Split barbell squat: proper form and benefits

There’s nothing like the feeling of strong legs holding you steady. Whether you’re walking a steep trail, running to catch a bus, or climbing stairs, building leg strength opens up whole new worlds no matter where you are on your fitness journey.

But how do you build that leg strength? An excellent movement that will help you achieve this is the barbell squat. This powerful exercise works your quads, glutes, and hamstrings while improving your balance and coordination, making it the perfect addition to your leg workout rotation.

If you’re eager to level up your leg day, this guide is all you need. Learn everything from your initial setup to perfecting your form so you can confidently add barbell split squats to your routine and start seeing results.

What is the barbell split squat?

The barbell split squat is a compound lower-body exercise that places the barbell in your upper back (the fleshy part of your upper back) while you work one leg at a time. Basically, you take a chess position with one foot in front of you and the other behind you. From there, lower your body down by bending both knees.

What makes this exercise different from traditional squats is that it’s about building unilateral strength. Since each leg has to pull its own weight, you’ll know pretty quickly if you have a weaker side.

Thanks to the emphasis on each individual side, barbell split squats address muscle imbalances that can develop over time. In fact, unilateral training can strengthen the weaker limb and reduce sports injuries by improving limb balance more effectively than bilateral exercises alone. You will also see improvements in coordination and muscle control. These benefits translate into better performance in sports, other exercises, or your usual daily activities.

How do barbell split squats work?

The split barbell squat recruits multiple muscle groups to work together. These muscles are engaged during each repetition:

• Fours – The front of your hips does the heavy lifting, especially when driving back to stand up.

• The glutes – These muscles stabilize your hips and control your descent.

• Inner thighs, hamstrings and calves — This group of muscles works together to fine-tune your movement and stabilize your joints as you move.

• Core – Your abs and obliques stay engaged throughout the movement to keep your torso upright and prevent your hips from rotating.

• Back muscles – As you balance a loaded barbell on your upper back, the muscles along your spine and back get a workout by keeping everything stable.

This full-body engagement is part of what makes the barbell squat so effective. It allows you to build leg strength while improving stability, balance and coordination.

Steps to perform a barbell split squat

Pinning your setup is just the first step. The next most important aspect of the barbell split squat is perfecting your form to get the most out of your workout. Let’s go through each step.

1. Adjust your position

Begin by placing the barbell on a squat rack just below shoulder height. Step under the bar and hook it onto your upper traps. Grasp the bar with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, keeping your elbows down and chest up.

Step back from the rack and place your feet in a splayed stance by following this positioning checklist:

• Your front foot is flat on the floor

• Your back foot rests on the ball of your foot with your heel lifted

• There is a two-foot gap between the heel of the front foot and the toes of the back foot

• There’s plenty of room to descend without feeling cramped or off balance

2. Start the descent

Before going down, take a deep breath and tighten your core. Pull your shoulders back, keep your chin up and open your chest.

Then bend both knees and lower your body in a controlled motion:

• Bend both knees to about 90 degrees

• Watch your front knee so it doesn’t roll forward onto your toes

• Follow your front knee forward, staying roughly in line with your toes

• Lower your back knee as close to the ground as possible without actually touching

3. Push through your front heel to lift yourself up

Once you hit bottom, pause for just one stroke. Then push through the heel of your front foot and return back to the starting position while engaging your core. Try to distribute your weight evenly between both feet, rather than letting your front foot take all the weight.

When you reach the top of the movement, keep your core engaged and exhale before starting another rep.

Here’s a final tip: Complete all your reps on one side before switching to the other leg. This helps you focus on your form and gives equal attention to each side.

Tips for beginners

If you’re new to the barbell split squat, here are some beginner-friendly modifications:

• Start lightly with an empty bar to get comfortable with the movement pattern before adding weight plates.

• Use a Smith machine to lock the bar in a fixed vertical trajectory, removing some of the balance challenge from the equation while you focus on building strength.

