Start in a traditional squat stance with your feet about shoulder-width apart and toes pointed forward. Clasp your hands together at your chest. Take a step to the side with your right foot until your stance is 3�4 feet wide, or wider than hip width. Wider is OK as long as you can perform the move correctly. Angle your toes out and away from the center of your body (about 45 degrees) by laterally rotating at the hip. Make sure your knees are still tracking over your toes. Move your hips back slightly and bend your knees as you lower your body into a squat position. Draw your tailbone straight down to the floor. Be mindful to keep your spine neutral, core engaged, and eyes forward throughout the movement. Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor. You can go lower or shorten the squat if parallel is too low or if you can�t maintain your leg alignment. Pause in the squat position for a few seconds. Then, engaging your glutes, press up to standing, driving up through your heels.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Take a big step to the side with your left leg, then bend your left knee, push hips back and lower until your left knee is bent 90 degrees. This should take around two seconds. Push back to start. You can alternate, or complete all reps (10-12 should do it) on your left before moving on to your right. Your torso may lean forwards as step to the side � that�s fine, as long as you maintain a flat lower back. Exhale to reverse the movement and stand tall. That�s one rep. If you want to add weight, hold a dumbbell in each hand and use them to frame your bent leg. What an overachiever.

In a side plank position, place the top leg on a bench with the bottom leg under the bench. Lift the hips up until your body is in a straight line while lifting the lower leg off the floor. Return the hips to the floor under control. Reduce the difficulty to scale by keeping the foot of the lower leg on floor to assist, and/or by moving the bench closer toward the hips.

In a half side plank position, place the top leg on a bench with the bottom leg under the bench. Lift the hips up until your body is in a straight line while lifting the lower knee off the floor. Return the hips to the floor under control. Reduce the difficulty to scale by keeping the foot of the lower leg on floor to assist, and/or by moving the bench closer toward the hips.

Secure the elastic(s) to the door with the door anchor at the bottom of the door. Attach both ends of the elastic to one ankle strap. Wrap the ankle strap around the ankle of your active leg. Stand 3 to 4 feet away from the door with your active leg closest to the door. If needed, position a chair so that you can use it for stability. Keep your back straight, head straight, chest up and stomach tight. Start with your active leg at a 45 degree angle with the floor. Pull your active leg in (away from the anchor point) until your active foot is in front of your stationary foot. Keep your active leg straight throughout the range of motion. Visualize pulling the resistance from your heel.

Stand up with feet wider than shoulder-width apart. Toes should be pointing forward, or slightly outwards, but not too much. Shift your weight onto one foot and start squatting until your hip is below the knee. One leg should bend, while the other remains straight. Chest should be kept upright and the hips down at all times. Push your body back to the initial position with the strength of your bent leg.

Description: This advanced exercise is a lower body movement that targets the push muscles of the lower body. This exercise also challenges the adductor muscles of the inner thighs. Benefits: This advanced exercise mainly targets the lower body's push muscles: the quadriceps and glutes. This exercise also targets the adductor muscles of the inner thighs. This exercise also challenges the postural muscles of the upper and lower back. Risks: If not correctly executed, this exercise can injure the inner thighs, lower back and spine. This exercise can also hurt the hips, knees and ankles with a poor balance. Proper execution and progression of resistance are a must to avoid injuries. Beginners should always start with light resistance and practice good form first.

Grab a dumbbell with an overhand grip between your legs. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width apart and your feet pointing outwards at a 45 degree angle. Bend at the knees and hips, pushing your hips back as you lower yourself down. With your back straigh and chest up, pull the dumbbells upwards by pushing down through the floor and squeezing your glutes to straighten your legs. Keep your arms locked straight during the lift to keep the dumbbells stable. Lock out the movement before lowering yourself down to repeat the movement.

