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Why you should do split squats, lunges and Bulgarian squats

Posted September 22nd, 2007 in Weight Training |

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Why are split squats, lunges and Bulgarian squats so good? I have written about split squats in the past and have been writing great things about it. But why? What are the advantages of unilateral exercises like split squats, lunges, bulgarian squats, and others?

Split squats, lunges and bulgarian squats are examples of unilateral exercises, this means that it supports only one side. A unilateral exercise is any exercise that doesn’t need the body as a whole to function at the same time. Another example of a unilateral exercise is dumbbell bench press with 1 dumbbell. On the contrary: squats, deadlift, bench press, are NOT unilateral exercises.What is good about unilateral exercises?

They allow extra free movement. This has the advantage that it will give your core an extra push and of course a unilateral exercise will improve your stability as well. Furthermore, it gives the muscles that can sometimes get neglected (or aren’t used a lot) in the big lifts, a chance to grow (eg. M. Psoas) and will also encourage hypertrophy of ligaments and tendons.

So what are the advantages obtained by doing lunges and split squats?

A. Improved stability and balance

B. No more neglected muscle groups (weakest chain effect)

C. No high load on the back (unlike back squats), good for deloads or recovery days

D. Very common movement in normal life (looks like walking).

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