Buzz
Unilateral Training might sound unfamiliar to many gym enthusiasts, perhaps you've dabbled in it before, but do you truly understand its benefits? Let's delve into the essence of Unilateral Training together today.
In a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2004, an intriguing story from 1984 unfolds: Emily M. Brown squeezed a rubber ball with all her might using her left hand. Subsequently, she embarked on 13 days of strength training exclusively for her right hand. The astonishing result? After those 13 days, the strength of her left hand increased by a whopping 43%.
Thus, mysteriously, the strength of her left hand surged despite no direct training. Naturally, Emily M. Brown remained oblivious to the cause. Nowadays, we know it by the name Unilateral Training.
What Exactly Is Unilateral Training?
Unilateral Training involves exercising one side of the body, such as one arm or one leg. The benefit of training one side like this is to avoid imbalance where one side of the body becomes significantly stronger, causing uneven pressure during workouts (this difference can be as much as 25%), resulting in the weaker side developing poorly, leading to the most common issue: muscle imbalance.
Engaging in Unilateral Training also aids in muscle balance and body stability, fortifying the core muscles and preventing workout-related injuries.
Comparing to training both sides of the body simultaneously, training one side of the body provides better recovery conditions.
When you train one side, the other side is also stimulated; this indirect stimulation helps improve the strength of the injured side.
This phenomenon is termed as 'cross-education' in muscles and is an event of the nervous system.
The key to experiencing cross-education is that when you train one side, the similar muscle group on the other side is also stimulated. For instance, when you perform Single Leg Knee Extension, the leg being exercised is stimulated in the front thigh, and the non-exercised leg must feel the same, not in the rear thigh.
How to Begin Unilateral Training
As initially described, starting Unilateral Training isn't too challenging. Instead of performing exercises with both hands or legs, you'll now execute them with just one hand or one leg.
Since training one side like this can be risky with heavy weights, it's advisable to start with lighter loads to gradually acclimate. Later, when you're sufficiently strong, you can even utilize... a barbell with just one hand.
When starting out, focus on the weaker side first. After completing the set until the muscles tire, switch to the stronger side and perform the same number of repetitions as the weaker side.
Here are some basic exercises to get you started
Single Arm Front Rack Carry
This exercise is quite simple. Your task is to hold a dumbbell on one shoulder, keeping your chest elevated, your torso straight (without leaning left or right), and begin walking forward for about 20 steps and then step back for 20 steps. Perform about 4 rounds. Then repeat for the other side.
Deficit Bulgarian Split Squat
Single Arm Floor Press
Kneeling Bottoms-Up Press
Quadruped Row
In Summary
Hopefully, you now understand what Unilateral Training is and its importance in workouts. Make sure to incorporate it regularly to not only even out the strength of both sides of your body but also to promote balanced body development, avoiding muscle imbalances.
Posted by: Dũng Trịnh
Keywords: What is Unilateral Training? Why should you prioritize Unilateral Training?
