The Kettlebell Bulgarian Split Squat, aka Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat is an excellent choice for any Figure or Bikini Competitor wanting a little more bang for buck out of their butt and thigh toning exercises.
What this one will do that similar exercises won’t is open up the often shortened hip flexors of one leg while toning and strengthening the glutes and thighs of the other. The hip flexors are the same muscles that (as described in my Bikini Competition Butt Free E-Book) when shortened, can decrease activation of your butt muscles.
Decreased activation will lead to decrease in muscle tone, which is obviously not what we want. This is extremely common in individuals who sit behind a desk at work as well as more active people who don’t tend to engage in glute (butt) stimulating activity.
To perform the exercise, simply place your entire foot on a bench placed behind you and hold a kettlebell overhead with your arms fully extended. Engage your core by bracing (pulling your stomach in as if you’re about to take a punch) with your abs and squeezing your glutes in a way that flattens or reduces the arch in your lower back. This will be a challenge with the arms overhead, but that adds to the core strengthening benefits of the exercise.
Adjust the front leg so that when you are at the bottom position of the squat, your knee lines up over your mid-foot area. If you have trouble getting to 90 degrees at the knee without your lower back arching excessively, try using a slightly lower bench until your hips are limber enough to use a higher one.
This happens to be one of my absolute favorite butt toning exercises because it is one of the few where you really see and feel a noticeable difference right away. Don’t be surprised after doing this one just a couple times if you literally feel your butt muscles working every time you take a step. That means they’re waking up!
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