Are Unilateral (training one side or limb) Exercises Overhyped?

You may hear the argument that training one side of your body (or limb) at a time is a waste of time since humans are meant to be asymmetrical and you can’t “fix” this. You may also hear that unilateral training will not contribute to as meaningful strength gains since these exercises are typically not loaded as heavy as what you could load when you use two arms or legs. We think this is shortsighted and not what we have seen in our actual experience. Afterall, some of the most balanced and strong humans in the world train using unilateral exercises.

If you want to zoom ahead and see some of our favorite bread and butter unilateral exercises that we use for ourselves and 100% of the folks we train, scroll down…

The Scoop On Unilateral:

Unilateral exercises, those that focus on using one limb or side of the body at a time, have a special place in the realm of fitness. Not only do they add a layer of challenge to your workouts, but they also come packed with a suite of benefits that could very well be a missing piece in your fitness puzzle. So, why exactly should you consider integrating these one-sided wonders into your routine? Let’s dive in.

The Magic of One at a Time

Balance and Symmetry: Ever noticed how one arm might be slightly more Hercules or Hulk-like while the other leans less so? Why you may not look like a fiddler crab, there can be something more to imbalance than normal human asymmetry and unilateral exercises are here to save the day. they won’t necessarily make you 100% balanced from side to side, but by working one side of the body at a time, you can definitely encourage muscular balance and shore things up a bit. By making your movements and body more symmetrically coordinated, enduring and strong you may find that you do even better in ones that require the coordination of the two sides together. It could also help reduce some compensations which can in theory lead to injury over time.

Strength and Stability: When you’re balancing on one leg or lifting with one arm, your body’s stability and other muscles that now need to assist kick into high gear big time. This not only helps recruit more volume of muscle and get more bang for your buck, but you may also find yourself more connected and feeling stronger with the exercise and similar movements. On this note, you can use lighter loads while still driving intensity high.

Breaking Plateaus: If your fitness journey feels like it’s been stuck in a loop, unilateral exercises could be a nice addition and may even help you make some breakthroughs. People debate this all the time but we see real life examples OFTEN of meaningful improvements in movement quality, reductions in pain and discomfort, and strength gains to both the unilateral and bilateral counterpart of the same exercises. They can also be fun to just spice things up if you’re always squatting on two legs!

Functionality for the Win: Also HOTLY debated! Afterall, all exercise is functional when done right. However, we do have to say that the fact that unilateral exercises mimic real-life movements and scenarios more closely, it may be more directly translatable to real life “functional” movements. This means you’re not just training to look good (though that’s a nice bonus) but also to improve your performance in daily tasks and other physical activities.

Your Unilateral Lineup Video:

Ready to give it a go? Here are a few bread and butter unilateral heroes to start incorporating into your workouts:

• Single Leg Deadlifts: Perfect for targeting the hamstrings and glutes from different angles while challenging your balance.

• Single Arm Rows: A back-builder that requires just one arm and a dumbbell to sculpt those muscles.

• Single Arm Presses: Boost your shoulder strength and core stability, one arm at a time.

• AND EVERYONE’S Favorite Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat: Also known as the Bulgarian split squat, this one’s a leg day “favorite” for a variety of reasons. Holy bottom half!

If you are used to being stuck in the sagittal plane for most of your exercises planted on two feet or using both arms, give unilateral exercises a go. You may notice you are able to shore some imbalances up a bit even if not all the way, get more bang for your buck even with lighter total loads, and maybe even break through some plateaus while getting stronger even in the bilateral exercise counterparts. We have yet to see it go the other way!

Don’t know how to incorporate these exercises or would like to learn what may be a good application?

Send us a message. We’d love to help.

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As always, if you have any questions or just want to say hey, shoot us a message.

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