Hold one dumbbell in each hand, arms down by your sides, throughout the movement. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms down at your sides. Putting your weight into your right foot, step back and around with your left foot � almost as if you�re curtsying � allowing your arms to come up in front of you to a comfortable position. Ensure that your chest stays proud. Stop lunging when your right thigh is parallel to the ground. Begin to straighten your right leg, pushing up through your heel, and returning your left foot to the starting position.

Grab a dumbbell with an overhand grip between your legs. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width apart and your feet pointing outwards at a 45 degree angle. Bend at the knees and hips, pushing your hips back as you lower yourself down. With your back straigh and chest up, pull the dumbbells upwards by pushing down through the floor and squeezing your glutes to straighten your legs. Keep your arms locked straight during the lift to keep the dumbbells stable. Lock out the movement before lowering yourself down to repeat the movement.

Step on two chairs or other elevated surfaces. Start with your feet wider than shoulder distance apart and a dumbbell in the middle of your feet. Bend at the hips to grab one end of the dumbbell with both hands and arms hanging in front of you. Keep your core tight and lift the dumbbell by extending your legs and standing up straight. Make sure the chest and head stay lifted, and lower down until the dumbbell passes through the knees. Your weight should remain in your heels. Bend through the hips and knees. Once you�ve reached the lowest point in your squat, extend back up to standing.

First, place one foot on a box with the other on the floor. You should be holding a dumbbell in the hand opposite the active leg. Using your raised leg with minimal assistance from the other leg, push through your whole foot to lift yourself up to a standing position on the box. Slowly step back down into the starting position in a controlled way. Repeat.

Start by laying on your side with your body in one long line. Move your legs a few inches ahead of you so that you are in a banana shape. Lift your ribs and prop your head upon your hand. Be sure that you keep your back and neck in good alignment. Place your upper leg foor on the ground behind your lower leg knee. Inhale, and reach the bottom leg long, lifting it off the floor. Keep it straight as you lift; do not bend the knee. Exhale and maintain that sense of length as you lower the leg back down. Release by lowering your leg in a controlled motion and slowly.

Start by laying on your side with your body in one long line. Lift your ribs and prop your head upon your hand. Be sure that you keep your back and neck in good alignment. Straighten both of your legs, lift the upper leg in the air and keep it there. Now lift your bottom leg until your both feet tap each other and lower down in slow and controlled motion. Repeat.

Start on your side with your neck supported by your hand and your body in a straight line. Bring your top leg in front for support. Raise your lower leg and pulse for 30 seconds, moving just from your hip joint. Repeat on the opposite side.

Lie on the ground on your hip and place your lower arm and lower foot on the ground for support. Straighten your lower leg, keep the knee locked. Straighten your upper arm. Lift your lower leg up and tap it with your upper hand. Repeat.

Lie in a side plank position with your lower arm on the ground, upper foot on the ground behind your lower leg. Raise your lower leg up and perform pulses.

Lie in a side plank position with your lower arm on the ground, upper foot on the ground behind your lower leg. Straighten the lower leg, keep the knee locked. Raise your lower leg and tap it with your upper hand. Repeat.

Lie down on your left side with your legs stacked on top of one another and toes pointed forward. You can cushion your head on your bent left arm. Gently raise your right leg off of your left leg without rotating your knee or spine. Continue to raise your leg straight up until your hip starts to tilt upward or you feel strain in your lower back or oblique muscles. Return your leg to its starting position in a controlled manner. The number of sets that are right for you depends on your overall fitness level. Don�t forget to roll over to your right side and complete the same number of repetitions with your left leg.

Secure the elastic(s) to the door with the door anchor at the bottom of the door. Attach both ends of the elastic to one ankle strap. Wrap the ankle strap around the ankle of your active leg. Stand 3 to 4 feet away from the door with your inactive leg closest to the door. If needed, position a chair so that you can use it for stability. Keep your back straight, head straight, chest up and stomach tight. Start with your active leg at a 45 degree angle with the floor. Pull your active leg in (away from the anchor point). Keep your active leg straight throughout the range of motion. Visualize pulling the resistance from your heel.