• Practice bodyweight split squats first to build the movement pattern without additional weight.

Building strength takes time and there is no trophy for rushing the process. Learning solid technique with exercises that feel manageable is the most effective way to keep showing up for more.

Common mistakes (and how to fix them)

Even experienced athletes can get into bad habits with the split squat. Here are some common problems with the form and how to fix them:

• The feet are too close together – If your feet are too close together, you may feel unstable and cramped at the bottom of the movement. Extend your stance by stepping your back leg farther behind you until you have enough room to move comfortably.

• Leaning too far forward – When your torso leans forward, it’s a sign that you’re putting too much weight on your front leg. Correct this by resetting your posture before each rep. Keep your chest proud and your spine long, engaging your core to help you stay upright.

• Front knee goes over your toes – Your knee is moving too far forward, signaling that you are transferring too much weight to the front leg. Adjust your posture so that your front leg is slightly forward, then lower your hips straight down instead of pushing them forward.

• Rushing through reps – Speed ​​does not always mean efficiency. Moving too fast compromises balance and control. Instead, slow things down and lower for a count of two or three, pause at the bottom, then come up in a slow, controlled motion.

Barbell Split Squats vs. Other Lower Body Exercises

You might be wondering how the barbell split squat compares to other leg exercises. Each movement serves its own purpose, so the right choice for you depends on what you’re trying to achieve.

Barbell Split Squats vs. RDLs (Romanian Deadlifts)

RDLs are a hip movement that primarily targets your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. They are less about bending the knee and more about loading the posterior chain (the back of your body). Split squats, on the other hand, involve flexion at both the knee and hip, making them more quad dominant while also working the glutes.

If you’re looking to build well-rounded leg strength, make both exercises part of your routine. RDLs are great for strengthening your hamstrings and improving hip mobility, while split squats build single-leg strength and balance.

Split barbell squats vs. lunges

At first glance, split squats and lunges look remarkably similar, but they have slightly different goals. With lunges, you step forward or backward with each repetition, making the movement more dynamic. Split squats, on the other hand, keep you anchored in one position to build stability and focus on controlled strength.

While lunges and split barbell squats are great ways to improve stability on both legs, the stationary barbell squat allows you to handle heavier loads.

Barbell split squats versus Bulgarian split squats

The Bulgarian split squat is a variation where your back leg is elevated on a bench or platform. This increases the range of motion and puts even more stress on the front leg. This is a step up in difficulty from the traditional split squat.

If you’re still building core strength, stick with the standard barbell split squat. Once you feel confident and strong in this position, the Bulgarian split squat can challenge you further.

Other options to try

Once you understand the barbell split squat form, you can try other variations to keep your workout fresh:

• Dumbbell split squat – This variation allows you to focus entirely on legwork without worrying about bar placement. It’s also a great option for home workouts.

• Tempo split squat – Slow down reps to increase time under tension. This helps build strength and control without added weight. To perform this exercise, lower yourself for a count of three, pause at the bottom, then come up for a count of three.

• Split barbell squat with front racks – In this variation, hold the bar across the front of your shoulders instead of your upper back. This forward load requires more of your core and is easier on the shoulders. It also shifts even more emphasis to your frames.

Build stronger legs at Chuze Fitness

The barbell split squat may not be flashy, but it’s an effective exercise that will help you build strong, balanced legs.

If you’re more of a visual learner or just want to be absolutely sure you’ve mastered the technique, check out this video tutorial that shows you step-by-step how to perform the barbell split squat.

Feeling ready to give these split squats a try? Access to a workout space, high-quality equipment, community support, and friendly trainers who can check your form in person at your local Chuze Fitness.

sources:

Exercise Physiology. Effect of unilateral training and bilateral training on physical performance: a meta-analysis. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1128250/full

NASM. The Muscles Used in Squats – An Explanation of the Biomechanics of the Squat. https://blog.nasm.org/biomechanics-of-the-squat

Mike Sirani. How to Perform Tempo Split Squats.