{"id":235193,"date":"2026-01-09T01:11:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T01:11:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/235193\/"},"modified":"2026-01-09T01:11:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T01:11:18","slug":"the-jefferson-split-squat-is-the-best-leg-exercise-youre-not-doing-heres-how-to-master-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/235193\/","title":{"rendered":"The Jefferson Split Squat Is the Best Leg Exercise You’re Not Doing \u2013 Here’s How to Master It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Level up leg day<\/a> with the Jefferson split squat, also known as the ‘barbell-between-legs split squat’ (it doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, does it?). A slight variation on the Jefferson squat \u2013 which is named after circus strongman Charles Jefferson and involves a regular squat<\/a> stance, where the split squat differs is in the stance \u2013 the legs are placed in front and behind the body, rather than laterally. Both exercises see the barbell bisect the legs. <\/p>\n

Athletes<\/a> seeking a competitive edge, or even bodybuilders<\/a> wanting to provide a different stimulus to their legs, can all stand to benefit from the split squat variant. Moving both explosively and controlled can provide huge gains. <\/p>\n

Build strength, add muscle and strip body fat in 2026 with this simple four-week training plan from Men\u2019s Health fitness director Andrew Tracey. You\u2019ll also get a fully comprehensive nutrition guide, giving you the tools to create a smart, sustainable calorie deficit \u2013 without compromising your training. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to the Men\u2019s Health app and start training today.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a>
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\"magazine<\/a>The Expert’s View<\/p>\n

‘The Jefferson split squat acts a bit of a hybrid between regular split squats and a deadlift,’ says MH fitness director Andrew Tracey. ‘It’s a novel stimulus that can make training more fun and lead to fresh gains, but it also works to mitigate any balance issues you might have with traditional split squats, and might enable you to shift more weight. You’ll also be working your grip, and bringing the upper body into play, making it a more full-body movement. <\/p>\n

‘It’s labelled as a split squat, but I see it as a great deadlift<\/a> alternative that can help to take pressure of the lower back and provide a slightly more balance-friendly single-legged variation. I personally put this lift into rotation when I’m training for stone lifting<\/a> and find it to be an excellent addition.’
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3 Benefits of the Jefferson Split Squat 1. Balance Isn’t a Concern <\/p>\n

Unlike with a Bulgarian split squat<\/a>, where one foot is off the ground behind you, the Jefferson split squat keeps both feet on the ground at all times. This creates more stability, allowing you to focus on the movement without worrying about staying upright. Widening your stance slightly also negates any balance issues. <\/p>\n

2. Reduced Injury Risk <\/p>\n

What the Jefferson split squat excels at is allowing you to load the bar as heavy as possible and work to failure without fear of getting hurt. Barbells are easier to load up, but pose a greater risk in split squats when placed on the back due to the aforementioned balance issues. Grip strength in dumbbell variations, meanwhile, can prove a limiting factor, making it difficult to go heavy enough. <\/p>\n

But, because the barbell is between the legs on the Jefferson split squat, there’s no danger of being crushed by the weight, while it’s also simpler to increase the weight than with dumbbells. <\/p>\n

Plus, there’s less stress placed on your back<\/a>. Barbell squats generally put more pressure on the spine, which isn’t an issue with this exercise, while leg placement ensures the back doesn’t round over, thus removing stress in that area, too. <\/p>\n

3. All-Round Leg Builder<\/p>\n

The Jefferson split squat primarily targets the quads<\/a> and glutes<\/a>, but that doesn’t mean the hamstrings<\/a>, calves<\/a> and adductors don’t feel some resistance. That’s before you start playing around with foot placement, too \u2013 a longer stance hits more of your hamstrings, while a shorter one places more stress on the quads. So, if you’re after a highly-versatile exercise providing a full-leg stimulus, look no further. <\/p>\n

How to Do the Jefferson Split Squat \"jefferson<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@BUILDYOURANATOMY\/\/YouTube<\/p>\n

Take a long step over the top of your barbell with one leg, so that bar bisects the midline of your body. Put your weight into your front foot, bending at the knee and lowering your body towards the bar. Grip the bar, drive your weight through your front foot and stand upright, pulling the bar up with you and keeping your torso upright. Reverse the movement back to the ground and repeat. Complete as many reps as you can before your form breaks down, then switch sides and repeat on the other leg.Related Stories\"Headshot<\/p>\n

With almost 18 years in the health and fitness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breath coach and writer, Andrew has spent nearly half of his life exploring how to help people improve their bodies and minds. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

As our fitness editor he prides himself on keeping Men\u2019s Health at the forefront of reliable, relatable and credible fitness information, whether that\u2019s through writing and testing thousands of workouts each year, taking deep dives into the science behind muscle building and fat loss or exploring the psychology of performance and recovery. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Whilst constantly updating his knowledge base with seminars and courses, Andrew is a lover of the practical as much as the theory and regularly puts his training to the test tackling everything from Crossfit and strongman competitions, to ultra marathons, to multiple 24 hour workout stints and (extremely unofficial) world record attempts. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0You can find Andrew on Instagram at @theandrew.tracey, or simply hold up a sign for \u2018free pizza\u2019 and wait for him to appear.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Level up leg day with the Jefferson split squat, also known as the ‘barbell-between-legs split squat’ (it doesn’t…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":235194,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[1134,119766,1107,499,103,61,60,1135,119765],"class_list":{"0":"post-235193","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-content-type-default","9":"tag-contentid-3d6916ae-8c5a-48a3-b392-912ab9486601","10":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","11":"tag-fitness","12":"tag-health","13":"tag-ie","14":"tag-ireland","15":"tag-locale-gb","16":"tag-shorttitle-this-squat-variation-provides-great-leg-gains"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=235193"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235193\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/235194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=235193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=235193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=235193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}