{
  "$schema": "https://openexercise.org/schema/v0/exercise.json",
  "aliases": [
    {
      "text": "Rear-Foot Elevated Split Squat",
      "kind": "common"
    },
    {
      "text": "RFESS",
      "kind": "abbreviation"
    },
    {
      "text": "Bulgarian split squats left",
      "kind": "common"
    },
    {
      "text": "Bulgarian split squats right",
      "kind": "common"
    }
  ],
  "anatomy": {
    "muscles": [
      {
        "muscle": "quadriceps",
        "role": "prime-mover"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "gluteus-maximus",
        "role": "prime-mover"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "adductor-magnus",
        "role": "synergist"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "soleus",
        "role": "synergist"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "gluteus-medius",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "hamstrings",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      },
      {
        "muscle": "erector-spinae",
        "role": "stabilizer"
      }
    ],
    "joints": [
      {
        "joint": "hip",
        "actions": [
          "flexion",
          "extension"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "knee",
        "actions": [
          "flexion",
          "extension"
        ]
      },
      {
        "joint": "ankle",
        "actions": [
          "dorsiflexion",
          "plantarflexion"
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "classification": {
    "modalities": [
      "calisthenics",
      "strength",
      "hypertrophy"
    ],
    "movement_patterns": [
      "lunge",
      "squat"
    ],
    "mechanics": "compound",
    "force": "push",
    "kinetic_chain": "closed",
    "laterality": "unilateral",
    "planes": [
      "sagittal"
    ],
    "contraction": [
      "dynamic"
    ],
    "level": "intermediate"
  },
  "equipment": {
    "required": [
      [
        "bench",
        "plyo-box",
        "step",
        "chair"
      ]
    ]
  },
  "external_ids": {
    "wger": "988,989"
  },
  "id": "oec:bulgarian-split-squat",
  "instructions": {
    "setup": [
      "Stand approximately two feet in front of a flat bench or sturdy elevation, facing away from it.",
      "Reach one leg backward and place the top of your foot or toes onto the bench.",
      "Ensure your front foot is set far enough forward that your shin stays relatively upright or comfortably tracks forward, with your hips square and feet roughly hip-width apart."
    ],
    "steps": [
      "Lower your body under control by flexing your front knee and hip, allowing the back knee to descend toward the floor.",
      "Descend until your front thigh is roughly parallel to the ground and your back knee hovers just above the floor.",
      "Drive through the midfoot and heel of your front foot to extend your hip and knee, returning to the start position.",
      "Complete the desired repetitions on one side before switching legs."
    ],
    "breathing": "Inhale as you lower your body toward the floor; exhale forcefully as you drive through the front foot back to the top.",
    "cues": [
      "Keep most of your weight on the front leg",
      "Drop the back knee straight down",
      "Stay tall through the torso with a slight forward lean at the hips"
    ],
    "common_faults": [
      {
        "fault": "Front foot placed too close to the bench, causing excessive heel lift and knee shear.",
        "correction": "Step slightly farther forward so the front foot can stay firmly planted on the floor throughout the descent."
      },
      {
        "fault": "Front knee collapsing inward into valgus during the movement.",
        "correction": "Actively track your working knee in line with your second and third toes."
      },
      {
        "fault": "Pushing excessively through the rear foot rather than loading the front leg.",
        "correction": "Treat the rear leg as a kickstand for balance; drive upward almost entirely through the front foot."
      }
    ],
    "safety": {
      "precautions": [
        "Perform near a wall or sturdy object if you need light hand support for balance when learning the movement."
      ],
      "spotter": "not-needed"
    }
  },
  "measurement": {
    "load": {
      "convention": "not-applicable",
      "kind": "bodyweight"
    },
    "profiles": [
      {
        "required": [
          "reps"
        ],
        "optional": [
          "rpe",
          "tempo"
        ]
      }
    ],
    "records": {},
    "reps_counted": "per-side"
  },
  "name": "Bulgarian Split Squat",
  "previous_ids": [
    "oec:bulgarian-split-squats-left",
    "oec:bulgarian-split-squats-right"
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "generated": [
      "/name",
      "/summary",
      "/classification",
      "/anatomy",
      "/equipment",
      "/measurement",
      "/instructions",
      "/setup",
      "/relations"
    ],
    "license": "CC-BY-SA-4.0",
    "review": {
      "status": "machine-generated",
      "model": "gemini-3.8-flash",
      "at": "2026-10-31"
    },
    "sources": [
      {
        "title": "wger: Bulgarian split squats left",
        "url": "https://wger.de/en/exercise/988/view-base",
        "license": "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
      },
      {
        "title": "wger: Bulgarian split squats right",
        "url": "https://wger.de/en/exercise/989/view-base",
        "license": "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
      }
    ]
  },
  "relations": [
    {
      "type": "progression-of",
      "target": "oec:bodyweight-split-squat"
    },
    {
      "type": "regression-of",
      "target": "oec:dumbbell-bulgarian-split-squat"
    },
    {
      "type": "substitute-for",
      "target": "oec:forward-lunge"
    },
    {
      "type": "substitute-for",
      "target": "oec:reverse-lunge"
    },
    {
      "type": "substitute-for",
      "target": "oec:step-up"
    }
  ],
  "setup": {
    "position": "split-stance",
    "range": "full",
    "stance": {
      "kind": "split",
      "width": "hip"
    }
  },
  "status": "active",
  "summary": "A unilateral lower-body exercise where the rear foot is elevated on a bench or platform to challenge the quads, glutes, and balance."
}