Legs · Compound

Barbell Split Squat

A unilateral leg exercise with a barbell on the upper back, performed in a stationary split stance to target quads and glutes. Removing the stepping motion of a lunge makes it easier to stay tight and load heavier, which makes this the strength-building member of the single-leg family. It is also the simplest place to start barbell single-leg work before progressing to Bulgarian split squats.

By Macros Inc Team Verified by Alex Dedmon Updated August 2026

Intermediate Barbell Compound Lunge
barbell-split-squat-poster
  • Level Intermediate
  • Equipment Barbell
  • Primary Muscles Glutes, Hamstrings, Quads
  • Movement Compound Lunge

Demonstration

Watch the Form Demo

Technique

How to Do the Barbell Split Squat

  1. Set the bar across your upper traps and step into a split stance, one foot forward and one back.
  2. Adjust the stance length so your front shin will stay near vertical at the bottom.
  3. Keep most of your weight on the front leg, with the back foot balancing on its toes.
  4. Brace and lower straight down until the back knee hovers just above the floor.
  5. Drive through the front heel to stand back up without shifting your feet.
  6. Finish all reps on one side, then switch legs.

Anatomy

Muscles Worked

legs
Primary muscles
Hamstrings Quads
Secondary muscles
Glutes

Do This

Form Cues

  • Set your feet in a split stance and keep them there. This is not a walking lunge.
  • Drop the back knee straight down rather than travelling forward.
  • Keep 70 to 80 percent of your weight on the front leg.
  • Think elevator, not escalator: the torso travels straight down and up, never forward and back.

Avoid This

Common Mistakes

  • Drifting the front foot forward or back between reps.
  • Letting the torso tip forward as the set gets hard.
  • Pushing off the back foot to help the front leg.
  • Bouncing the back knee off the floor to rebound out of the bottom.

More to Explore

Variations & Related Exercises

Variations of this lift

Trains the same muscles

Put It Into Practice

Workouts Featuring This Lift

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