. To control the movement, you have to be able to brace your core. Breathing techniques are a great way to learn how to brace your core. 

When you add a barbell to your split squat, you work your back and shoulders to keep your torso upright. When you remove the barbell and add a kettlebell or dumbbell, you lighten the load on your spine. However, you are still working your erector spinae. 

One of the secondary muscles the split squat works are the hip abductors. These muscles help stabilize the pelvis and trunk. By strengthening these muscles, you increase your range of motion and flexibility of the stabilizer muscles. 

Fixing muscle and strength imbalances is one of the main functions of a unilateral exercise. Split squats place your body in a stacked position for specific joint alignment. The ability to train your muscles separately allows you to properly isolate training methods to allow those weaker muscles to catch up. 

Let’s look at the proper way to perform a split squat. You’ll use a barbell for this. 

Here are the most prevalent barbell split squat mistakes:

You must check your form if you can’t perform the split squat with a full range of motion. Are your knees over your toes? Is your back upright? Your feet are too close together if your front heel elevates at the bottom.

The best way to determine your split stance is to slide your foot behind you. Drop your knee to the ground. Wherever your knee stacks under your hip with your knee in line with your toes is the correct stance. 

The point of the split squat is to challenge your balance, but not to a point where you can’t perform the exercise. There could be several reasons why you are losing balance. The weight you are using could be too heavy. You might not have planted that back toe properly for the heel to be high enough. Your stance could be too narrow. 

This is the most common barbell split squat mistake. You will not perform this movement properly if your core is not engaged. If your spine is loaded as it is in the barbell split squat, you must engage your core throughout the entire movement, or your lower back will compensate. Keep your chest up and your head and shoulders stacked. You could lean slightly depending on what muscle you’re trying to engage (look back at the muscles worked section). 

For safety, you should have a spotter when performing any barbell exercise. The bailout is often overlooked if you don’t have a spotter. Anything can happen in the gym. The best thing to do is to know how to safely let go of a bar in an emergency. If you cannot reach the squat rack and need to bail out on the weight, let the barbell fall behind you as you jump forward. 

There are so many unilateral patterns that will help strengthen your barbell split squat. From beginners to advanced, there is something in here for everyone. All exercises can be done using body weight, dumbbells, kettlebells, or barbells. 

This is the best way to start with balance in the split stance pose for beginners. The arms behind your head allow you to keep your torso and chest upright. Use a foam pad to use as a mobility placement point. 

Pro Tip: If you find yourself overextending your back with your hands behind you, bring them to the front of your chest or out to the sides. 

 When you change the angle of your split squat, you change the percentage of muscle engagement. The front-foot elevated split squat is an example of this. Placing a small box or 45-pound plate in front of you will engage your hamstrings 1-4% more than the regular split squat. 

Pro Tip: You can do this with a barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell. It’s better not to use a box or step higher than 6 inches.

This is a great progression for beginners. If you’re uncomfortable adding weight to your split squat, challenge your balance and core with the TRX. This exercise focuses entirely on the supporting leg.

Pro Tip: If the rear foot is still challenging, turn around and hold the TRX in your hands. Perform the regular split squat. It will still challenge your core and balance. 

The Bulgarian split or rear-elevated split squat is the most popular progression of the barbell split squat is the Bulgarian split or rear-elevated split squat. This movement is for more intermediate to advanced lifters. It requires more balance, core, quad, and glute strength.  

Pro Tip: This exercise can be advanced by holding dumbbells on your sides, placing a barbell on your back, in the front, or using a taller box as your mobility improves. 

Switching the movements from knee dominant to unilateral hip dominant is a great option. This exercise will engage your glutes and hamstring more, making the split squat a more powerful exercise in your arsenal. 

Pro Tip: This is an advanced movement. Best to try if you are familiar with a bilateral RDL. If this feels challenging and you have better balance, try a single-leg RDL. 

Of course, you can! If you feel confident in your split squat’s stability and strength, add a jump or a tempo. You can vary your plyometrics by jumping off both feet, elevating your back foot and jumping off your front foot, or adding a pulse or hold at the bottom of your split squat. 

This study was conducted on muscle activity in back squats vs. rear elevated split squats vs. split squats [8]. Bilateral back squats are traditionally used to build lower body strength in athletes and the general population. However, It has been recently suggested that rear-elevated split squats place less comprehensive force on the lower back while emphasizing the hips and stabilizers. In another study, Electromyographic (EMG) was conducted on elite female athletes. EMG activity showed that single-leg squats recruit higher levels of the bicep femoris and glute medius. This greater hamstring recruitment helped with knee stabilization [9]. Both studies suggest that unilateral squat variations can help with rehabilitation. 

The split squat is a great variation to amp up your training program. It helps build balance, core strength, and muscle mass, focuses on lower body strength and athleticism, and comes with many variations, alternatives, and progressions for all skill levels. The barbell split squat, in particular, is an excellent supplement for the bilateral squat or a compound movement day. 

D’Annette Stephens is the brand owner of D.TerminedFitness, LLC, a Fitness and Consulting entity. She is a certified personal trainer, NASM sports performance and nutrition coach, philanthropist, and public speaker. D’Annette is pursuing her Masters degree in Exercise Science with a concentration in Strength and Conditioning at Long Island University-Brooklyn. She is an advocate for education and representation in the Fitness and Sports Performance industries. She specializes in athletic performance enhancement, functional movement, long-term sustained weight loss and sports nutrition.

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