Building Muscle and Performance by Nick Tumminello

Author:Nick Tumminello [Nick Tumminello]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781492512707
Publisher: Human Kinetics
Published: 2016-07-24T16:00:00+00:00

Single-Leg Versus Double-Leg Training

Elsewhere in this book, I said that pitting free weights against machines is like pitting fruits against vegetables. Similarly, debate about single-leg versus double-leg exercise is like arguing about whether one should eat only carrots or only broccoli. In reality, each vegetable offers a unique flavor and provides a certain set of nutrients, so just include them both in your diet to make it more tasty and nutritious!

As for single-leg and double-leg exercises, the double-leg exercises (e.g., squats, deadlifts) place you in a wider base of support and force you to use both your legs and your hips, together, to coordinate many muscles in order to move big loads, which is very metabolically taxing. In contrast, unilateral leg-training exercises force you into a narrow base of support, which works your legs and hips in a slightly different manner; a manner that’s often closer to how your legs work during sports since many athletic actions (i.e., running and cutting) are single-leg dominant. Of course, they also force you to focus on controlling and using one side at a time, which is great for strengthening your weaker, less coordinated side.

Therefore, using both types gives you a wider range of benefits; in addition, having both types to choose from provides a much larger pool of exercise options for adding variety to your lower-body workouts. In summary, since both unilateral and bilateral leg training help you improve muscle and strength—and since both offer unique, complementary benefits—it makes sense to incorporate both into your lower-body workouts in order to make them more well-rounded and effective.

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