Split squats are an excellent exercise to enhance unilateral lower-body strength—but they’re not always easy to embrace when legday arrives. The balance challenges, awkward setups, and reduced range of motion due to these factors often turn it into a circus act.
That’s where the Hatfield Split Squat comes in. This unilateral variation gives you the best of both worlds: the muscle-building benefits of unilateral training with the added stability of hand support. Using the rack uprights or safety bars keeps you balanced, lets you train through a deeper range of motion, and enables you to load heavier without sacrificing control.
If you’re ready to take your single-leg strength to the next level, this is the move your leg day is missing. Here we will cover what it is, how to do it, the muscles trained, the benefits, common mistakes, and top it off with programming tips.
What is the Hatfield Split Squat?
The Hatfield Split Squat is a single-leg squat variation that combines the benefits of unilateral training with improved stability. Performed inside a squat rack using a safety squat bar and bars for support, you will train one leg at a time while maintaining an upright torso.
Instead of wobbling, the increased stability enables a smoother, deeper, and more powerful split squat. The support makes it easier to lift heavier loads and train with a greater range of motion, leading to better form.
How To Do the Hatfield Split Squat Exercise
Here’s a step-by-step guide for doing it right.
- Place a safety squat bar across your upper back and traps, and step into a split stance with your front foot flat and your back foot elevated on the toes.
- Position yourself inside a squat rack so you can lightly grip the uprights or safety bars.
- Keep your torso upright and your core braced, lower into a split squat.
- Your back knee should hover just above the floor while the front thigh reaches parallel.
- Drive through the front foot to push yourself back up, using the hand supports for light guidance.
- Repeat for all reps on one leg before switching sides.
Hatfield Split Squat Muscles Trained
The Hatfield Split Squat is a powerhouse exercise for lower-body strength and development, and here’s what it targets:
- Quadriceps: The front quad does the bulk of the work during both the eccentric and concentric phases.
- Gluteus: Does the bulk of the work when pushing back from the bottom to the starting position.
- Adductors: Help stabilize the hips and assist in controlling the entire movement.
- Hamstrings: Assist the glutes when pushing out of the bottom of the squat.
- Calves: Provide ankle stability.
- Core: Engaged to maintain an upright posture and resist rotation.
- Erector Spinae: Help maintain proper spinal alignment.
Benefits of The Hatfield Split Squat
It’s still a unilateral exercise, so there is an element of suck. But the benefits below will keep you from thinking about it and help you focus on sweet, sweet gains.
More Load + More ROM = More Strength and Muscle
The Hatfield Split Squat eliminates instability as a limiting factor by allowing you to brace with your hands. That extra support enables you to lift heavier weights and move through a greater range of motion—both essential for hypertrophy and strength.
Improved Focus on the Working Leg
Without worrying about balance, your working leg takes center stage. You can focus on technique, push through the front foot, and feel your quads and glutes work harder with every rep.
Joint-Saving Positioning
The combination of the safety squat bar, upright torso, and increased stability reduces stress on the lower back and helps keep your knees happy campers. That makes this variation ideal for lifters who want to train hard without beating up their joints—especially those with a history of low-back or knee pain during regular split squats.
Post-Rehab Friendly
The Hatfield Split Squat is an effective bridge between rehabilitation and full-bore lower-body training. The hand-assisted setup offers extra control and confidence, which are essential when recovering from injury or rebuilding trust in your body without losing strength-building potential.
Common Hatfield Split Squat Mistakes and Fixes
As with almost all exercises, errors creep in that detract from its effectiveness. Watch out for these common mistakes.
Overusing the Hands
Gripping the rack too tight and pulling yourself up instead of using your legs turns the Hatfield Split Squat into an upper-body-assisted cheat rep.
The Fix: Think of your hands as stabilizers, not lifters. Use a light touch with your fingertips, just enough to maintain posture and balance.
Cutting the Range of Motion Short
It’s very tempting to go heavy, but by doing so, many lifters don’t squat deep enough, which robs them of glute and quad gains.
The Fix: Focus on lowering yourself until your back knee hovers just above the floor and your front thigh is at least parallel to the floor. If you fail to do that, take some weight off the bar.
Excessive Forward Lean
Tilting the torso shifts the movement toward a more hip-dominant exercise and can redirect muscular tension away from the quads.
The Fix: Keep your shoulders down and chest up, core braced, and back straight. Use the supports to keep your torso upright throughout the entire rep. Inconsistent Foot Position
If your split stance is too wide or narrow, you’ll lose stability, decrease force output, and risk excessive forward leaning.
The Fix: Keep your front foot flat with your heel down, ensuring your stance permits vertical movement without excessive forward lean. Adjust your foot spacing until it feels right.
PROGRAMMING SUGGESTIONS
The Hatfield Split Squat can be your main move or an accessory exercise to enhance your barbell squats and deadlifts. Here are some general recommendations for improving strength and muscle.
For Strength: 3–4 sets of 4-6 reps per leg and rest 60–90 seconds between legs and 2–3 minutes between sets.
For Muscle: Perform 3-4 sets of 10–12 reps per leg, using moderate weights, and concentrate on the full range of motion and a three-second descent. Add a pause at the bottom for some extra fun.
