Relevant Research Articles:

1) Effect of unilateral and bilateral resistance exercise on maximal voluntary strength, total volume of load lifted, and perceptual and metabolic responses

2) Unilateral strength training leads to muscle-specific sparing effects during opposite homologous limb immobilization

Summary:

This week's tip is on the incredible, yet largely under-appreciated benefits of unilateral training!

UNILATERAL means one-sided, so unilateral exercises are movements where you're only training one side at a time, such as single-leg squats or

a single-arm dumbbell press... as opposed to BILATERAL exercises where you work both legs or arms simultaneously.

Studies have repeatedly shown that incorporating unilateral exercises into your training regimen will increase muscle size and strength significantly faster than only using BILATERAL exercises, and also significantly increases core strength due to the added stabilization requirements.

Unilateral training also provides benefits for the muscles on the opposite, untrained side. For example, if one arm or leg is injured and in a cast or something, working the uninjured limb will provide what are called contralateral or cross-education gains in the immobilized limb and prevent those muscles from atrophying! How incredible is that? Check out study #2 in the show notes for just one example.

Application of this week's tip? Don't forget to include unilateral training in your routines!!