Bulgarian Split Squat
theginnyray
Posts: 208 Member
Tips? Suggestions?
I'm using a bench, because my gym doesn't have steps. I really struggle to keep the back foot upside down - like I REALLY want to use my toes for balance, rather than the top of my foot. I thought I read somewhere on here to go shoeless, so I tried that, which actually made it harder.
Is my problem the bench? It almost feels like a flexibility issue - If I take a big enough step forward to release some pressure off my back leg, my legs are so far apart that I don't really end up straightening the floor leg. It never fully extends - but if I straighten it, I need to be closer to the bench - but then run into issues keeping my knee over my ankles when bending.
I'm in Stage 4 now, and to be honest, when I did these in Stage 2 I just went ahead and balanced my back leg on the bottom of my toes, essentially just doing another set of Static Lunge Rear Foot Elevated.
I'm using a bench, because my gym doesn't have steps. I really struggle to keep the back foot upside down - like I REALLY want to use my toes for balance, rather than the top of my foot. I thought I read somewhere on here to go shoeless, so I tried that, which actually made it harder.
Is my problem the bench? It almost feels like a flexibility issue - If I take a big enough step forward to release some pressure off my back leg, my legs are so far apart that I don't really end up straightening the floor leg. It never fully extends - but if I straighten it, I need to be closer to the bench - but then run into issues keeping my knee over my ankles when bending.
I'm in Stage 4 now, and to be honest, when I did these in Stage 2 I just went ahead and balanced my back leg on the bottom of my toes, essentially just doing another set of Static Lunge Rear Foot Elevated.
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Replies
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I did them today and I used the bench. You have to have your distance from the bench perfect so you can get your front leg paralell when squating. I got better as I did them.0
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One of the trainers gave me a good tip with these: Do them on a bench press bench. That way, you have the benchpress bar extending out to your side to help you get into a balanced starting position, and if I put my foreward foot at approximately the end of the bar, that is the right place for me to maintain proper form. Luckily, my gym has 3 bench press set-ups, and usually only one in use at a time.0
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One of the trainers gave me a good tip with these: Do them on a bench press bench. That way, you have the benchpress bar extending out to your side to help you get into a balanced starting position, and if I put my foreward foot at approximately the end of the bar, that is the right place for me to maintain proper form. Luckily, my gym has 3 bench press set-ups, and usually only one in use at a time.
This is what I do, too. I also found taking my shoes off helped my balance in stage 2, but I was OK with shoes on in stage 4 as my balance got better. Sometimes it's more comfortable to have my shoe off the back foot though but it's just easier to keep my shoes on now. I also find it easier to put the whole top of my foot on the bench, not just the top of my toes.0 -
Thanx for the tips! No bench press machine at my gym :-(
I'll keep trying!0 -
Thanx for the tips! No bench press machine at my gym :-(
I'll keep trying!
I don't even know what a bench press machine would look like. I just meant a bench with the supports for the Olympic bar that you could use for bench pressing, like this:
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=bench+press&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1280&bih=870&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=y0b75_dRaFeupM:&imgrefurl=http://fortivita.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/90-day-challenge-the-bench-press-wk3-day2/&docid=_-BOCaj_iMKQ1M&imgurl=http://fortivita.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/df1700_flat_bench_press.jpg&w=549&h=406&ei=pBBSUM-SLMnz0gGGxYDYAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=709&vpy=505&dur=1249&hovh=193&hovw=261&tx=162&ty=111&sig=108104634120172395631&page=1&tbnh=149&tbnw=199&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:0,i:185
I thought every gym had these?0 -
Thanx for the tips! No bench press machine at my gym :-(
I'll keep trying!
I don't even know what a bench press machine would look like. I just meant a bench with the supports for the Olympic bar that you could use for bench pressing, like this:
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=bench+press&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1280&bih=870&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=y0b75_dRaFeupM:&imgrefurl=http://fortivita.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/90-day-challenge-the-bench-press-wk3-day2/&docid=_-BOCaj_iMKQ1M&imgurl=http://fortivita.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/df1700_flat_bench_press.jpg&w=549&h=406&ei=pBBSUM-SLMnz0gGGxYDYAQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=709&vpy=505&dur=1249&hovh=193&hovw=261&tx=162&ty=111&sig=108104634120172395631&page=1&tbnh=149&tbnw=199&start=0&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:0,i:185
I thought every gym had these?
You'd think that, right? I had to Google it too - in case I was missing something. But no, my gym doesn't have that piece of equipment. If I was needing to do a bench press, I'd have to use the Smith Machine, same as I did for my squats in Stage 1. Sigh. I can't complain too much, it's super close home and membership is super cheap.0
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