Place or tie the resistance band just above your knees (not at the actual knee joint) so that the band is taut (but not tight) when your feet are roughly hip-distance apart. Hold your hands in front of your body (you can clasp them or keep them separate), with your elbows bent. Press your hips back and bend your knees slightly to lower into a quarter squat position. This quarter squat allows for additional hip activation, which will ensure you�re training the proper region. From this position, engage your core and keep your head, shoulders, and chest squared forward, then simply take a wide step forward with one foot, followed by the other. The point is to keep your steps wide (but not overly so, as this places more stress on the knees) to activate your outer glute. Continue walking forward for a pre-determined distance. Opt for longer distances if you�re using less resistance or an easier band placement. Or, you can go shorter distances if you�ve increased the resistance and are trying to build strength.

Lie down on your left side with your legs stacked on top of one another and toes pointed forward. You can cushion your head on your bent left arm. Gently raise your right leg off of your left leg without rotating your knee or spine. Continue to raise your leg straight up until your hip starts to tilt upward or you feel strain in your lower back or oblique muscles. Return your leg to its starting position in a controlled manner. The number of sets that are right for you depends on your overall fitness level. Don�t forget to roll over to your right side and complete the same number of repetitions with your left leg.

As with any new exercise, start by first ensuring that you are performing the exercise with the correct form. Use less weight until you perfect your form and range of motion. If you can, record your movements or have a partner watch to form check. 1. You�ll need a weighted plate, dumbbell, or squat wedge to place under your heels. You�ll place the object of your choice under your heels. Only your heels should be on the platform. Be sure that you are standing with your feet slightly wider than hip-width and your toes on the ground. 2. Engage your core and glutes to maintain an upright posture. With your weight evenly distributed throughout your feet, inhale, and lower down into a squat. When lowering, be sure to push your hips backward as if you�re going to sit on a chair. 3. When you reach the bottom of the squat, exhale as you push upwards through your heels to return to starting position. Keep your core engaged throughout. Don't let your heels come up off the plate or platform as well. Best rep range: 5-8 for strength and hypertrophy & 8-12 for hypertrophy. Use a load that challenges you in the rep range (once you get the form down pat).

Standing with small weight plates under heels, hold the weight under the chin in the rack position with elbows up. Lead back with hips and lower them until the knees are bent at 90 degrees. From here, gently push through the legs and pulse up and down in a short range of motion for 2 repetitions. Once completed, push up with your leg until you are back in the upright position. Repeat.

Standing with small weight plates under heels, hold the weight under the chin in the rack position with elbows up. Lead back with hips and lower them until the knees are bent at 90 degrees. Once you reach the bottom, push through the legs and return to the upright position. Repeat.

Start by standing upright in a clear area with your feet under your hips. Initiate the movement by bending your knees and beginning to lean backward slowly, while also releasing your heels from the ground. Next, continue to descend in the same manner until you reach your movement tolerance. If you�re still learning the exercise, you can hold onto a door frame, a barbell held in a rack, or other stable fixture to help with your balance.Once you�ve dipped as low as possible, or your knees are far ahead of your toes, pause for a moment to stabilize errant movement. Then, reverse the motion and return to a standing position. Coach�s Tip: Contract your quads hard to stand up instead of flailing your arms or rocking your shoulders.

Start by stepping your rear foot back onto an elevated surface, placing the top of your foot on top of the bench, plates or whatever you�re using as a step. Your front foot should be about two feet in front of your bench. The bench height in the Bulgarian Split Squat should be small as your start out � around 4� should be fine � and can be increased as your hip flexibility, strength and balance improve. A standard height is around 8-10�. With your whole body pointing straight ahead and keeping your core engaged and your torso upright, descend under control until your back knee touches or comes close to touching the ground. The majority of the weight should be kept over the front foot (around 80%), with the additional weight on the rear foot (around 20%). Your front knee should tail your front toes; make sure it�s not caving in to the sides and doesn�t drift too far in front of your toes. Also ensure the descend is controlled; ideally, it�ll take you a second or two to reach the bottom of the exercise. You can decide whether to perform the Bulgarian Split Squat with external weights, all of the variations are expanded on below. To stand back up, drive through the heel on your front foot and come back to a standing position. Continue to make sure your torso is straight and you keep a neutral spine throughout the exercise. Change legs after a handful of reps and repeat.

