The value of using bilateral or unilateral exercises with strength training is one of those topics that has been greatly debated in recent years. There is one school of thought believing it is preferable to predominately use bilateral heavy exercises like the bench press, squats, and deadlifts where maximum load can be lifted. And the other school of thought believing it is more beneficial to use single limb exercises that try to even out imbalance and asymmetry. There are pros and cons to using both types of exercises and I fall somewhere in the middle and often use a combination of both types of training depending on the person and the situation in front of me. I always believed the unilateral exercises were more for rehab and core stability and the bigger bilateral exercise the preferred choice for sports and increasing serious muscle and strength. However, this is not the case and in this article I will explain exactly how unilateral exercises provide greater strength gains than many realize.
How To Use The Single Leg Squat As A Test To Pinpoint Weaknesses
Without a doubt the single leg squat would be my number one choice for building strength and power for people playing sports. This one movement does so many great things for your body it is incredible. The best part is that it shares the exact timings with other joints and muscles in activities we use in everyday life. Meaning that if you improve this at the fundamental level you can also enhance these other activities too! As much as it is a great exercise, it is a very useful assessment tool we use extensively in our rehabilitation programs for all types of injuries from knee injuries like ACL tears, to lower back injuries like bulging discs. This one movement can very easily reveal stability and mobility weaknesses in your body. Where you do look? And more importantly what are you looking for? In this article I am going to answer these questions and show you how to use this movement to find energy leaks that cause pain or hinder sporting performance.