{"id":35320,"date":"2013-08-16T14:17:23","date_gmt":"2013-08-16T19:17:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artofmanliness.com\/?p=35320"},"modified":"2021-07-09T15:35:58","modified_gmt":"2021-07-09T20:35:58","slug":"balanced-strength-a-primer-on-single-limb-training","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/health-fitness\/fitness\/balanced-strength-a-primer-on-single-limb-training\/","title":{"rendered":"Balanced Strength: A Primer on Single Limb Training"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Vintage<\/p>\n

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Anthony Yeung<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

In our quest to sculpt a powerful and masculine physique, balance and stability are often overlooked. Sure, we want to add plates to the bar, grunt, and move heavy objects \u2013 but if our fitness rests atop wimpy foundations, we\u2019ll limit our strength and make ourselves prone to injury.<\/p>\n

By using just one limb (known among fitness geeks as \u201cunilateral training\u201d), however, we can build a strong body and develop balance and stability at the same time.<\/p>\n

Unlike exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses<\/a> where both limbs work at the same time, unilateral training splits the body into left and right halves and strengthens each arm or leg independently. This gives us two distinct benefits:<\/p>\n

1. It reduces injury risk.<\/b><\/p>\n

Training on just one leg can help guys who have disc issues or back pain by reducing sheer stress and saving your joints. When you do single-leg exercises, you can\u2019t push or pull as much weight, which decreases the compressive forces on the spine. If you can squat 300 lbs, for example, and can only split squat 120 lbs, you just spared your back 180 extra pounds of force. Compounded over time, that\u2019s a tremendous difference.<\/p>\n

Using just one limb also fixes imbalances between your right and left sides. Have you ever heard someone say, \u201cMy right arm is stronger than my left\u201d? Aside from being an easy joke, having that kind of asymmetry can cause injury. When one arm or leg is stronger than the other, it\u2019ll bear more weight every time you squat or deadlift. The weaker limb won\u2019t have a chance to catch up, and you\u2019ll waste energy trying to make up for the difference. It also puts an uneven strain on your body, which further increases injury risk.<\/p>\n

Finally, training just one limb adds some instability to your exercises to force the tiny, stabilizing muscles in your body to work harder. Often, these muscles weaken over time and can\u2019t support bigger, more powerful muscles like the chest and hamstrings. By incorporating unilateral training into your workouts, you\u2019ll strengthen those neglected stabilizers so you can move more effectively and safely during training and sports.<\/p>\n

2. It helps you get strong and manly.<\/b><\/p>\n

Training on one limb can help you pack on serious size and muscle. Even though you won\u2019t use as much total weight<\/i>, all that weight is focused on just one arm or leg, making the exercise just as hard \u2013 and often harder.<\/p>\n

For example, if you did a single-leg squat with 60 lbs while weighing 180lbs, that\u2019s 240lbs of load per leg. To spread that across two legs, you\u2019ll need 480 lbs of load, which is equal to a 300-pound barbell \u2013 that\u2019s a manly back squat! (And by fixing your asymmetries, activating your stabilizers, and building single-limb strength, don\u2019t be surprised that your double-leg or double-arm exercises improve.)<\/p>\n

It\u2019ll also improve your athleticism. Running, for example, is a series of jumps from one leg to another. In fighting, you use each arm or leg independently. In fact, if you look at a lot of manly sports (i.e. football, rugby, and bear-wrestling), athletes always accelerate, jump, and slow down primarily on one limb.<\/p>\n

Exercise Guide<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

These are several of my favorite unilateral exercises divided into lower body, upper body, and core work.<\/p>\n

Lower Body<\/b><\/h3>\n

Split Squat<\/strong><\/p>\n