Is the split squat the GOAT of all exercises?
And clinical assessment?
I love when you can get multiple benefits from one exercise and there is plenty you can get from a split squat - and its variations. For this post, I have collected examples from some lovely Ranelagh models to help illustrate my points.
Standard Split Squat
The standard split squat has both feet set up in a long stride. They remain in place (as opposed to a lunge) while you move your body up and down. This is a knee-dominant, vertical displacement exercise.
Ideally, I like to see in a bodyweight or light split squat:
An upright torso - people who struggle to stack their torso or keep their ribcage retracted will arch or lean forward. Some people may do it to avoid bending the front knee.
A ‘neutral’ pelvis - compensations for mobility or strength can be seen via an anterior pelvic tilt. People can try to stay upright by hyperextending their spines and this will show at the pelvis too.
Level hips across - a dip or hike in the pelvis on one side can indicate a hip mobility issue or lack of good stability in the ankle, core or hips.
Level shoulders - the shoulders are an indicator for what the thoracic spine is doing. As we want the spine to come to an overall ‘straightness’1 we don’t want to see too much tipping to one side.
Back knee lined under the hip - another common place that can show up issues such as an inability to flex the big toe or extend the hip straight back.
‘Nose over toes’ - this indicates the person is happy to shift their weight sideways over the front leg. Remember in a split squat the working leg is at the front and it should take a good 70% or more of your weight typically.2
Logo facing your front knee. This shows you are happy to rotate your torso and get into good hip internal rotation on the front leg.
Clinical Applications
99% of people who come in to me will be asked to do a split squat. It tells me a lot about whether or not their body is coordinated to get into multiple joint positions. Any deviation from the lovely straight lines I’ve shown above and I’ve got a clue. Some people also won’t be able to balance well doing it or will be limited by pain.
For athletes who don’t show much in this position I’ll ask them to lunge - much harder to hide compensations when you’re moving in and out of a position.
Apart from finding this useful for specific joint actions, it is a really good indication of gait issues too, particularly in sprinting.
Time to Look at Some Laghds
Can you spot the differences from side to side in Finn’s split squats? Hint: check the logo.
Here he is setting up with the intent to stay rotated towards the front leg - specifically when on the right side:
It’s still less natural looking than the left side but it’s giving his body time to adapt to the idea of really turning into his right hip in early stance. In gym exercises, we can exaggerate positions, which allows the nervous system to consider new options which it can then choose to use in similar movements less in our conscious control, such as running. Finn has a history of adductor issues - these are prime components in rotational actions like changes of direction.
Next up we have Sam Murphy (aka Smurph) in fancy grip socks giving us a nice example of a back loaded split squat and an inside look at the foot (look at how much activity happens there).
Straight away you’ll notice he needs to lean forward a bit - this will be in part because of the weight being on his back. However, he has a distinct difference from side to side too in that he is leaning more forward on his right side.
His stance looks more narrow on his right side and that could be an easy reason why he needs to lean more forward. Is his stance narrow because his body is nervous to stretch wide? Is he leaning more forward to recruit the glutes because he’s weaker on that side in the quads? Or is his back tired because he did his left side first?
Looking at his top position you can see a difference in how much he’s willing to straighten his front knee:
The other clue comes the action of his foot: see how often the big toe lifts up for example on his left side versus right. Holding force into the ground is a critical component of human movement.
Smurph has a history of knee and Achilles pain on the left side and this is showing in this lift. In order to investigate where it’s really coming from, I would cue him or set him up differently. For example, putting a light weight in his hands to be held in the goblet position - does he still lean forward? There should be no need based on his strength so this would indicate a mobility issue or that he’s avoiding a certain joint position.
So he’s doing it wrong? No!
Sam is using his own strategy to perform this lift successfully. People seem to think there is only one very specific way to do complex movements like this. There really isn’t. The goal is: hold this weight and move up and down. All the little variables are there for you to tweak in order to make the lift harder, more biased towards certain joints, muscles, positions, etc. Within each lift there’s a window of ‘good enough’. (When you drift outside of this then it’s time to get coached or avoid that lift.)
Remember the term ‘movement strategy’ and you’ll save yourself a lot of overthinking in the gym. Your nervous system will figure out the best solution it has in the moment. Want it to be better and bias what you’re trying to improve? Get an expert’s guidance!
Next up: Rory ‘This was our last set so go easy’
Another back loaded variation and thanks to the videographer, another angle to view!
Notes on this video:
Straight away you can see the forward lean again. If you are trying to avoid that make sure to load by your side or at your front instead.
Very happy to load his Achilles and patella tendons with a big forward knee drive.
Stance width is the big thing standing out for me here. You can see neither knee is directly under the hip but the left in particularly has shot out wide. Not being comfortable holding an adducted stance in the back leg when extending is not ideal. However, given Rory’s right ankle history3 this is most likely a pronation issue on the front leg leading to a deviation through the pelvis which is creating an apparent issue with the back leg.
Again we see a difference in stride length from side to side. Rory’s left knee is landing pretty much right next to his right heel and thus is in a more flexed rather than extended position for the left hip. This means hip extension mobility won’t be benefiting.4
When people go more narrow with their stance, it’s usually a protective reaction. Think of old people shuffling their feet along in tiny steps - narrowing our base of support makes us feel more secure.
Split Squat Variations
Another reason to love the split squat is how many different ways you can modify it to get a different challenge but still so many benefits of the baseline lift.
Stephen Jones is going to show us a variation he ‘saw someone do in the gym and wanted to try’. Usually when someone says this to me I worry but actually this is absolutely lovely and appropriate, good job Steej.
This variation increases the amount of load you put through the front leg’s upper hamstrings and glutes as the knee is able to get higher than the hip. What I really like about Steej’s example is how we can see this straight line from shoulder to back knee and how it’s (almost) parallel to the front shin. These are angles you will see in acceleration.
Finn is back to finish us off with one of my all time favourites for getting strong legs: the rear foot elevated split squat.
This variation is great for biasing the front leg so that you can’t use the back leg as much to help hold your weight or push you back up. It’s almost a single leg variation.
Finn’s bottom position is a great example of a pelvis that is able to keep itself oriented posteriorly and not arch forward - this is a common cheat for people who don’t have the requisite hip mobility and/or strength to get all the way down until the front thigh is parallel to the floor.
I have often used the RFESS to help with quad flexibility too - use it bodyweight and go down slowly and you’ll be getting eccentric length through the back quad.
Conclusion
I love split squats and they will be in my plans forever.
It does this with twists and bends that merely give an impression of straightness.
If you wanted to use the exercise to load the back quad in a stretch, you can shift your weight back.
Sorry I’m giving away your secrets guys…
Doesn’t mean a narrow stance split squat can’t be useful. It’s regularly a part of knee, back and ankle rehab for my clients.