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.
It makes sense that the bigger the weight you lift the more muscle you gain, but this is not actually the case. For when it comes to unilateral exercises the strength gains are considerably more than their bilateral counterparts.
Make sure you read our full article on this in the link below as we break down this confusing topic and provide you with a stack of our best unilateral exercises.
In this video we explain what is known as the bilateral limb deficit which is defined as
“When the sum of torque (force) generated by each limb (individually) in the unilateral condition is greater than that generated by both limbs simultaneously (bilateral condition), it is termed the bilateral limb deficit”. To clarify, this means that the sum of weight lifted by both limbs individually is greater than that of the same weighted exercise done by both limbs simultaneously.
In simple language this means that a person is able to squat more than half of what they can on two legs. We are actually stronger with one foot on the ground than with two if you divide the total weight lifted by two for the bilateral exercise.
We take a look at what some of the experts think on this subject, how unilateral exercise applies to sports and then provide you with some great exercise examples for you to put into action.
Single leg strength is specific and cannot be developed through double leg exercises as the role of the pelvic stabilizers and glutes are significantly different. The gluteus medius in particular is vital to the single leg stance
For tons of ideas and workout programs make sure you get a copy of our Little Black Book Of Training Secrets with 101 different programs all mapped out for you. Go to the link below to get your copy.
Some other great articles to read that expand upon ideas discussed in the video
Core Strength & The Slings
Single Leg Squats Are The Best Lower Limb Exercise
ACL Injury Prevention In Sports
And if you live in Melbourne and would like to know more about our personal training, sports or rehab and injury prevention programs go to our website to request a free consultation.