Perform the bulgarian split squat exercise, but with shorter range of motion and without any pause. Do not lock your knee when raising up, nor touch the knee to the floor when going down. Enage your core mindfully, because doing the exercise quick (as it is supposed to be done) will throw you off-balance if your hamstrings and glutes are not strong enough.

Loop a mini resistance band around the balls of your feet and lie faceup in front of a bench, chair, or step. Place your heels on the bench. Push through your heels and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips of the floor. Keep your back flat and core engaged. Slowly drive your right knee toward your chest, pause for a second, and then place your foot back on the bench. Repeat with your left leg. That's 1 rep.

Position a box behind you and stand with feet shoulder-width apart with your arms raised at shoulder-level in front of you. Place resistance band around your thighs. Raise one leg slightly in front of you while keeping it straight and balance on the leg that remains on the ground. Inhale and break at the hips, sitting down and back in the direction of the box while simultaneously bringing your raised leg forward as you squat down. Continue until your butt makes contact with the box while your raised leg is still in the air. Do not rest your whole weight on the bench. Exhale and press through your heel and midfoot while keeping your foot firmly planted until you stand upright, returning to the starting position. If you cannot squat low enough, start with a higher box, and gradually work your way down to a smaller one.

Secure the band(s) to the door with the door anchor at the bottom of the door. Attach both ends of the band(s) to one ankle strap. Secure the ankle strap around your active ankle and stand 3 to 4 feet away from the door with your back to the door. Position your body with your active leg back and far enough away from the door so that the band(s) are starting to stretch. Keep your back straight, chest up, head straight and stomach tight. Bring your active leg up and forward until your knee is at hip height. As you raise your knee try to keep your foot forward so that your lower leg remains perpendicular with the floor.

Secure the band(s) to the door with the door anchor at the top of the door. Attach a handle to each end of the band(s). Grip a handle in each hand and stand close to the door, facing the door. Stand up tall with your back straight, chest up and feet hips width apart. Straighten your arms and point them down with the palm of each hand secured at your hips. Squat back and down as if you were sitting in a chair. When your thighs are parallel with the floor, explosively stand up, and use the resistance to help lift you of the ground for a small hop. Keep your chest up and back straight throughout the movement. Press off your heels as you stand up.

Secure the band(s) to the door with the door anchor at the bottom of the door. Attach each end of the band(s) to an ankle strap. Secure an ankle strap around each foot (with the ring on the bottom) and lay on the floor 3 to 4 feet away from the door while facing the door. Start with your legs totally straight (pointed towards the door anchor), and arms at your sides with palms down. Pull your feet away from the door and bend your legs bringing your knees towards your chest. Keep your legs together and try to pull from your heels.

Start by stepping your rear foot back onto an elevated surface, placing the top of your foot on top of the bench, plates or whatever you�re using as a step. Your front foot should be about two feet in front of your bench. The bench height in the Bulgarian Split Squat should be small as your start out � around 4� should be fine � and can be increased as your hip flexibility, strength and balance improve. A standard height is around 8-10�. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. With your whole body pointing straight ahead and keeping your core engaged and your torso upright, descend under control until your back knee touches or comes close to touching the ground. The majority of the weight should be kept over the front foot (around 80%), with the additional weight on the rear foot (around 20%). Your front knee should tail your front toes; make sure it�s not caving in to the sides and doesn�t drift too far in front of your toes. Also ensure the descend is controlled; ideally, it�ll take you a second or two to reach the bottom of the exercise. You can decide whether to perform the Bulgarian Split Squat with external weights, all of the variations are expanded on below. To stand back up, drive through the heel on your front foot and come back to a standing position. Continue to make sure your torso is straight and you keep a neutral spine throughout the exercise. Change legs after a handful of reps and repeat.

