T Nation

Split Squats?

Bodybuilding
#1

I’m doing Waterbury’s “New Frontier” and one of the exercises in the program is “Split Squats.”

My understanding is that there is more than one type of “Split Squat.” There is one in which you rest a leg on a bench and there is another kind in which both legs are on the ground. Which does Chad want?

Thanks for the tips, guys.

Here’s what Chad wrote about the day’s workout:

PM Workout

A1 Back Squat (wide stance)
A2 Bentover Rows or Seated Cable Rows (palms up grip)
B1 BB Military Press
B2 Split Squats
C1 Standing Calf Raises (feet angled out)
C2 Incline Bench Press (wide grip)
Sets: 2
Reps: 12
Rest: 75s between each pairing
Load: 14RM

#2

Here’s what he wrote in OSC:

Split Squat

Split squats look sort of like a stationary lunge with the back foot up on a bench, which will stretch the hip flexors of the non-working leg. Keep your torso as perpendicular to the floor as possible throughout the movement. You may use a barbell or dumbbells.

-FC

#3

[quote]FlawlessCowboy wrote:
Here’s what he wrote in OSC:

Split Squat

Split squats look sort of like a stationary lunge with the back foot up on a bench, which will stretch the hip flexors of the non-working leg. Keep your torso as perpendicular to the floor as possible throughout the movement. You may use a barbell or dumbbells.
-FC[/quote]

…Now I thought those (above) were Bulgarian Squats!

I’ve been performing what I thought were ‘Split Squats’ as follows:

Squat down (ATG) and grasp a dumbell with each hand. (I actually end up on my toes a little, w/ heels elevated)
Stand upright with the dumbells at your sides.
Return to the squatted position and repeat for reps.

These have been very effective for me --correct terminology or not.
I would be curious to find what a Split Squat is -if not this.

#4

[quote]Pauli D wrote:
FlawlessCowboy wrote:
Here’s what he wrote in OSC:

Split Squat

Split squats look sort of like a stationary lunge with the back foot up on a bench, which will stretch the hip flexors of the non-working leg. Keep your torso as perpendicular to the floor as possible throughout the movement. You may use a barbell or dumbbells.
-FC

…Now I thought those (above) were Bulgarian Squats!

I’ve been performing what I thought were ‘Split Squats’ as follows:

Squat down (ATG) and grasp a dumbell with each hand. (I actually end up on my toes a little, w/ heels elevated)
Stand upright with the dumbells at your sides.

Return to the squatted position and repeat for reps.

These have been very effective for me --correct terminology or not.

I would be curious to find what a Split Squat is -if not this.

[/quote]

What you just described is not a unilateral exercise, it sounds like a stupid db squat. the split squat is just a stationary lunge.

#5

[quote]HailMary wrote:
I’m doing Waterbury’s “New Frontier” and one of the exercises in the program is “Split Squats.”

My understanding is that there is more than one type of “Split Squat.” There is one in which you rest a leg on a bench and there is another kind in which both legs are on the ground. Which does Chad want?

Thanks for the tips, guys.[/quote]

Maybe this will be helpful:

http://www.uwlax.edu/strengthcenter/videos/video_index.htm

-peace

#6

Wow, I hope this is not a fair representation of the knowledge base of T-Nation readers.

A split squat is, in most programs, meant to be primarily a knee dominant movement exercise. Looking through google images, I could not find one image of what I would consider to be a good split squat.

If you are doing split squats for quadriceps, or for a knee dominant exercise, the back leg should be much straighter than the front leg and your knee should be traveling forward until it pretty much over your toe, at this point your thigh should be parallel to the ground. The video from the poster above me is a split squat, but doing them this way targets the glutes, hamstrings, and much less, the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris, the VMO is hardly worked at all.

Which basically means these are almost more of a hip extension exercise than a knee dominant movement. I think alot of people have confused the, "dont let your knee go in front of your toe with not letting your knee come forward at all.