Single Arm Banded Bulgarian Split Squat
Also known as: one arm band bulgarian split squat, banded bulgarian split squat single arm
In SetGrip: Banded Bulgarian Split Squat (Single Arm)
- Primary muscleQuads
- EquipmentResistance Band
- DifficultyIntermediate
- TypeCompound · Knee-dominant
- Secondary muscles
- Glutes, Hamstrings
- Body part
- Upper Legs
- Position
- Standing
- Laterality
- Unilateral (one leg at a time)
- Category
- Strength
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One hand on a support removes the wobble from the banded rear-foot-elevated split squat, letting you sink deeper and take each leg closer to failure than the freestanding Banded Bulgarian Split Squat allows. Choose it when balance, not leg strength, is what usually ends your sets.
How to do the Single Arm Banded Bulgarian Split Squat
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and place a resistance band around your ankles.
- Extend one leg forward and rest the top of your foot on a bench or step behind you.
- Hold onto a support with one hand for balance.
- Bend your standing leg and lower your body down into a squat position, keeping your knee in line with your toes.
- Push through your heel to return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch legs.
Tip: Keep most of the weight in the front foot and think of pushing the floor away rather than standing up.
Muscles worked
Primary
Quads · Legs
The front quad controls the descent and drives you back up, and it takes an especially heavy load on split squats where the stance is fixed.
Secondary
- Glutes — The glute of the front leg extends the hip, and leaning the torso forward slightly with a longer stride shifts more work onto it.
- Hamstrings — The hamstrings of the front leg assist the glutes in hip extension and control the knee on the way down.
Common mistakes
- Front knee caving inward — the knee should track over the second toe; if it drops in, widen the stance slightly and push the knee out.
- Stepping too short — a short stride pushes the knee far past the toes and shifts everything onto the quad and knee; lengthen the step so the shin stays fairly upright.
- Leaning forward and rounding — keep the torso tall and the chest up, and let the back knee drop straight down rather than reaching forward.
- Pushing off the back foot — drive back up through the front heel; the back leg is just there for balance.
Where it fits in a workout
Lunges and split squats go after squats or deadlifts as the main single leg movement, or first on a lighter day. Superset them with a Romanian deadlift for a complete lower body pair.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without resistance band
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.