Start by picking up dumbbells, one in each hand. Hold them by your sides OR on your shoulders in the front rack position. Squeeze your core and stand tall. If you hold the dumbbells at the shoulders, it may be more of a challenge with heavier loads. If you want to really lift heavy and be less limited by the weight position, hold them by your sides. Step forward with your chest tall. Bring your front thigh near to parallel with the ground. Your back knee should go to the floor. Do not crash your knee into the floor � gently touch the ground only for a moment. Keep the weights from swinging forwards as you lunge. Once your knee grazes the ground, drive through the lead leg. Stand up. Make sure to stand tall before going into the next rep. Step your other leg forward and repeat. It is critical that your front heel does not lift as you lunge forward. This will keep your hips steady and help prevent you from losing balance.

Set up with your feet shoulder width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides. Step back with one leg and allow both knees to bend simultaneously. Descend until the back knee touches the floor. Drive through the front foot and extend the knee as you stand up fully and return to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions. TIPS: When you go to push back to the starting position, fight the urge to lead the movement with your shoulders by hyperextending at your spine. Instead, look to drive the movement via force from your lower body. In the bottom of the movement both of your legs should be at 90 degree angles at the knees. Keep in mind that with any sort of lunge or split squat pattern, if you want to emphasize the quads, focus on taking a slightly smaller step and drive up through the ball of the foot. If you want to emphasize the glutes and hamstrings during any sort of lunge or split squat pattern, focus on taking a slightly larger step and drive up through the heel of the foot.

Set up with your feet shoulder width apart and a barbell set across your traps. Step back with one leg and allow both knees to bend simultaneously. Descend until the back knee touches the floor. Drive through the front foot and extend the knee as you stand up fully and return to the starting position. TIPS: When you go to push back to the starting position, fight the urge to lead the movement with your shoulders by hyperextending at your spine. Instead, look to drive the movement via force from your lower body. In the bottom of the movement both of your legs should be at 90 degree angles at the knees. Keep in mind that with any sort of lunge or split squat pattern, if you want to emphasize the quads, focus on taking a slightly smaller step and drive up through the ball of the foot. If you want to emphasize the glutes and hamstrings during any sort of lunge or split squat pattern, focus on taking a slightly larger step and drive up through the heel of the foot.

IMPORTANT: Always make sure that you warm up for a long time before you start doing these advanced exercises and make sure to learn the proper form for doing barbell split squats before you actually start attempting them. Never hyperextend your lower back when doing these types of squats. This can put too much strain on your back and also on your lower body, and this can sometimes lead to all kinds of serious injuries. FORM and EXECUTION: Unrack the barbell just as you would for a high bar back squat, but step slightly farther back for your starting position than you normally would. Place your foot firmly in front of you at a distance of about one or two feet. Drop your rear foot slightly behind you and allow your knee to bend towards the floor into an almost kneeling position. Your back knee and back leg should be placed slightly behind an imaginary line perpendicular to your front heel. Your feet should be set at about your hip width apart. As you descend into the squat, allow your front foot to stay flat into the floor, with your front knee bending over your toes. Keep your torso upright and do not allow it to collapse forward. At the deepest part of the split squat, your front knee should be pointed in the direction of the front toes (not pushed excessively out or collapsed inwards). To come up, stay balanced between your feet and keep your torso upright, using the quads and glutes of your front leg to engage the movement. Come to an upright standing position with your front leg softly extended and locked in a lunge position, and then repeat the exercise. Finally, switch your legs and do repetitions of the entire procedure.

