Bulgarian split squats on the multi press

For Bulgarian Squats on the Multipress, position yourself with your back to the machine. The barbell is behind you, and after lifting it from the Multipress, you place it on the muscles of your rear shoulder. The starting position is similar to Bulgarian Squats with the barbell. However, the range of motion is somewhat limited by the Multipress. Stand about a step in front of the barbell bench, with the dorsum of your rear foot resting on the bench. Your gaze is forward, and you gently pull your shoulders back.

Movement execution

Bend your front leg over the knee joint, allowing the back knee to descend toward the floor. The upper body remains stable and upright. Subsequently, press the leg upward through the heel, engaging your abdomen and buttocks. The force is generated exclusively from the front leg. Inhale during the downward movement, and exhale during the upward press.

With light weight, focus on concentrated inhalation during the descent. With heavier weight, it is advisable to take a deep breath in the upright rest phase before descending to build pressure in the abdominal cavity and establish stability for the execution.

Some athletes argue that it is ideal for your thighs to be parallel to the floor, while others believe that the hips should be lower than the knees. There is no fixed ideal due to different predispositions. It is also often claimed that the knees should not protrude beyond the toes. This, too, is not set in stone and should be decided based on individual anatomy. Find your own optimal variation.

Stressed muscles and common mistakes

Additional information regarding the involved muscle groups and common mistakes in performing Bulgarian Split Squats on the Smith machine can be found on the dedicated page for Bulgarian Split Squats.

Alternative variants to Bulgarian split squats on the multi press

To diversify your training, you can also resort to similar exercises or further variations of Bulgarian Split Squats on the Smith machine.