ARE YOU STRONGER ON YOUR LEFT OR RIGHT?
Not surprisingly, we all have a favoured or dominant side; and although this tends to go unnoticed on a daily basis, when it comes to sport performance even the smallest discrepancies could be holding you back.
Running, cycling and swimming are all single sided sports - regardless of speed or pace, at any one time one leg is creating drive whilst the other is recovering. So if you want to increase your strength in your sport, you need to make sure you are as strong on your left as you are on your right.
HIGHLIGHT YOUR WEAKNESSES
When it comes to increasing your mileage, these side-to-side imbalances can really begin to show, and can lead to overuse… and some pretty nasty compensatory injuries. Now, nobody wants to take unnecessary time away from the sport they love. Strength training through single sided exercises allows us to start targeting these imbalances.
When compared with training using both legs (or arms), more effort is required with single side exercises, meaning more muscle fibres are recruited; this ultimately leads to greater overall gains in strength and stability. Bullying our weaknesses through single side work will force our body to work hard without relying on our more dominant side.
Brian Glynn (Instagram @brianglynnphotography)
“If I’m weaker one side, should I focus all my time and energy on that one side?”
No. You want to think of your strength work as a whole-part-whole method, which will include some time spent focusing on the weaker side but also bringing it back to the whole body movement.
Training your single-side (unilateral) will not do a great deal for your maximal strength. If you are looking to increase your overall strength then you need to include exercises that evenly distribute body weight (two feet or two arms).
So including both single side and full body strength exercises in your program is ideal.
WHY NOT GIVE THESE EXERCISES A GO..
These exercises will challenge and strengthen your muscles, tendons and ligaments due to the instability created, doing an exercise whilst balancing on one leg will improve the stability of your joints. And a quick tip… perform the weaker side first.
Single-Leg Calf Raise
This exercise is great for both preventing and rehabbing any niggles or injuries below the knee. Simply support yourself with one finger or hand, and drive through the ball of your foot as high as you can, ascending and descending with control. Follow a consistent rhythm of up for one second, down for one second, aiming for up to 20-30 repetitions on each leg.
Single-Leg Squat
You don’t need to be in the gym for this one, just grab the kitchen chair and get going!
Chances are you'll soon realise it's much harder than it looks, so to start with just do the 'standing up phase' with one leg, then return to sitting with both feet on the ground. Really think about driving up with the weight in your planted heel, as this will engage your glutes. Do 3 x 6-8 reps to start with, progressing on to sitting and standing on just one leg. Lower the surface to increase the intensity.
Supported Single-Arm Row
With your feet hip width apart and both handles of the support straps in one hand, slowly lower yourself to a suspended angle and use your arm to pull your chest back up. Try to keep your hips and shoulder square on throughout. To increase the difficulty, place your feet closer to the wall so your angle is increased.
Single-Leg Hamstring Bridge
All you need for this exercises is a chair! Position yourself on to your back and place your heels on the seat of the chair. Your legs should be bent slightly past 90 degrees with your hands across your shoulders. Drive up and fully extend through the hips, then lower. Follow a consistent rhythm of up for one second, down for one second, for up to 20-30 legs each rep.
Ironing out these imbalances won't happen overnight, but it will make a huge impact in your overall performance and injury prevention, so be patient. All of our strength training programs include exercises to improve your single side strength and even out any imbalances.
If this is something you think you might need to work on, and you would like more guidance in this area, then get in touch:
GONZALO, O, et al. 2017. ‘Single-Leg Power Output and Between-Limbs Imbalances in Team-Sport Players: Unilateral Versus Bilateral Combined Resistance Training’, IN International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance 12(1):106-114
HOWE, L, et al. 2014. ‘The integration of unilateral strength training for the lower extremity within an athletic performance programme’, IN Professional Strength & Conditioning (33):19-24