Sit on a bench and place a dumbbell between your feet and hold it there. Make sure when you sit that not only your glutes are seated on the bench, but also your hamstrings just before the back side of your knees. Lift your legs up until they are straight and lean back - you don't need a 90 degrees angle at your hip. Support yourself with your hands. Hold this position until you feel the burn.

Have one leg resting on the bench behind you, laces down. Squat with your standing leg until the knee of your trailing leg almost touches the floor. Push up through your front foot to return to the start position. As a rule of thumb, your front foot should be three footsteps out from the bench. Your rear knee should come all the way to the floor. If it doesn�t, lower the bench. AVOID: Rising onto Your Toes! If you find yourself rising up onto the ball of your front foot as you squat down, check if it�s too close to the bench. If the positioning is fine, it could be that you�re leaning too far forward in the lowering part of the movement. This shifts the load away from the hips and onto your knee joint, which is bad news. �It won�t result in a major knee injury straight away, but it will certainly cause problems in the near future. AVOID: Leaning Too Far Forward! If you�re practically horizontal with every rep, it�s time to reassess. As well as limiting the core benefits of the exercise, you place unnecessary stress on your front knee and lower back. A slight forward lean with a neutral spine is ok. Rounding your back and letting your spine position flex throughout the movement is not. Make sure your drive up and down is vertical � you are not pushing yourself forward or backwards. Remember to brace your core and engage your abdominal muscles throughout each rep. AVOID: Pushing Through Your Back Leg! The Bulgarian split squat is a form of single-leg squat, which means your back leg is there for balance only. Make sure it�s not supporting any of your weight. The knee of the rear leg is in a vulnerable position at the bottom of a Bulgarian split squat, so it�s important to ensure you push only with the grounded foot. A good tip is to position your head and barbell in line with the middle of the front foot. AVOID: Allowing Your Front Knee to Wander! If your front knee is moving inwards or outwards as you squat down, it�s a sign of weak adductors and glutes, and a red light for this movement. Some flexion is fine, but the sheer force created when a knee rolls inwards or excessively outwards is heavy on the knee joint. It generally means that movement pattern is happening in other movements, like running. Dial your focus onto that front knee to ensure it remains stable. AVOID: Placing the Back Leg Behind the Front! Struggling to stand upright? Check the back foot. There�s no benefit to stacking your supporting leg directly behind your front foot, so if you look like you�re walking on an imaginary tightrope, shift it outwards for an instant stability boost. This is a common error � it reduces the area of the base too much and can result in lack of balance. I�d encourage a shoulder-width stance that�s almost the width of your squat stance.

Stand in front of a chair and perform a standard pistol squat, lowering yourself until your butt touches the chair. Do not relax on the chair. Remain tense, using the chair only for some support. Hold the down position for a few seconds and then explode back up.

Perform a front lunge and when returning back, push through the leading leg explosively, so you can lift your leg into straight position without touching the ground. Do not shift back to standing position, but hold yourself in a half-split and fall back with controll down into a front lunge.

Start by stepping your rear foot back onto an elevated surface, placing the top of your foot on top of the bench, plates or whatever you�re using as a step. Your front foot should be about two feet in front of your bench. The bench height in the Bulgarian Split Squat should be small as your start out � around 4� should be fine � and can be increased as your hip flexibility, strength and balance improve. A standard height is around 8-10�. With your whole body pointing straight ahead and keeping your core engaged and your torso upright, descend under control until your back knee touches or comes close to touching the ground. The majority of the weight should be kept over the front foot (around 80%), with the additional weight on the rear foot (around 20%). Your front knee should tail your front toes; make sure it�s not caving in to the sides and doesn�t drift too far in front of your toes. Also ensure the descend is controlled; ideally, it�ll take you a second or two to reach the bottom of the exercise. You can decide whether to perform the Bulgarian Split Squat with external weights, all of the variations are expanded on below. To stand back up, drive through the heel on your front foot and come back to a standing position. Continue to make sure your torso is straight and you keep a neutral spine throughout the exercise. Change legs after a handful of reps and repeat.